Gideon Rachman



Profile:
Full name: Gideon Rachman

Area of interest: Foreign affairs (esp. American foreign policy, the European Union), Globalisation

Journals/Organisation: Financial Times

Email: [mailto:gideon.rachman@ft.com gideon.rachman@ft.com]

Personal website:

Website: http://www.ft.com/comment/columnists/gideonrachman

Blog: FT.com / http://blogs.ft.com/the-world/#axzz1sHmcxLe0 The World: Gideon Rachman and his FT colleagues debate international affairs

Representation: http://www.insightbureau.com/GideonRachman.html

Networks: https://twitter.com/#!/gideonrachman



Biography:
About:

Education: Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge University: History (first class honours degree)

Career: Commenced career at BBC World Service: presenter and producer of current affairs programmes - including 24 Hours and The World Today, 1984/1987; Visiting fellow and Fulbright scholar at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, 1987/1988; The Sunday Correspondent: reporter (based in Washington DC), 1989/1990; The Economist: US editor, South-east Asia correspondent (Bangkok), Britain editor (London) 1997/2000, bureau chief, EU correspondent and wrote 'Charlemagne' column (Brussels); The Washington Quarterly: contributing editor, 1996/2006; joined the Financial Times in 2006

Current position/role: Chief foreign affairs commentator


 * also writes/has written for: Prospect Magazine (as freelance), see archive

Other roles/Main role:

Other activities:

Disclosures:

Viewpoints/Insight: Gideon Rachman's blog opening statement - Financial Times, 31st August 2006

Broadcast media:

Video: regular appearances on TV and radio, including CNN, BBC, Sky, Fox and NPR

Controversy/Criticism:

Awards/Honours:

Scoops:

Other: Brother of author Tom Rachman



Books & Debate:

 * The globe in a glass OCLC 247223078, 1999
 * Passion, pride and profit : a survey of football OCLC 248790737, 2002
 * Outgrowing the Union: a survey of the European Union OCLC 249486410, 2004

Latest work:

Speaking/Appearances: see Insight Bureau - moderator/speaker at numerous academic and business events, including conferences
 * Salzburg Global Seminar: The United States in the World: New Strategies of Engagement, 10th/15th November 2008

Current debate:



Financial Times:
Column name:

Remit/Info: Foreign affairs, esp. American foreign policy, European Union, Globalisation

Section: Comment

Role: Chief foreign affairs columnist

Pen-name:

Email: [mailto:gideon.rachman@ft.com gideon.rachman@ft.com]

Website: FT.Com / Gideon Rachman

Commissioning editor:

Day published: Tuesday

Regularity: Regular weekly column and more frequent 'International Affairs Blog'

Column format:

Average length: 1050 words



Articles: 2016

 * We are all Stalinists on Syria - Western politicians must try to frame policy that takes account of oscillations in public sentiment - 27th September
 * An international Syrian ceasefire is still the best option - The US and Russia share a common interest in the military defeat of Isis - 21st September
 * America’s Pacific pivot is sinking - From South China Sea rivalry to an international trade agreement, the US policy is in trouble - 20th September
 * A two-tier model to revive Europe - Rather than viewing Brexit as a threat, the EU should treat it as an opportunity - 13th September
 * An exam paper from the future - Later generations and current readers are invited to answer these questions - 7th September
 * Angela Merkel is indispensable but insufficient - There is no other European leader able to forge the deals that will keep the EU together - 30th August
 * The crisis in Anglo-American democracy - Trump of the Republicans and Corbyn of the Labour party are recycling some bad old ideas - 23rd August
 * Why Australia’s luck may be running out - The country is becoming a lightning rod for Chinese anger towards the west - 16th August
 * The rising power of China will create new political fissures in the west - The increasingly assertive superpower is forcing the west to make tricky strategic and political choices - 14th August (The Guardian)
 * Donald Trump’s gun remarks evoke US history of political violence - Republican is expert at appealing to wilder rightwing fringe - 13th August
 * The global democratic recession - Democracy is in retreat around the world — for now - 9th August
 * The EU pensions wrangle is a taste of things to come - Brexit negotiations will be a long, drawn-out affair - 3rd August
 * Trump and Brexit feed off the same anger - Britain’s EU vote is a warning for Clinton not to be complacent - 2nd August
 * Republicans, Democrats and the disunited states - The two parties are trying to rally core supporters rather than win over the undecided - 30th July
 * Brexit and memories of the Somme - The relationship between the EU and the UK could easily slide into dangerous antagonism - 4th July
 * I do not believe that Brexit will happen - There will be howls of rage, but why should extremists on both sides dictate how the story ends? - 27th June
 * Orlando massacre will aid Donald Trump’s campaign of fear - GOP candidate sees killings as way to argue that US elites are blinded by political correctness - 14th June
 * Immigration could swing it for Brexit - This is a legitimate issue in the campaign that the Leave side would be stupid not to use - 7th June
 * Xi Jinping has changed China’s winning formula - The country’s most important policies have been overturned by its strongman leader - 30th May 2016
 * Donald Trump’s retreat from American greatness - If the US pulls back from its global role, other powers like China and Russia will fill the vacuum - 24th May
 * Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and the lure of the strongman - All vow to lead a national revival through force of personality and willingness to ignore niceties - 17th May
 * How Donald Trump has changed the world - The Republican party’s presumptive nominee is now the standard-bearer of the far right in the west - 10th May
 * Barack Obama and the end of the Anglosphere - The crucial point is that he is America’s first Pacific president - 26th April
 * Boris Johnson’s Obama comments were ill advised but not racist - Phoney outrage is already dominating the EU referendum campaign - 23rd April
 * Angela Merkel should guard press freedom - The prosecution of a satirist for insulting Turkey’s president would set a dangerous precedent - 19th April
 * Boris Johnson, David Cameron and the day after Brexit - It’s a nightmare on Downing Street ... and there’s a long silence from Angela Merkel in Berlin - 12th April
 * The gnomes of Zurich are silent no longer - Past actions are catching up with some Swiss banking clients - 29th March
 * Wake up — Britain is heading for Brexit - The campaign for the UK to leave the EU has momentum and simple slogans - 22nd March
 * Major doubts over workability of EU-Turkey migrant deal - Germany has expended political capital on a deal which may not work - 21st March
 * The unravelling of Angela Merkel’s power - The German chancellor has lost support at home and control in Europe - 15th March
 * How has the EU mismanaged the migrant crisis? - FT Debate: Our columnists (Roula Khalaf, Tony Barber, Philip Stephens, David Gardner, Martin Wolf) pore over the bloc’s collective and individual mis-steps - 13th March
 * Donald Trump: the case for the defence - It is difficult to condemn his populism without also condemning democracy - 8th March
 * Trump, Orban and the west’s great walls - There is a loss of faith in the ability to engage successfully with the outside world - 1st March
 * Johnson has failed the Churchill test - By not appreciating the wider international context, the London mayor fails to emulate his hero - 23rd February
 * The revival of American isolationism - Both the far right and the hard left are now promising a retreat from globalisation - 16th February
 * Trump, Sanders and American rage - The yearning for leaders from the fringes will have profound implications for the US and the world - 9th February
 * Brexit is no way out of Europe in crisis - In its own interests, Britain must contribute to stability on the European continent - 3rd February
 * Greek debt is key to the refugee crisis - A model could be the camps set up for displaced people in Europe after the second world war - 26th January
 * Bowie’s lesson is not to worry about - Artist’s focus on the personal made the depressing headline news of the 1970s seem irrelevant - 19th January
 * Mass migration into Europe is unstoppable - Population pressures in Africa and the Middle East will drive immigration far into the future - 12th January
 * The political shocks that will define 2016 - Look to China and Britain for sudden surprises - 5th January



Articles: 2015

 * The whole world is on edge - Not one global power is optimistic and even in America, which should be cheering, the mood is sour - 30th December
 * Le Pen, climate and defeat of nationalism - The contest between nationalists and internationalists is playing out the world over - 15th December
 * The west’s view of the Saudis is shifting - The rise of Isis, human rights concerns and less dependence on Arab oil are triggering change - 7th December
 * Before the Syria vote, a battle for Britain - The House of Commons hosted a debate that went to the heart of our nationhood - 5th December
 * We deride Le Pen and Trump at our peril - The rise of political extremists says something disturbing about liberal democracy in the west - 1st December
 * The clash of civilisations revisited - Multiculturalism is not a naive liberal aspiration — it is the reality of the modern world - 17th November
 * Global consequences of the Paris attacks - Terrorists strike at a sensitive time in the history of France and Europe - 16th November
 * China is sailing into a sea of troubles - Public opinion holds some sway in Hong Kong and Taiwan and is beyond Beijing’s control - 10th November
 * The Republicans search for a winner - A Reagan-like candidate is needed who can say, ‘our best days lie ahead’ and mean it - 3rd November
 * The end of the Merkel era is within sight - As the placid surface of German society is disturbed, the positives of immigration are hard to see - 27th October
 * A global test of American power - Obama is under pressure, at home and abroad, to restore the image of US strength - 13th October
 * Outside powers at risk from Syria’s fire - Proxy wars can be very dangerous for the nations that are fuelling the conflict - 6th October 2015
 * We must compromise with evil in Syria - Overriding goal must be to end the war and persuade outside forces to back a peace settlement - 22nd September
 * Crises that threaten to unravel the EU - Refugee issue has overshadowed the euro, but the single currency’s problems have not gone away - 14th September
 * Europe will fail the values test on refugees - This crisis is asking people to live up to their convictions in ways that are costly and inconvenient - 8th September
 * Militarism risky temptation for Beijing - If it goes wrong, it could destroy the international order that brought China great economic success - 1st September
 * Germany’s conditional surrender - Rather than risk its reputation, the Merkel government has agreed yet another Greek bailout - 14th July
 * The three perilous options facing Europe - The truth is that whatever decisions are made, all choices could lead to chaos - 23rd June
 * Four games the Greeks may be playing - Negotiations look increasingly like a deadly scene in ‘Rebel Without A Cause’ - 16th June
 * If Europe cannot bend it will break - The continent’s inability to respond to changed circumstances is truly alarming - 9th June
 * What Fifa tells us about global power - If the US says there is a serious case to answer, it still carries credibility - 1st June
 * Cameron, Europe and the hand of history - Britain has always tried to be a European and a global power - 26th May
 * Obama’s trade deal will not tame China - The TPP is not a significant enough step to justify all the geopolitical hopes invested in it - 19th May
 * Cameron’s ‘Little England’ is a myth - The argument that the UK election revealed a troubled, inward-looking nation is wrong - 12th May
 * Grexit may be best for a bad marriage - The euro has failed to achieve the political goal it was meant to serve: promoting European unity - 5th May
 * The political storm over the Googleplex - Concern about government snooping is mixed with anxiety about commercial use of data - 28th April
 * Reality of Europe’s migrant crisis - An EU agreement on burden-sharing of refugees is not certain since the numbers are not known - 21st April
 * Buying Trident would weaken UK defence - The Tories’ commitment is a frivolous decision to waste billions on a symbol of strength - 14th April
 * UK’s risky obsession with US decline - Many policy makers seem to see the rise of China as inevitable - 7th April
 * The nightmare of a Korean cold war thaw - Everyone in the region has reason to be wary of the process by which unification might come about - 1st April
 * Growth alone will not stabilise Europe - Fear of immigration and anger at elite corruption, as well as austerity, bolster extreme politics - 24th March 2015
 * China’s money magnet pulls US allies - Diplomatic debacle over AIIB will make America look isolated and petulant - 17th March
 * Transatlantic spat exposes deeper cracks - Those who now dominate politics did not grow up when Britain still saw itself as a great power - 13th March
 * Greece, Russia and humiliation politics - Solving international conflicts may involve thinking as much about emotions as interests - 10th March
 * Putin’s survival plan is lies and violence - Russian president stirs nationalist paranoia that makes Nemtsov’s killing permissible - 3rd March
 * A Greek deal cannot fix the euro’s flaws - There has rarely been a period when it is more urgent for Europeans to work together - 24th February
 * Russian hearts, minds and refrigerators - Rather than engage Putin on the battlefield, it makes more sense to hit the economy - 17th February
 * China’s fear of a colour revolution - Beijing seems to share the Russian view that America organised the uprising in Ukraine - 10th February
 * Dangerous cracks at Europe’s centre - Comparisons are being made with the economic depression and unstable politics of the 1930s - 3rd February
 * EU cannot agree to write off Greek debt - The prospect of defaults would frighten the markets and increase the risk of another crisis - 27th January
 * The ‘war on terror’ is going backwards - Fight against Islamist militias now resembles a more conventional conflict - 20th January
 * The fateful choice that faces France - A risk arises that the terrorist attacks will lead to more bitter polarisation - 13th January
 * West loses intellectual self-confidence - Faith in three props of post-cold war world - markets, democracy and US power - has faltered - 6th January
 * Globalisation moves goalposts for Britain - British institutions, right across the social scale have changed, generating ambivalent feelings - 3rd January



Articles: 2014

 * Eurozone’s weakest link is the voters - The rise of anti-system parties threatens a currency that depends on consensus - 30th December
 * Democracy is at issue in Israel’s election - The emerging clash between the Zionist ideal and democratic principles is increasingly evident - 16th December
 * Chess moves to transform world politics - International affairs look badly in need of some brilliant new thinking - 9th December
 * Obama is a lonely immigration liberal - Implicit in his argument is that rich nations have to accept they will continue to be a magnet - 2nd December
 * China, Russia and the Sinatra doctrine - Beijing and Moscow are pushing for a reordering of world affairs based on ‘spheres of influence’ - 25th November
 * The nuclear gun is back on the table - Both in private and in public, Russia is making explicit references to its nuclear arsenal - 17th November
 * Russia is a bigger challenge than Isis - A nuclear-armed Moscow, intent on challenging US, poses risks we are only starting to understand - 10th November
 * Cracks in the Brics start to show - A shared feeling that the west has run things for too long masks deep divergences in world views - 4th November
 * Russia and Europe’s bloody borders - If nations were again allowed to claim bits of their neighbours, it could convulse the continent - 28th October
 * Borders and budgets could lay Europe low - Unrest over sovereignty issues risks pushing EU to the point of no return - 20th October
 * America, Britain and the perils of empire - Middle East turmoil of 1919 offers important lessons for today - 14th October
 * Russia through the nuclear looking glass - In Moscow the biggest danger is said to be that Ukraine decides to give war a chance - 7th October 2014
 * China’s biggest challenge since 1989 - Beijing faces a choice in Hong Kong between repression and climbdown - 30th September
 * The strange revival of nationalism - Separatist movements have a pull for voters even in a world of bits and bytes - 23rd September
 * Scotland poll will leave Cameron weaker - Nationalists round the world will seize on the vote against independence - 19th September
 * A very bad time to break up Britain - Scottish nationalists could soon find there are worse people in the world than London’s ‘Tory toffs’ - 16th September
 * Why investors ignore war and terror - Global political change has done more to create opportunities than to destroy them - 8th September
 * Division risks sapping the west’s power - America’s allies have come to rely excessively on the US to guarantee their security - 2nd September
 * Arab turmoil makes Israel reckless - The political shifts that help Israel look much more ominous in the long run - 5th August
 * A Clinton in power cannot bring back the good times - Bill Clinton became president at a golden moment for the US - 29th July
 * Russia is being led to disaster - Putin is revealed as a reckless gambler leading his country into economic and political isolation - 22nd July
 * Brazil’s brilliance is also a curse - Schools and hospitals often seem to have played second fiddle to stadiums - 8th July
 * Revisionist powers drive world’s crises - China is likely to emerge the challenger to the US-dominated global system - 1st July
 * British wooing of Germany has fallen flat - Old friends are at odds over Juncker but are likely to find common ground on bigger issues - 24th June
 * Solitude beckons for Cameron’s England - Whatever happens, London’s role as one of the few truly global cities is unlikely to change - 21st June
 * War is no solution for the puzzle of Iraq - It is a leap of faith to believe that if the west piles in behind them things will get better - 17th June
 * Keep the lid on Pandora’s Asian box - Rather than risk war over shoals and goats, all sides should submit to arbitration - 10th June
 * Block Juncker to save European democracy - You end up with a situation in which voters have ‘chosen’ a leader they have never heard of - 3rd June
 * EU cannot ignore the populist howl - The argument that the protest vote is too weak and incoherent to merit a response is flawed - 27th May
 * Europe no longer shapes its neighbours - The heady days of 2011, when idealists welcomed the Arab world’s uprisings, are long gone - 20th May
 * A Swift way to curb Putin’s ambitions - The evidence suggests that while the Russian president is bold, he is not mindlessly reckless - 13th May
 * Ukraine still deserves our support - The goals of the thousands who demonstrated in Kiev this year remain both worthy and attainable - 6th May
 * Modi is a risk worth taking for India - The BJP leader’s record as Gujarat chief minister offers reasons for hope - 29th April
 * Obama’s Asia policy is ambiguous - The rise of China is the big strategic challenge facing the US and should focus its attention - 22nd April
 * An unrepentant defence of globalisation - A post-crisis study of economic integration. A review of Michael Mandelbaum’s ‘The Road to Global Prosperity’ - 15th April
 * ‘Whatever it takes’ may not be enough - The eurozone faces problems that are beyond the control of the president of the ECB - 8th April
 * A Ukraine deal is ugly but unavoidable - The west must show that it has real leverage over Russia and is prepared to use it - 1st April
 * A Ukraine war would be ruinous for Russia - The economic blowback from more military action would threaten the Kremlin leadership - 25th March
 * Wars can be started by history textbooks - The imposition of an authorised version of events turns education into brainwashing - 18th March
 * Ukraine is a test case for American power - If the Chinese leadership were ever to ‘do a Putin’, how could the US and allies react? - 11th March
 * Russia cannot fight a new cold war - Putin and his allies have talked tough while enjoying the comforts of globalisation - 4th March
 * A battle over Ukraine can be avoided - The best way to stop the country from being torn apart is to accept its fate can only be decided by Ukrainians - 25th February
 * Scotland can be a model for how to split - There are remarkably few examples of nations breaking up in a civilised way - 18th February
 * The threat of another euro crisis - Two German institutions have now registered profound objections to the policies underpinning the euro - 11th February
 * Future belongs to the emerging markets - Just as the west has emerged from crisis before, the newcomer economies will return to growth - 4th February
 * Globalisation and growth are no cure-all - New forms of political conflict have emerged that are resistant to traditional prescriptions - 28th January
 * Get ready – America is pulling back - The rest of the world is adjusting to an emerging political and security vacuum - 21st January
 * Bullingdon bust-up masks a real problem - A pragmatic pro-European should acknowledge that democratic systems must adapt - 14th January
 * Take inspiration from Sarajevo, not Munich - Pointless aggression belongs in the playground, not in international affairs - 7th January



Articles: 2013

 * The US has pivoted to the Middle East - America is obsessed by a region with a population one-third the size of China’s - 24th December
 * Israel’s paranoia masks complacency - Looking around, Israelis see many developments that are positive for the Jewish state - 17th December
 * The west is losing faith in its future - Living standards are even under pressure in countries that have done relatively well - 10th December
 * The World: Mandela – how a man became a myth - His magnanimity and dignity – which became more apparent during the dangerous transition to majority rule – burnished his status - 9th December
 * Putin miscalculated over Ukraine - To Moscow the ‘colour revolutions’ were sinister, threatening its sphere of influence - 3rd December
 * Is Cameron right about immigration? - Gideon Rachman and Janan Ganesh argue for and against the UK prime minister - 30th November 2013
 * Obama needs to take on the Israel lobby over Iran - The outcome of a looming showdown between two leaders who loathe one another will be critical - 26th November
 * China and Japan are heading for a clash - It is hard to believe either side wants war – but posturing could spark accidental conflict - 19th November
 * France has played its cards right on Iran - While the French are the toast of US neocons, Tehran denounces them as ‘gun-slinging frogs’ - 12th November
 * China plans to prove the sceptics wrong - It is unclear whether a system that is geared to growth can also provide clean air and water - 5th November
 * Rights abusers can breathe more easily - The west’s lofty principles are being tested by a desire to please the powerful - 29th October
 * Obama can finally curb over-mighty spies - The US does need to rethink the scope of its intelligence operations – and to draw some new lines - 26th October
 * Watch out for a European Tea Party - The big danger to the euro is that the political consensus that underpins it could come unstuck - 22nd October
 * Japan’s unsettling glimpse of the future - A determination to maintain social cohesion is admirable, but the country has paid a price - 15th October
 * America cannot live so carelessly forever - Repeated games of Russian roulette are never advisable. Congress may find a bullet in the chamber this time - 8th October
 * How things could go right in Middle East - A region given to crushing optimism might be showing its brighter side - 1st October
 * Merkel the visionary is misunderstood - The chancellor sees that German voters’ interests do not conflict with keeping the euro alive - 24th September
 * Business as usual in Washington - Another day, another gun outrage but never mind because nothing seems to upset the political torpor - 19th September
 * Missiles alone cannot secure credibility - Obama has grasped the superior power of economic strength - 17th September
 * Germany focuses on small beer - German political debate is peculiarly parochial considering it is the leading power in Europe - 9th September
 * The world would miss the US policeman - ‘Red lines’ underpin global security from the Pacific to eastern Europe - 3rd September
 * Echoes of Iraq are eerie but misleading - The situation in Syria is much more confused than in pre-war Iraq - 29th August
 * America’s Middle East alliances are cracking - Policy rested on five crucial players but these are pulling in different directions - 27th August
 * Stability is what Egypt needs now - If clean government, order and economic growth return then there is a chance for democracy - 20th August
 * Gaffe-prone Japan threatens Asian peace - The Abe government’s disastrous public diplomacy risks alienating not just China but also the US - 13th August
 * Britain should rise above Russian might - By blocking a public inquiry into Litvinenko, UK plays to the most cynical Putinesque instincts - 16th July
 * Freedom and democracy can become enemies - Key members of Egypt’s liberal movement supported the ouster of the country’s first democratically elected president - 9th July
 * Obama and the crumbling of a liberal fantasy hero - The most vociferous critics expected far more than a mere mortal could deliver - 2nd July
 * Sri Lanka summit taints Commonwealth - Leaders should feel sick about accepting hospitality from a government with so grim a rights record - 25th June
 * West’s Middle East dominance is ending - Those calling for deeper US involvement in the Syrian conflict are living in the past - 18th June
 * The spies will win the privacy fight - Most accept there are legitimate reasons for states to monitor what is going on in cyber space - 11th June 2013
 * Obama and Xi must halt a risky rivalry - The real difficulty is over the Chinese desire to carve out a ‘sphere of influence’ in east Asia - 4th June
 * Actions not words are what matter on Syria - There is no ‘western’ view on the crisis – there are deep divisions in Europe and within the US - 28th May
 * Tories misunderstand the last election - Cameron’s estrangement from his party began with the failure of 2010 - 21st May
 * Obama is right to stay out of Syria - The president is taking a position – and it is not the easy option - 14th May
 * Toxic smog smothers the Chinese dream - Beijing may be ready to act over the country’s appalling pollution - 6th May
 * Syria undermines Obama’s strategy - The president’s aim is to pivot to Asia rather than the Middle East - 30th April
 * France should shun talk of revolution - The public mood is dark but the country’s situation is not so bad - 23rd April
 * Europe is no longer Spain’s solution - The people are losing faith in national and EU institutions - 16th April
 * Leader backed globalisation but defended nation state - Tension defined Thatcher's relationship to EU – and continues to mould Britain - 9th April
 * Regime tests the limits of a MAD world - If there is a state that might defy the logic of nuclear deterrence, it is North Korea - 2nd April
 * Cyprus’s role in a German Europe - A project designed to avoid conflict has led to hostility towards Berlin - 26th March
 * Europe’s leaders run out of credit in Cyprus - The problem remains the gap in trust between north and south - 19th March
 * Prepare for endgame in North Korea - The US and China should pool ideas on the nuclear threat - 12th March
 * Euro crisis is breeding comics not fascists - Times may be tough but this is not the 1930s. Modern Europe is a richer, less traumatised continent - 5th March
 * West complacent over why nations fail - Politics is too often captive to procedures and principles - 26th February
 * Disarmed Europe will face the world alone - One day the Europeans may find that the US is not there to deal with threats at their frontiers - 19th February
 * A rare sighting of good news in Europe - The gloom that has haunted the region has lifted slightly - 12th February
 * The shadow of 1914 falls over the Pacific - China now, like Germany 100 years ago, fears the established power - 4th February
 * A conspiracy of reasonable people - If China stops playing by Davos rules, the golden years of the WEF will be over - 29th January
 * The Diary: Gideon Rachman - The FT’s chief foreign affairs commentator seeks out a Buddhist monk on the ‘Secrets of Success’ on his first night in Davos - 26th January
 * Obama looks inward, America’s allies worry - US strength in the world rests on the power of its economy - 22nd January
 * Netanyahu: tactical genius, strategic idiot - The Israeli prime minister must answer the big questions about his country’s future - 15th January
 * UK should welcome timely words from US - Warnings about EU membership should be heeded - 12th January
 * Britain’s two gambles in welfare reform - Prospects for the planned reshaping of benefits do not look rosy - 8th January
 * Britain would vote to stay in the EU - The UK electorate would almost certainly opt for the status quo - 3rd January



Articles: 2012

 * Five big events that shaped the past year - Crises in Europe and the Middle East still dominate headlines - 18th December
 * America’s drone war is out of control - Unmanned strikes to kill suspected terrorists set a dangerous precedent - 11th December
 * The perilous drift to intervention in Syria - The most telling argument against action remains that the consequences are incalculable - 4th December
 * Obama should end his reticence on rights - Double standards in US foreign policy need to be addressed - 27th November
 * Europe would lose if Britain left the union - Brussels would not have to give much ground to keep the UK in the club - 20th November
 * China and US navigate in risky waters - Tensions are rising as the two countries jostle for power - 13th November
 * Romney presidency would be just fine - My guess is that the Republican is a moderate, not a Tea Party radical - 6th November
 * Welcome to Berlin, Europe’s new capital - The price of assistance will be rules made in Germany - 22nd October
 * Spain, Britain and the forbidden fruits of independence - No marriage can survive by declaring divorce illegal - 16th October
 * The Brics have taken an unhappy turn - The new marks of Bric status are a weakening economy and political dysfunction - 9th October
 * Blame the great men for Europe’s crisis - Answering ‘who is at fault?’ will be important in fixing the mess - 2nd October
 * India is part of an upside down world - The highway leading out of Delhi is lined with adverts for new housing developments with names such as “Exotica Dreamville”. A typical hoarding shows a smiling young couple, standing on a manicured lawn, under the slogan: “Lifestyle is here.” - 24th September
 * Obama not to blame for Middle East anger - President’s policies have not ended Islamist rage with US but have made it easier to contain - 17th September
 * Democracy loses in struggle to save euro - The sight of a German representative on the ECB being isolated is chilling - 11th September
 * Now Obama must build the case for government - The president will have to avoid treading on the American dream - 4th September
 * The Diary - The FT columnist talks about the Republican convention, the food on sale, and Team Romney-Ryan’s good looks - 1st September
 * This election could be Republicans’ last chance - The changing US population presents a strategic dilemma - 28th August
 * Pussy Riot can rock the Kremlin to its foundations - Any PR firm could have warned Vladimir Putin that the band’s sentence is an unqualified PR disaster - 21st August
 * Britain can avoid a post-Olympic crash - The British have been reminded that their country can still succeed on and off the track - 14th August
 * The backlash against the rich has gone global - This mood could end an era of low taxes and rising inequality - 7th August
 * If you liked George W. Bush, you’ll love Mitt Romney - This is a promise to set policy in line with a Manichean world view of friends and foes - 31st July
 * Our plastic Brits are the secret of London’s success - Britain’s Olympians perfectly illustrate our global capital - 28th July
 * Blackmail cannot be UK’s Europe policy - It is increasingly possible to envisage circumstances in which Britain does leave the EU - 3rd July
 * Our obsession with Iran obscures the bigger threat - Pakistani nukes pose more of a danger to the west - 26th June
 * Greece has won Europe a respite – now it must use it - Mistake to provoke the final euro crisis now - 19th June
 * We isolate and overload Germany at our peril - Europe must avoid the rise of the German far-right at all costs - 12th June
 * A pageant that offers respite from reality - The monarchy and the ceremonies that go with it are a reassuring symbol of a rooted British stability - 5th June
 * For Syria, diplomacy still beats bombs - The threat of fanning power conflicts is not the only reason to hesitate before starting the engines on Nato warplanes - 29th May
 * Time to plan a velvet divorce for the euro - A break-up would be painful but it is the best option - 22nd May
 * One bullseye cannot rescue Obama’s global record - The US president’s real problem is that he has over-promised and under-delivered - 14th May
 * The Greek crisis will fast expose Mr Hollande - Forced to choose, the French are almost certain to go with the Germans - 8th May
 * No alternative to austerity - Spending has done very little to change the fundamental problems - 1st May
 * France votes to throw down the gauntlet to Europe - Both Sarkozy and Hollande are promising to change the direction of the EU - 24th April
 * Europe has yet to make Europeans - Proposing English as the language of Europe would be a new amusing way of committing political suicide - 10th April
 * A time bomb that no one can defuse - If Greece leaves the eurozone and is plunged into chaos, the rest of Europe will be sucked into the resulting mess - 3rd April
 * The west has lost in Afghanistan - Nato’s goals for the country are now minimal and focused on security. Even they might not be achieved - 27th March
 * political crisis will not stop China'' - We are not suddenly going to wake up and discover that the Chinese miracle was, in fact, a mirage - 20th March
 * China’s past needs to be rewritten - As foreigners seek to engage modern China, it is important they understand how the country views its own past - 13th March
 * Don’t despair of democracy - The authoritarian urge to cross-dress in democratic clothes is an implied compliment - 6th March
 * Syria, the case for staying out - The wrong decision can possibly cause more deaths than it prevents - 28th February
 * The drift towards war with Iran - The west’s appetite for conflict appears to be growing - 21st February
 * Germany faces a machine from hell - The actions urged on Berlin are unreasonable. Its own solution – structural reform now, political union later – is unworkable - 14th February
 * The ice is cracking under Putin - While nobody is talking of a Moscow spring, there is a definite thaw under way - 7th February
 * ‘Davos consensus’ under siege - Both the US president and the French would-be president were calling key elements of globalisation into question - 31st January
 * The real debate that America needs - Romney and Obama are the men to set the agenda - 24th January
 * America, Greece and a world on fire - A Greek economic crisis is threatening Europe but the US has no intention of leading the rescue mission - 17th January
 * Why I’m feeling strangely Austrian - The failure of the hard left to capitalise on the economic crisis testifies to how profoundly communism has been discredited - 10th January
 * The big questions for 2012 - In a year of pivotal elections, what will be the main global themes? - 3rd January



Articles: 2011

 * Our age of mounting indignation - A virus of popular protest that began in Cairo and Athens has gone global - 30th December
 * Farewell to a dumb war in Iraq - In sharp contrast to the Bush era, it is European nations that are now arguing for more confrontational policies in the Middle East - 20th December
 * The summit will prove a footnote - One act in a drawn-out melodrama that still threatens to turn into a tragedy - 13th December
 * Western dreams and Egypt’s reality - The rise of the Salafists has alarmed liberal voters - 6th December
 * The long shadow of the 1930s - A modern version of the 1930s would see a new generation of nationalist politicians rise to power in Europe, and the break-up of the EU - 29th November
 * The markets are not the monster - The markets are not the enemy of European politicians. In fact, they are all that stands between political leaders and angry citizens - 22nd November
 * A rat, the Downing Street cat and a vision of a calmer Britain - Larry, number 10’s feline resident, is supremely unburdened by the cares of high office and thus an example to the nation - 19th November
 * Look behind you, Lucas and Mario - If the technocrats fail to work miracles, the extremists are waiting in the wings - 15th November
 * Saving the euro is the wrong goal - European leaders insist the currency will remain eternal - 8th November
 * threat to Obama'' - Europe will loom large in battle for the White House - 1st November
 * America must manage its decline - Those who refuse to entertain such talk risk accelerating the process - 18th October
 * be blind to Erdogan’s flaws'' - The prime minister is becoming more autocratic at home and more reckless overseas - 11th October
 * China or the US? Make your choice - With the US government borrowing 40 cents of every dollar that it spends – and China the largest foreign buyer of US debt – the Chinese are indirectly funding American military dominance of the Pacific - 4th October
 * Russia takes a step backwards - The ease with which Dmitry Medvedev, the current Russian president, has been eased aside, will strengthen the cynical view that he was always a glove-puppet for Vladimir Putin - 27th September
 * The single currency’s true fatal flaw - Euro bank notes lack a common identity - 20th September
 * The long slide into protectionism - A European economic, banking and debt seizure inevitably has global ramifications – particularly when the US economy is so weak - 14th September
 * Hang on to your purse, Ms Merkel - Rather than lambasting her, Europe should be glad there is a calm and cautious leader in Berlin - 5th September
 * the year of global indignation'' - Many revolts have pitted a well-connected elite against ordinary citizens who feel excluded and angered by corruption - 30th August
 * the guns of August'' - Since when has late summer been a safe time to go to the beach? - 2nd August
 * needs a new political culture'' - If Greece is to do more than simply stagger from bail-out to bail-out, the country needs a profound change in its political culture - 26th July
 * lost among zealots'' - The Tea Party is promoting a form of constitutional fundamentalism that bears a striking resemblance to religious fundamentalism – and appeals to many of the same voters - 19th July
 * time to park the peace process'' - Effect of the Arab spring on the Palestinian issue is that both sides are even less likely to risk negotiating a settlement - 13th July
 * time to park the peace process'' - Effect of the Arab spring on the Palestinian issue is that both sides are even less likely to risk negotiating a settlement - 12th July
 * and Europe sinking together'' - The debt debates in the US and the EU are so inward-looking that surprisingly few people are making the connection- 5th July
 * foreign policy of empty slogans'' - David Cameron wants Britain to continue to behave like a major power, without the financial and military muscle to back it up - 28th June
 * union cannot fix the euro'' - The single currency’s problem is not institutional. There is just not a strong common political identity to support it - 21st June
 * Syria will get away with it'' - A 20-year experiment with the idea that western military force can put the world to rights is coming to a close - 14th June
 * China becomes number one'' - China will be a strange superpower - 7th June
 * defence of gloomy columnists'' - My response to the charge of being called a ‘gloom-monger’ or, even worse, a ‘doomsayer’ all depends on what timeframe you are looking at – and whether you are worrying about politics or enthusing about technology - 24th May
 * America’s new shining path'' - One good aspect of next month’s Peruvian election is that both candidates have taken Brazil, and not Venezuela, as a model - 17th May
 * the thickets of the Arab spring'' - The Arab world is facing its best, but also its most dangerous moment in decades - 10th May
 * victory and end the ‘global war on terror’'' - The threat of terrorism has been hyped out of proportion - 3rd May
 * liberals are losing the battle'' - Middle-classes not the only forces set free by fall of Mubarak - 26th April
 * euro crisis, Italy and its playful premier'' - The EU could probably manage a Spanish bail-out if it were ever to happen but Italy is too big to bail - 12th April
 * 1989, but we are the Russians'' - Like the USSR, the US chose the honourable option in refusing to let its regional ally keep power through force – and now faces a loss of influence - 5th April
 * a last hurrah for the west'' - The war is likely to mark the end of liberal interventionism - 29th March
 * fainthearts and Gaddafi'' - With the Middle East in turmoil, further huge decisions loom. The temperamental divide between western leaders will continue to be crucial - 22nd March
 * nightmare: the voters’ revenge'' - Concern about the rise of extremist parties is making it harder for EU leaders to reach agreements. Governments feel they have no room for manoeuvre - 15th March
 * is a route to political truth'' - Fiction’s ability to give a voice to the voiceless explains why it needs a novel to convey the uprisings in Egypt and Libya - 8th March
 * for Libya to liberate itself'' - Military intervention could damage the chance for lasting peace in the region - 1st March
 * grubby Libyan lesson in realpolitik'' - Muammer Gaddafi of Libya may soon be deposed - 22nd February
 * on the revolution in Egypt'' - Egypt’s young, articulate, web-savvy demonstrators are just one social strand - 15th February
 * revolution will Egypt choose?'' - The actions of western leaders can still influence which of two rival narratives prevails - 8th February
 * is back - how awkward'' - The revolt against autocracy in the Arab world is both uplifting and alarming for global powers - 1st February
 * have all the thinkers gone?'' - Why does a list of contemporary intellectuals look so feeble? - 25th January
 * feels that time is on its side'' - Post-crisis, Americans are taking a less benign view of China - 18th January
 * disfigures the Tea Party'' - The radical right has fuelled the rage of US political debate - 11th January
 * globalisation on the retreat in 2011?'' - The threat to globalisation will grow unless and until there is a co-ordinated global recovery - 4th January



Articles: 2010

 * should give Assange a medal'' - Picture of US emerging from WikiLeaks is positive - 14th December
 * escape from Europe’s debt woes'' - Whole world has interest in Europe escaping financial labyrinth - 7th December
 * reaps a vintage European crop'' - Rich Chinese are bidding up the price of rare luxury goods to levels that make western rivals go pale - 30th November
 * Germany could kill the euro'' - If the Germans become convinced that their eurozone partners were simply impossible to deal with – and that therefore the whole single currency experiment could not work – they might decide to quit - 23rd November
 * Hollywood ending for Burma'' - But Suu Kyi’s release offers a rare moment of optimism - 16th November
 * G20’s seven pillars of friction'' - Discord between the US and China is one conflict among many - 9th November
 * may just be an interlude'' - The beliefs of the president still matter in foreign policy – as the world may rediscover, if Obama loses to a Republican in 2012 - 2nd November
 * can no longer plead poverty'' - The label of ‘developing country’ has become a shield with which China protects itself against vital political and economic changes - 26th October
 * France ignores the abyss'' - Gideon Rachman on European reform and the French protests - 19th October
 * as hell but not Mad Hatters'' - Tea Party movement stirring up US politics means different things to different people - 12th October
 * undeclared war in cyberspace'' - For advanced industrial nations, cyber-warfare is simultaneously a huge opportunity and a huge threat - 5th October
 * realities behind the cult of Lula'' - Lula and Mandela myths have something in common - 28th September
 * will not help the Roma'' - The only acceptable long-term solution to the Roma’s problems in Europe has to be education, training and employment - 21st September
 * 9/15 changed more than 9/11'' - The attacks on New York and Washington in 2001, horrifying as they were, did not shake US dominance of the global political and economic system. It was Lehman’s collapse that truly marked the end of the “unipolar moment” - 14th September
 * economists off their throne'' - The their claim to scientific rigour must be treated more sceptically - 7th September
 * hatred of Blair is over the top'' - His years will be remembered for more than Iraq - 31st August
 * the hypocrisy and talk Turkey'' - The rules must be changed if Turkey is to become a member of the EU - 24th August
 * lessons for Afghanistan'' - Should Nato withdraw troops much faster than currently envisaged – and refocus more tightly on counter-terrorism? - 27th July
 * nuclear choice can be cheap and scary'' - An adversary is likely to be as deterred by a chance of nuclear annihilation as by a certainty - 20th July
 * business sours on China'' - Corporate America is showing increasing signs of disillusionment with China - 13th July
 * Africa’s trial by World Cup'' - The tournament has revealed a more dynamic side to the South African government - 6th July
 * to the new world (cup) order'' - Let us enjoy the role that football plays in relations between global countries - 29th June
 * war as in sport, talent will test the men in suits'' - Lessons from the mutinies of John Terry and General McChrystal - 26th June
 * is having a midlife crisis'' - The Union is like a middle-aged man whose thoughts on the meaning of life have been interrupted by the realisation that he has not saved enough for his retirement - 21st June
 * and loathing across the ocean'' - The danger for Britain and the US of falling back on negative national stereotypes - 15th June
 * endures in two-system China'' - Beijing can deal with dissent with subtlety - 8th June
 * west re-examines the rat race'' - The idea that public policy should concentrate on the promotion of happiness, rather than wealth, is gaining strength - 1st June
 * gas will change the world'' - Could this be the answer to energy security? - 25th May
 * death of the European dream'' - The world is watching the EU’s economic crisis with fascination and horror - 18th May
 * fear that now unites Britain and Europe'' - Events in the UK and Brussels may be a foretaste of a new political era - 15th May
 * is unprepared for austerity'' - The growth in the size and power of the EU fed a dangerous sense of complacency - 11th May
 * nuclear-free world? No thanks'' - In a world genuinely free of nuclear weapons, war between big powers would once again become thinkable - 4th May
 * fear and loathing of Obama'' - The Americans are right to insist on a settlement freeze - 27th April
 * erupts for a volcanic exile'' - Wealth and privilege has made babies of us all - 20th April
 * Tories point to isolation'' - The party has little in common with mainstream conservatism in the US or in Europe - 6th April
 * euro’s big fat failed wedding'' - The euro looks like an unhappy marriage between incompatible partners - 30th March
 * bounce changes the world'' - Success on healthcare reinvigorates the president’s standing abroad - 23rd March
 * or not, China’s rise is real'' - Beijing is emerging as a geopolitical rival to Washington - 16th March
 * edges from America towards China'' - An uncomfortable strategic choice lies ahead - 9th March
 * Reagan ruined conservatism'' - Traditional conservatives disdain populism and respect knowledge. What went wrong? - 1st March
 * threatens more than the euro'' - The crisis could put the entire European project into reverse - 23rd February
 * Mexico is the missing Bric'' - A country of huge promise is held back by its cartels - 16th February
 * and lemons in Ukraine'' - Rather than tut-tut at dissipation of hopes, Europe’s leaders should look at own responsibilities - 9th February
 * the bottom fell out of ‘old’ Davos'' - Uneasily conscious of a shift of power to the east, western leaders are questioning ideas that used to underpin Davos. Dominant themes at last week’s World Economic Forum included a backlash against high finance and doubts about free trade. Is this a permanent change - 2nd February
 * nations turn into hoarders'' - Across the world, major powers are moving to secure access to energy, food and, in some cases, water. Faith in a trade-based system, with nations buying what they need on open, world markets, is giving ground to an effort by individual nations to secure supplies - 26th January
 * America and China will crash'' - US dogma has it that economic growth in China will lead to political liberalisation. So far, it has not – as the clash with Google has shown. Once this assumption is dropped, pressure will rise in the US to disengage - 19th January
 * could be good for America'' - If the US keeps running huge deficits, sooner or later the country will start flirting with bankruptcy. Oddly, it might be best if the crisis came sooner rather than later. For a surprising number of countries, running out of money has been the prelude to national renewal - 12th January
 * is losing the free world'' - The Obama administration is facing an unexpected and unwelcome development in global politics. Four of the biggest and most strategically important democracies in the developing world – Brazil, India, South Africa and Turkey – are increasingly at odds with American foreign policy. The US has been slow to pick up on this development - 5th January



Articles: 2009

 * grim theme linking the year’s main events'' - The international euphoria that surrounded the election of Obama probably peaked on the very day of his inauguration. It has been downhill all the way since - 24th December
 * does not need a big shot'' - There are two problems with nominating an EU president. First is the job’s shaky legitimacy. Second is a lack of unity that bedevils efforts to create a European foreign policy. Both issues would be made worse by appointing Tony Blair - 27th October
 * small nations were cut adrift'' - In the aftermath of the Great Recession, the economic and political tide has turned against small nations. Look around Europe and it is the smalls that have fared worst - 20th October
 * must start punching harder'' - The notion that Mr Obama is a weak leader is spreading in ways that are dangerous to his presidency. The Nobel Peace Prize will not help. Peace is all very well. But Mr Obama now needs to pick a fight in public, and win it quickly - 13th October
 * plot to take over the world'' - The realisation that the G20 is Europe’s Trojan horse struck me at the G20’s last summit in Pittsburgh. The surroundings and atmosphere were strangely familiar. And then I understood; this was just a global version of a European Union summit - 6th October
 * tests the world’s collective will'' - For those western leaders who are hoping the UN will tackle the frightening global challenges identified in New York last week by Barack Obama, it is all very depressing. But if the UN is blocked or ineffective, then the search will be on for new forums and methods - 29th September (see: Iran: summary)
 * retreats to old certainties'' - Barring a huge upset, Sunday’s elections will see Angel Merkel returned as chancellor, at the head of yet another coalition government. So no change in Germany, then? It would be a mistake to believe that - 22nd September
 * makes gains in its bid to be top dog'' - Last week a Tibetan mastiff was flown into Xian airport in central China, where it received a welcome fit for an emperor. The dog was swept into town by a convoy of 30 Mercedes-Benz cars - 15th September
 * crude realities of diplomacy'' - Politicians know that voters will punish them if fuel prices soar, or if there are electricity shortages. But they also know that if they openly put the search for oil at the heart of their foreign policies, they are liable to be denounced as cynical and immoral - 8th September
 * continuity we can believe in'' - The new narrative is that the electoral triumph of the DPJ is Japan’s big chance to break with the years of stagnation. But the story of Japan over the past 20 years is by no means as dismal as much western commentary would have it - 1st September
 * braces for a Baltic blast'' - The intensifying crisis in the Baltics cannot be treated as a freakish local squall of little concern to outsiders. Bank failures or plunging currencies in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia could threaten the fragile prospect of recovery in the rest of Europe - 4th August
 * activists in denial'' - Most activists believe a failure to achieve an agreement in Copenhagen would be catastrophic. But they also know that, even if a deal is reached, it is likely to be ineffective. If they admit this publicly, they risk creating a climate of despair and inaction. But if they press ahead, they are putting all their energy into an approach that is unlikely to deliver - 28th July
 * the world need a United Nations army'' - The disjointed pirate hunting operation off Somalia and the inadequate forces inside the country show the UN needs to be able to deploy peacekeepers quickly, and that means keeping a force on permanent stand-by. It is time finally to bite the bullet and give the UN a permanent military capacity - 21st July
 * must be firm on foreign policy'' - Barack Obama’s charismatic aura is obscuring an uncomfortable truth. His foreign policy is in crisis: problems with Iran and Russia are merging into a single, nasty mess. The US president must be tough enough not to be panicked into macho gestures - 7th July
 * categorical imperative to twitter'' - When I told a friend I was thinking of writing a book, he said: “It won’t work unless you can summarise the argument in a sentence that fits on Twitter”. How stupid, I thought. But I was wrong – most great works of political philosophy can be summarised in this way - 30th June
 * for an Iranian revolution'' - What does it take to make a successful revolution? - 23rd June (See: Iran: summary)
 * could still win in Iran'' - In the short term, events in the country are depressing and alarming – a stolen election, violence in the streets, repression. In the long term, the weekend has provided heartening evidence that Iran, and the Middle East in general, need not be immune to the great wave of democratisation that has swept the world since the late 1970s - 16th June
 * but interesting in Strasbourg'' - Extreme-right and extreme-left parties could now account for about 15 per cent of the new European parliament, while hardline eurosceptics will be another noisy grouping. These diverse entrants will give the decorous proceedings a much needed shake-up - 9th June
 * and the limits of soft power'' - From North Korea to Guantánamo Bay, from Iran to Afghanistan, US president Barack Obama is confronting vexing issues that cannot be charmed out of existence - 2nd June
 * austerity does not come easily'' - Perhaps countries that have recent memories of real turbulence and hardship are better able to shrug off the consequences of a sudden economic setback. There would be a huge public outcry if the UK or US were to attempt Hungarian or Estonian style cuts - 26th May
 * democracy has an ugly side'' - Indian democracy is a wonder to behold. But do not be starry-eyed. It is marvellous that a country so large and so relatively poor can manage a peaceful, democratic transition. But some unappealing realities lurk just behind the beautiful facade - 19th May
 * lessons for a world crisis'' - The unfolding of the Hungarian crisis now looks like a microcosm of the world crisis. Fear of financial collapse is gradually giving way to worries about an unprecedented contraction in the economy – with all the social and political consequences that could imply - 12th May
 * for US to get on with ‘AfPak’ heads'' - The search for alternative leadership in Pakistan and Afghanistan is understandable, but the US should resist the temptation to meddle - 6th May
 * ‘apologies’ are a strength'' - When the US president suggests that America has made mistakes in its dealings with Europe or the Muslim world, he is quite deliberately sending a signal. To his conservative critics, it is one of weakness. But mature democracies should not be afraid of open discussion - 5th May
 * closing of the Thatcher era'' - One of Mrs Thatcher’s most famous phrases was: ‘There is no alternative.’ As yet, no major political figure in Britain or the western world has really articulated a coherent alternative to the free-market principles inherited from Thatcherism. Until that happens, the Thatcher era will not be definitively over - 28th April
 * the veil on our war aims'' - We are not in Afghanistan to fight for women’s rights. We are there to prevent the country ever again becoming a base for attacks on the west - 14th April
 * - right man, wrong time'' - On his European tour, Mr Obama cemented the impression that he is an unusually gifted and intelligent politician. But that does not mean he will succeed - 7th April
 * spurns the beloved Obama'' - The Continent’s leaders have a huge interest in fostering and fanning the new American internationalism represented by Mr Obama. Instead, they seem to be doing their utmost to pour cold water on it - 31st March
 * importance of empty words'' - It will be tempting to laugh, if and when the communiqué from the London G20 summit contains the familiar pledges to avoid protectionism. But it is probably important that world leaders at least promise to follow the path of virtue – even if they know that they may sin - 24th March
 * in Afghanistan is a long shot'' - The new conventional wisdom is that there is no military solution. Western leaders instead talk about a “comprehensive approach” that includes economic development, improved government, regional diplomacy and peace feelers to the Taliban - 17th March
 * Aretha Franklin doctrine'' - Barack Obama and R-E-S-P-E-C-T - 10th March
 * crafted sentiments help to court Congress'' - Pundits argued over whether Gordon Brown got as many standing ovations as Tony Blair when he addressed Congress . . . because what really matters to the British is whether Americans still love them - 5th March
 * is yesterday’s creed'' - Plans for a political union in Europe were always crazy. But the four freedoms already established by the EU – free movement of goods, people, services and capital – are huge and tangible achievements. It would be terrible to see them rolled back - 3rd March
 * Iran? Decision time is here'' - On Friday, the FT reported that “Iran has built up a stockpile of enough enriched uranium for one nuclear bomb”. It is time for the Obama administration to launch a last big push to head this off – and for the rest of the world to line up in support - 24th February
 * 2012: a dystopian dream'' - Elected president on a ticket of populism and nationalism, Palin starts taking congratulatory phone calls. First is Prime Minister Lieberman of Israel, then President Putin. As for China, she is not speaking to them . . . - 17th February
 * Obama offers change for Israel'' - As Israelis prepare to go to the polls, anybody looking for something to break the bloody deadlock between Israel and the Palestinians needs to look outside Israeli politics. The best hope – slim though it may be – is the Obama administration - 10th February
 * globalisation goes into reverse'' - Intellectually, world leaders are convinced of the need to keep markets open. Politically, they are under pressure to respond to voters who are angry, frightened and demanding protection. Recent developments suggest angry citizens will take priority - 3rd February
 * Europe melts at the edges'' - Unlike the grumpy Brits, southern EU nations associate Brussels with good government. Yet if the EU itself does not become the target of political unrest, some other part of the political system is bound to come under pressure - 27th January
 * – the man is the message'' - On Tuesday when he gives his inaugural address, the new president will be able to stick to the beautifully delivered generalities that have inspired so many people in the US and around the world. Once he is in office, all that will change - 20th January
 * L and its fearful future'' - Those of us born in the west have never really experienced hard times. We have had decades of peace and prosperity. But perhaps Generation L – as in ‘lucky’ – has just had the luxury of an extended holiday from history, which is coming to an end - 13th January
 * self-defeating Gaza offensive'' - Ending the blockade in return for a ceasefire remains the best option for both humanitarian and strategic reasons. But the longer the bloodshed goes on, the more both sides in the conflict will be sucked into a logic of revenge and retaliation - 6th January



Articles: 2008

 * we will remember from 2008'' - Will the election of Obama or the collapse of Lehman prove the more significant event? That depends whether you believe history is shaped by the actions of remarkable individuals or by ‘vast, impersonal forces’. I am opting for the vast, impersonal forces - 23rd December 2008
 * economy hits the wall'' - It is now clear that, far from being immune to the global financial crisis, China is very vulnerable. Its economy may not be hit as hard as that of the US. But as a poorer country – with a less resilient political system – it could suffer worse - 16th December 2008
 * now for a world government'' - For the first time since homo sapiens began to doodle on cave walls, there is an argument, an opportunity and a means to make serious steps towards a world government. Europe already has a government for 27 countries. Could the model go global? - 9th December 2008
 * from the Mumbai tragedy'' - Full of rich foreigners and the local elite, smart hotels are prestige targets for terrorists. The only long-term solution is to strengthen the civilian politicians who realise that Pakistan’s past support for jihadist movements has backfired - 2nd December 2008
 * America’s new declinism for real?'' - There is a new acceptance in America of the constraints on US power. America has been through phases of “declinism” before. But there are still reasons for thinking the latest version may be more soundly based than its predecessors - 25th November 2008
 * Obama a Middle East ‘splitter’?'' - Would-be Middle East peacemakers can be categorised as ‘lumpers’ seeking a ‘comprehensive peace settlement’ that links together all the problems in the region, or ‘splitters’ who want to deal with all the problems separately - 18th November 2008
 * Bretton Woods sequel will flop'' - The more voices around the table at the summit on the way the gobal economy is governed, the harder it will be to reach agreement - 11th November 2008
 * for the first blue president'' - The fact that Obama would be the first black president has obscured the significance of his political colouring. If he wins, he will be the first northern, urban liberal to win the presidency since the culture wars broke out in the 1960s - 4th November 2008
 * plans for the world'' - Will dropping the ‘community method’ in favour of action by national governments lead to a sustained effort to roll back Brussels’ power - 21st October 2008
 * crisis is redefining our leaders'' - In a crisis, Gordon Brown and George W. Bush’s manners are transformed – one for the better and one for the worse - 14th October 2008
 * overshoots its limit'' - Ideas become fashionable and get pushed to their logical conclusion, as their backers succumb to “irrational exuberance”. Then comes the crash - 7th October 2008
 * and the US are in the same boat'' - For all the increased and justified confidence in both countries, China and India are both still very vulnerable to a downturn in the US - 30th September 2008
 * to the nuclear club, India'' - A US-India nuclear deal allowing India to buy nuclear material for civil use and – critics fear – to make more nuclear bombs – is inevitable. But it is the right decision - 23rd September 2008
 * opinion counts in America’s poll'' - The next president will want to do some burden-sharing and will have to turn to the Europeans first of all - 16th September 2008
 * cold war and appeasement'' - The west needs to find other ways of protecting political freedom in the new nations that Russia has in its sights - 9th September 2008
 * a roll-the-dice commander'' - His instinct is always to take the radical option and to march towards the sound of gunfire - 2nd September 2008
 * Obama looks vulnerable'' - A dark cloud of anxiety hovers over the Democratic party convention. A horrible truth is beginning to dawn on the delegates. Barack Obama is not the “once in a generation” political genius they thought they had discovered. On the contrary, he is a weak candidate for the presidency - 26th August 2008
 * The lure of the great cliche of China - Do not be surprised if the arguments about the future of the country aired alongside the Olympics have a familiar ring to them. Ever since the Tiananmen Square uprising of 1989, pundits have essentially been debating the same questions - 29th July 2008
 * Back Obama for commander-in-chief - The American economy is in a mess. The US is involved in two draining wars. The Republican party is deeply unpopular. The McCain campaign is in chaos - 22nd July 2008
 * American journalism, still a model - Rupert Murdoch’s arrival at The Wall Street Journal is being greeted by American journalists with roughly the level of enthusiasm with which the Romans greeted Alaric the Visigoth - 15th July 2008
 * When peace and justice collide - As it celebrates its 10th anniversary, the International Criminal Court is facing its own indictment. Its critics charge that its work is often counter-productive and politicised - 8th July 2008
 * How Obama can avoid the Carter trap - It is rarely a good sign when you begin to re-live your childhood. Of late, I have found myself drifting back to the 1970s with disturbing frequency - 1st July 2008
 * Paths out of Zimbabwe's dead end - Tragedy is traditionally meant to provoke pity and fear. But the world is in danger of reacting to the Zimbabwean tragedy with different emotions: resignation and relativism - 24th June 2008
 * Ireland's bold blow for democracy - I was at a lunch at the Danish embassy in Brussels in 2001, when a diplomat strode in and whispered something nasty into the ambassador’s ear. The ambassador pulled a face and told his guests the bad news: the Irish had voted to reject the European Union’s Nice treaty - 17th June 2008
 * A Choice of Enemies - This account of US engagement with the Middle East gives a sense of the pressures and trade-offs facing American presidents - 15th June 2008
 * Respect for the law is in Russia's interest - A burglar breaks into your house, ties you up and starts loading your possessions into a bag labelled “swag” - 10th June 2008
 * We cannot go on eating like this - It is all very awkward. China and India are getting richer. And it appears their new middle classes want all the things we want: cars, washing machines, even meat - 3rd June 2008
 * On Israel and the campaign bus - Dealing with accusations of anti-semitism or anti-Israeli sentiment is draining and time-consuming for a presidential candidate. It is easier to chuck a controversial adviser under the bus. But America’s absolutism on the Middle East is reducing its influence - 27th May 2008
 * Irrelevance, Europe's logical choice - “In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland... - 20th May 2008
 * The oily truth about America's foreign policy - With the oil price heading upwards and President George W. Bush heading for Saudi Arabia, as part of a Middle Eastern tour, it is time to accept the truth. The pursuit of oil is fundamental to US foreign policy - 13th May 2008
 * Why McCain's big idea is a bad idea - American presidents are meant to have big ideas about the world: a “new frontier”, an “alliance for progress”, a “war on terror” - 6th May 2008
 * Do not panic over foreign wealth - It sounds like something from a political thriller by Michael Crichton. Arab sheikhs and Chinese communists amass billions of dollars. They wait for a moment of financial weakness in the US. Then they use their massive “sovereign wealth funds” to buy large stakes in strategic US firms. They secure places on the board. Then, at a crucial moment, they... - 29th April 2008
 * The hit that no one can afford to miss -Why is the American presidential election such compelling viewing? Because it combines the formats of the games show, the talent contest, the television series and the sporting contest - 22nd April 2008
 * Power and Russia's back yard - In Winston Churchill’s memoirs, he records a meeting with Stalin in October 1944: “The moment was apt for business, so I said ‘Let us settle our affairs in the Balkans... - 16th April 2008
 * The political threats to globalisation - If you had to define “globalisation” with an image, what would it be? A container ship from China stuffed with toys and T-shirts? A programmer tapping at a keyboard in Bangalore? A plane circling gloomily over Heathrow airport? - 9th April 2008
 * Olympic torch threatens to scorch China - The Olympic torch’s journey to the Beijing Olympics is threatening to turn from triumphal progress into marathon humiliation. Protesters are rushing like moths to the Olympic flame - 1st April 2008
 * Spain, Italy and identity politics - There is a well-established pecking order of prejudice in western Europe. The British look down on the French, the French look down on the Italians, the Italians looks down on the Spanish, the Spanish look down on the Portuguese - and everybody fears and ridicules the Germans - (comment & analysis) 18th March 2008
 * The real problem with Power - Some people are too open for their own good. That was certainly how I felt after interviewing Samantha Power last week - 11th March 2008
 * Medvedev will not declare cold war - Nikita Krushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union in 1956, told the western world: “We will bury you.” Now Dmitry Medvedev, the newly elected president of Russia, has come back with a revised offer: “We will buy you.” - 3rd March 2008
 * Obama and the art of empty rhetoric - Even his most bitter opponents grant Barack Obama one thing – he makes great speeches. The senator from Illinois is generally held to be a competent debater and an electrifying orator - 26th February 2008
 * Why politics will not fix Pakistan - 18th February 2008
 * Too soon to give up in Afghanistan - With his fancy hats and fluent English, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan cuts a dashing figure on the international stage. But, while Mr Karzai is a regular at Davos, he keeps a low profile in Afghanistan itself... - 11th February 2008
 * US optimism can benefit all - Here is a proposal for the next American president. The US should take the lead in setting up a massive, publicly funded research project to tackle climate change - 4th February 2008
 * The battle for food, oil and water - Soccer crowds in England like to abuse match referees by chanting: “You don’t know what you’re doing.” If protesters had been able to get near the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, they could justifiably have aimed the same chant at the world leaders who assembled in the Alps - 28th January 2008
 * Let us not lose faith in democracy - President George W. Bush’s “freedom agenda” has run into the Middle Eastern sand. The president himself will be the last to recognise this - 21st January 2008
 * Hillary Clinton and the thrill of political power - Western politicians routinely say that they are motivated by a “desire to serve” and they are routinely disbelieved. With her near-tears in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton briefly managed to puncture that scepticism – and, perhaps, to swing the US presidential election back in her direction - 14th January 2008
 * Barack Obama’s message to the world - Barack Obama is in favour of hope, unity and change. If only his rivals would agree to campaign on a ticket of despair, discord and stagnation, the electorate would have a real choice - 7th January 2008



News & updates:

 * Economist journalist joins the Financial times - Gideon Rachman joins financial broadsheet as chief foreign affairs columnist - Journalism.co.uk, 4th May 2006

References:


Links:

 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gideon_Rachman