Toronto Star

William Hartung in Toronto Star | '$3 Trillion Is Just a Part of the Cost'

Communications — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:45:00 -0400

New America in the News:

$3 Trillion Is Just a Part of the Cost (Toronto Star)

. . . "There seems to be a political taboo about questioning levels of military spending," says William Hartung, director of the arms and security initiative of the Washington-based New America Foundation.

"The Democrats, who might raise questions, fear that they'll be labelled soft on defence. The Republicans aren't going to ask. And if the candidates don't tackle the military budget before the election race begins, it won't get any easier." . . .

"The U.S. is definitely locked into a war economy," says Hartung, author of How Much Are You Making on the War, Daddy? A Quick and Dirty Guide to War Profiteering in the Bush Administration.

"About two weeks of the war would cost the same as what's spent on fighting global warming. But war spending is a kind of protected portion of the economy. The world could change dramatically, but the budget would be about the same." . . .

"If the war ended tomorrow, there'd be no peace dividend," says Hartung.

Patrick Doherty in Toronto Star | 'A broker's role for Canada'

Communications — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:28:00 -0500

New America in the News:

A broker's role for Canada (Toronto Star)

...Patrick Doherty, the director of the Washington-based U.S.-Cuba 21st Century Policy Initiative [New America Foundation], said any such effort by Ottawa and like-minded allies could be "catalytic'' for any change coming with a new president.

The Bush administration made it clear it would be making no changes in its policy. For five decades, the U.S. has restricted trade, travel and commerce with Cuba. Family visits and cash remittances from Americans to the island's residents are severely restricted. ...

Anatol Lieven in Toronto Star | 'In shifting power, the rise of manifold destiny'

Communications — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 11:05:00 -0500

New America in the News:

In shifting power, the rise of manifold destiny; If a struggle for resources unfolds between East and West, democratic values could be in for a battering (Toronto Star)

... "For countries like Russia that have been kicked around and patronized by the U.S., a multi-polar world is something of an article of faith," says Anatol Lieven, author of America Right or Wrong: An Anatomy of American Nationalism. "The same may be true of China."

Many believe that in recent years the worst blows to democratic values have been struck by Washington itself, as it flouts the rule of law to pursue its "war on terror," trampling the rights and freedoms it vows to uphold. ...

Michael Cohen in The Toronto Star | 'The vanishing election issue: foreign policy'

Communications — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:10:00 -0500

New America in the News:

The vanishing election issue: foreign policy (The Toronto Star)

"McCain is hard to figure," says Michael Cohen of the New America Foundation, author of Live From the Campaign Trail: The Greatest Presidential Campaign Speeches of the 20th Century and How They Shaped Modern America.

"He hasn't done a critique of Bush's policy. He put pressure on the White House to say America wouldn't engage in torture, then he backed away. He can talk tough on Iran with Republican voters, but it isn't a great message for the election."

..."The most dramatic change will be a step back from unilateralism," says Cohen.