Stanley Kober (Author at The Cato Institute)

Greatness to Be Thankful For (Commentary)

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST

A country's greatness can be measured by its power to intimidate and its ability to inspire. The two can reinforce each other, but they can also work at cross purposes. Inspiration takes time and has a general effect, whereas intimidation can work quickly and have a precise impact. Consequently,...

Dwindling Paths to Afghanistan (Daily Podcast)

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Georgia, Russia and NATO (Daily Podcast)

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Questions About Iraq (Commentary)

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

With casualties down in Iraq, supporters of the war are heralding success. Al Qaeda, they argue, is on the run. The surge has worked, and is even a model for Afghanistan. If they are right, it is a wonderful development. But that's a big "if," and nagging questions remain. First, why don't the...

Cato Scholar Comments on U.S.-Poland Missile Deal (Scholar Comments)

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The conclusion of a missile defense deal between the United States and Poland, following on the heels of the conflict in the Caucasus, raises the specter of a new Cold War. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has canceled a visit to Poland scheduled for September. 'Europe is dividing. A few small countries dependent on the USA are following the political path of Washington. Poland is among them,' Gennadiy Gudkow, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Parliamentary Safety Committee, has warned. The implication is that Russia will respond by exploiting the divide among other European countries, attempting to undermine the unity of NATO.

Cato Scholars Comment on Russia, Georgia, the U.S., and the G8 (Scholar Comments)

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

One of the measures being suggested in response to the conflict in the Caucasus is expulsion of Russia from the G8. Russia seems to have anticipated this step, however. When the G8 assembled in Japan last month, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also met with his counterparts from Brazil, China, and India. The implication of the meeting is that if these countries are not treated seriously by the G7, they will deepen their cooperation in a separate arrangement (BRIC). According to an account by the Chinese News Agency Xinhua, the leaders 'agreed that the four nations should boost high-level contacts and consult each other on major international issues in a bid to play a more positive role in global affairs.'

Cato Scholar Comments on NATO's Response to Russia/Georgia (Scholar Comments)

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Many foreign policy experts are outraged by Russia's behavior in the Caucasus but seem at a loss to provide useful recommendations. For example: Ronald Asmus and Richard Holbrooke warn that "Moscow is sending a message that, in its part of the world, being close to Washington and the West does not pay (Washington Post, Aug. 11)." And what should Washington and its allies do to change that perception? They should tell Moscow that "its own prestige project -- the Sochi Olympics -- will be affected by its behavior." If that is the best response proponents of NATO expansion can devise, we might as well roll up the alliance right now. The Western guarantee has morphed from the three musketeers to the three little pigs, but all that huffing and puffing will not blow Putin's house down.

Cato Scholar Comments on Russia/Georgia and the Spread of Democracy (Scholar Comments)

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The conflict between Russia and Georgia, like the conflicts in the Balkans, underlines one of the problems accompanying the spread of democracy. Democracy means government by the people, but how are the people to be defined? Unfortunately, this question is frequently decided by violence: you are a people if you win a war. These wars, which frequently are the expression of powerful emotions held by the people themselves, do not respond well to our traditional means of regulating conflict, which are based on rational means of calculating state interest. Just as South Vietnam's membership in SEATO did not deter North Vietnam from seeking national unification, it is questionable whether NATO membership for Georgia would have much of a deterrent effect, especially given the over-committed state of the alliance.

Russia's Friends, New and Old (Daily Podcast)

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Cato Scholar Comments on Kosovo’s New Constitution (Scholar Comments)

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The introduction of Kosovo's new constitution highlights the difficulties affecting the newly independent republic and the conflict this independence is causing at a global level. Because Russia and China, both members of the Security Council, regard Kosovo's independence as a violation of SC Resolution 1244, the United Nations' administrators have not been able to hand over Kosovo's administration to the European Union, thereby prolonging a tense impasse in the Balkans.

Significantly, India has now joined Russia and China in their opposition, made public through a communiqué issued in Yekaterinburg, Russia on May 15. Kosovo is not only dividing the great powers, India's alignment with Russia and China must also be considered a significant reversal for U.S. foreign policy.