Asia

A scene from “Confucian Confusion.”

Edward Yang’s States of Flux Edward Yang’s States of Flux

His dark comedies and family dramas of life in late-20th-century Taiwan depict a generation’s crisis, confronting the forces of finance and globalization.

Jan 11, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Vikram Murthi

New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin and Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger speak during the Times’ annual DealBook summit, on November 29, 2023 in New York City.

Do as I Say, Not as I Do Do as I Say, Not as I Do

The comforting lessons in good will and friendship Apple, Netflix, and Disney flaunt are benign distractions that deflect attention from their two-fisted business behavior.

Jan 8, 2024 / Peter Biskind

Downtown Jakarta, 2006.

Norman Erikson Pasaribu’s Portrait of Gay Indonesia Norman Erikson Pasaribu’s Portrait of Gay Indonesia

In, Happy Stories, Mostly, a collection of short stories, the complexities of queer life in the Southeast Asian country come into focus.

Dec 28, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Bryony Lau

Sailors observe the USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Groups steam in formation as the Nimitz Carrier Strike Force.

Will the New Year Bring a War With China? Will the New Year Bring a War With China?

As the year comes to an end, top leaders in both Beijing and Washington have become ever more concerned that a major US-China crisis is near.

Dec 27, 2023 / Michael T. Klare

A hand holds a poster of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's face with an X over it

If Narendra Modi Is Running a Global Death Squad, He’ll Be Protected by the Kissinger Doctrine If Narendra Modi Is Running a Global Death Squad, He’ll Be Protected by the Kissinger Doctrine

Trying to murder American citizens on American soil is no big deal—so long as the foreign policy elite likes you.

Dec 1, 2023 / Jeet Heer

Leaders Group Photo At The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit

San Francisco’s Potemkin Village San Francisco’s Potemkin Village

For President Biden’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in San Francisco this week, Governor Gavin Newsom transformed the city into a façade of prosperi...

Nov 17, 2023 / Left Coast / Sasha Abramsky

somber photo American flag, US isolationism

Two Cheers for Isolationism Two Cheers for Isolationism

The left should be arguing that the US’s purpose is its own redevelopment—which is incompatible with global primacy.

Nov 17, 2023 / Jeff Faux

President Joe Biden delivers an address on the conflict between Israel and Gaza and the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the Oval Office in Washington, D.C., on October 19, 2023.

An Indigestible Nation An Indigestible Nation

While the world has changed and threats are different, the Biden administration’s worldview is rooted in the assumption that America is the “indispensable nation” that will police...

Nov 16, 2023 / Katrina vanden Heuvel and Robert L. Borosage

Attendees make their way into Moscone South for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit held at Moscone Center in San Francisco, Tuesday, November 14, 2023.

The Forces That Nearly Murdered Me Are Meeting In San Francisco Today The Forces That Nearly Murdered Me Are Meeting In San Francisco Today

I was almost killed by Philippine troops upholding the global economic order on display at this week’s APEC Summit.

Nov 15, 2023 / Brandon Lee

US Marines marching in Da Nang, Vietnam, 1965.

How Israel Is Borrowing From the US Playbook in Vietnam How Israel Is Borrowing From the US Playbook in Vietnam

Justifying civilian casualties has a long history.

Nov 14, 2023 / Branko Marcetic

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