Harlan Ullman

Tragedy has almost as many definitions and meanings as it has actual examples. In terms of foreign policy, tragedy can mean a collision of two seemingly valid principles that come into conflict. In Vietnam, the noble aim of bringing some measure of peace, stability and justice to a war-ravaged country was unachievable under the guise […]

News of eleven Russian and Chinese warships sailing in international waters off the Alaskan coastlines has sounded a tsunami of alarms in America. But why the alarms? The US has routinely practised Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONO) in the Taiwan Straits and elsewhere since the Cold War began. Now Beijing and Moscow are following suit; […]

By virtually every measure, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been a disaster. Vladimir Putin’s expectation that his army would quickly capture Kyiv by the end of February 2022 and Ukraine would have to capitulate could not have been more incorrect. And it only got worse for Moscow. The invasion stalled. Russian forces were savaged. Over […]

Two of the most unanswerable questions about the war in Ukraine are when and how it will end. Those who hoped that Ukraine would seize the offensive and force Russia to return all or some of the territories that were illegally occupied are likely to be disappointed. Others who predicted that Vladimir Putin would be […]

My last column asked if America has hit a political bottom. Last week also answered that question with an emphatic NO. Why? The House of Representatives presented two examples of unimpeachable proof of how low American politics have descended and keep descending. The inquisition of FBI Director Christopher Wray and the floor “debate” on the […]

Has America hit political bottom? The Supreme Court may have demonstrated that there is no bottom to which America can descend. The 303 Creative v Elenis ruling just might do that. But here is the broader context. Last week’s column observed that a former president has been twice indicted and faces more charges for committing […]

The only explanation for the extraordinary events transfixing, transforming and disrupting global politics today must come from “Alice in Wonderland.” Otherwise, no work of fiction would be seen as credible in describing them. Instead, Alice’s mirror has ensnared Earth. The planet has fallen not into Wonderland but into Dunderland. Let us begin this review with […]

London, England: To paraphrase Winston Churchill, “Never in the course of human events have a British Prime Minister and an American President concurrently faced charges of committing high crimes and misdemeanours.” In Britain, former PM Boris Johnson, fined for violating a Covid law prohibiting large public gatherings and holding a drinks party, resigned his seat […]

London, England: Because of Covid, this was my first trip out of the country since the pandemic ended. Seeing many old friends and colleagues as well as associates again, is an elixir for expanding one’s horizons. The good news follows below. The not so good news was the diminished and even sour views sadly held […]

For presidents who are not prepared to disregard truth, fact and reality, press conferences are potential nightmares. That may be one reason why President Joe Biden has been reluctant to subject himself to only occasional formal sessions with the media. But the public still needs to understand how the president and his administration will respond […]