Dialogues on War

PEN Ukraine conversations

An agreement brokered between Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the UN permits cargo ships to transport grain from Black Sea ports again. But assurance of mine-free safe passage is a way off. And behind the negotiations are manouver that reflect long-term political, economic and societal implications....

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Dialogues on War

Donald Trump Must Face Federal Charges

A look back at the Weimar Republic should teach us a lesson about bringing insurrectionists to justice

Before writing off the theatrics of the GOP as a mere sideshow, we should pause to remember how Adolf Hitler snatched victory from a catastrophic attempted putsch in 1923. ...

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Donald Trump Must Face Federal Charges

Making Sense of the War

As the shock of war gives way to reflection, Ukrainian public discourse has turned to questions of the past, present and future

In Ukraine, the initial shock, anger, and sorrow have slowly given way to the sober realization that the war is not going to end soon. The first month passed like one day, but meanwhile, the feeling of time has returned. People and institutions are adjusting and even trying to make ...
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Making Sense of the War

Liberalism Needs Nationalism

A young person reflects on the war in Ukraine—and her generation’s yearnings

In our yearning moment, nationalism can fill liberalism’s void—a void left by valueless chaos and unfulfilling choices. It is time to follow Ukraine’s lead and forge a civic nationalism that inspires everyone to find their stake, their anchor, within the sea of globalization. ...

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Liberalism Needs Nationalism

Capitalism Is Trumping Democracy at Home

During the Cold War, American leaders came to treat democracy and capitalism as if they were interchangeable

All day, I have been coming back to this: How have we arrived at a place where 90% of Americans want to protect our children from gun violence, and yet those who are supposed to represent us in government are unable, or unwilling, to do so? This is a central problem ...
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Capitalism Is Trumping Democracy at Home

“I’ve had enough”

When are we going to do something?

Today, a gunman murdered at least 19 children and 2 adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.  For years now, after one massacre or another, I have written some version of the same article, explaining that the nation’s current gun free-for-all is not traditional but, rather, is a symptom of ...
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“I’ve had enough”

How the Russian Public Sees Events in Ukraine Today

A conversation with Maria Matskevich: “People think it’s a peacekeeping operation”

People who give interviews and speak about a catastrophe in Russia project something into the future, and do not describe what is happening right now. The situation is very different in different cities and even different institutions. In Saint Petersburg and Moscow, you have more freedom than, for example, in ...
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How the Russian Public Sees Events in Ukraine Today

The Justice Train from Bucha

The establishment of a new special criminal tribunal becomes plausible

So what will happen in the end in the field of international criminal law after the end of the war in Ukraine? The train of justice will reach The Hague’s central railway station and the truth will shine for centuries to come. The final question is whether these serious legal ...
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The Justice Train from Bucha