Uncategorized – Baker Institute Blog

How did Sept. 11 affect U.S. foreign policy?

September 7, 2011admin

Did the attacks of September 11, 2001, change U.S. foreign policy?

Yes. And much for the worse.

In retrospect, declaring a “war on terror” — however explicable in the panic of the period — was an error of vast consequences. It elevated Al Qaeda into a rival of the United States, rather than reducing it to a criminal conspiracy. From the outset, we should have attempted to lower, not raise, the status of Al Qaeda and similar groups. Continue Reading →

Downed Blackhawk? Pakistan, China and U.S. stealth tech

August 17, 2011admin

Over the weekend, we were greeted with news that materials from the U.S. stealth helicopter left behind at the compound in Abottabad, Pakistan, where Osama bin Laden was located and killed on May 2, 2011, had been shared with officials from the People’s Republic of China. This should not surprise or terribly upset us. Continue Reading →

An internship to remember

July 29, 2011admin

For the 12 Baker Institute interns participating in the Jesse Jones Leadership Center Summer in D.C. Policy Research Internship Program this year, memories of the nation’s capital will last long after the summer ends. Continue Reading →

Was justice served for Casey Anthony?

July 8, 2011admin

As an aspiring law school student, I, along with millions of other people, found myself absorbed with the Casey Anthony trial. After nearly a month of — I hate to admit it — obsession, the verdict came out, and the… Continue Reading →

Reconsidering retrofits: Increasing energy efficiency and creating jobs

July 6, 2011admin

Often when people think about energy policy, they focus on renewable energy, clean coal and natural gas. But they often forget about commercial and residential building retrofits that improve energy efficiency. In a recent Newsweek article, former President Bill Clinton… Continue Reading →

Viva the individual health insurance mandate!

July 1, 2011admin

Several lawsuits have been filed challenging the constitutionality of the health reform law passed by Congress in 2010. This week, the first decision by a federal court of appeals was issued. In a 2-1 vote, the court rejected a challenge… Continue Reading →

Because of Biko

June 23, 2011admin

As I’ve mentioned here before, my own political consciousness was largely awakened during the early 1980s. This was a time before Wikipedia, of course, when trivia had to be collected where it might be found, rather than downloaded at any… Continue Reading →