Realism

Moral Courage and the Grim Necessity of Sacrifice 

American audiences are still hungry for cinematic portrayals of the old virtues: patriotism, heroism, courage, and self-sacrifice

The Reaper Strike on Zawahiri

The Reaper combines mission effectiveness and non-combatant immunity that is unachievable in many, if not most, battlefield scenarios.

Graebner the Great on America’s Power

When in 1967 the University of Virginia recruited Professor Norman A. Graebner from the University of Illinois to teach diplomatic history, a huge row ensued.

Five Impressions on Niebuhr and Co., 1945–47

From 1945 to 1947 as the United States and Soviet Union moved toward the Cold War, Christian realists writing for Reinhold Niebuhr’s journal, Christianity and Crisis, responded to global dilemmas. Here are five impressions of those articles, along with lessons for today.

Russia-Ukraine War from a Moral-Realist Approach
Russia-Ukraine War from a Moral-Realist Approach

From this moral realism, it is justified to strive for a balance of power to realize a little more justice or a little less injustice.

Just War is Not a Foreign Policy
Just War is Not a Foreign Policy

Just war thinking is moral analysis of military action, not a framework for foreign policy. Acknowledging these limitations helps us to become better just war casuists, and it highlights the need for values-driven strategic thinking in the foreign policy sphere.

Climate Change and Human Nature
Climate Change and Human Nature

Another report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasted the potential consequences of climate change. But even if more voters begin to believe the issue is important, they may still not support the environmentalists’ policies.

How One Man Reduced Global Suffering: A Review of Robert D. Kaplan’s The Good American: The Epic Life of Bob Gersony, the U.S. Government's Greatest Humanitarian
How One Man Reduced Global Suffering: A Review of Robert D. Kaplan’s The Good American

“The Good American” is the story of how Robert Gersony, a high school dropout, affected governmental actions to reduce human misery and advance human rights. Because of his success in promoting humanitarian values, Kaplan calls him the US government’s “greatest humanitarian.”

America’s Moral Failure to Vaccinate Poor Countries Earlier? COVAX COVID-19
America’s Moral Failure to Vaccinate Poorer Countries Earlier?

Some idealists may blame the selfishness of wealthy governments and their citizens for COVAX’s failure, but the organizers should have considered mankind’s selfish nature when designing the program.