Dear Reader,
For months, Americans have been closely following the revolutions in the Middle East. And there’s no question that these uprisings against longtime tyrants have been inspiring. But in this week’s cover story, Josh Kurlantzick explains why these hopeful developments in a handful of countries have obscured a larger truth: Freedom around the globe is very much in retreat, and authoritarianism is on the rise. Drawing on data from organizations that monitor worldwide freedom and on his own extensive on-the-ground reporting, Josh seeks to figure out why so many countries have in recent years regressed toward authoritarianism. Josh’s article serves as an important corrective to the triumphal mood that currently surrounds discussion of global freedom.
This issue also contains an equally bold and important piece on the state of American medicine. In the article, Daniel Callahan and Sherwin Nuland explain how the war on disease is damaging medical care in the U.S. They argue that we need to stop sinking so much money into curing diseases that likely cannot—at least in the short term—be cured, and that we need to stop placing so much emphasis on prolonging the lives of people who are extremely sick. It’s a thought-provoking broadside against the way our culture currently approaches medicine, and it’s not to be missed.
Elsewhere in the issue, Jeffrey Gettleman, whose reporting from Africa in recent years has done so much to shape Americans’ understanding of the continent, has a fascinating piece about Congo. David Hajdu reviews Paul Simon’s new album. Tim Wu looks at how Americans came to adore monopolies. Eli Lake provides an inside report on our war with Pakistan’s intelligence service. Jonathan Chait pleads with politicians to stop catering to the whims of the moderately rich. Geoffrey Wheatcroft explains the rapid demise of Britain’s Liberal Democrats. Leon Wieseltier explains why both Abbas and Netanyahu are to blame for the current Israeli-Palestinian impasse. And the editors implore President Obama to once again crusade on behalf of the environment.
Subscribe today and save an additional 20% off TNR Society.
Richard Just
Editor
For months, Americans have been closely following the revolutions in the Middle East. And there’s no question that these uprisings against longtime tyrants have been inspiring. But in this week’s cover story, Josh Kurlantzick explains why these hopeful developments in a handful of countries have obscured a larger truth: Freedom around the globe is very much in retreat, and authoritarianism is on the rise. Drawing on data from organizations that monitor worldwide freedom and on his own extensive on-the-ground reporting, Josh seeks to figure out why so many countries have in recent years regressed toward authoritarianism. Josh’s article serves as an important corrective to the triumphal mood that currently surrounds discussion of global freedom.
This issue also contains an equally bold and important piece on the state of American medicine. In the article, Daniel Callahan and Sherwin Nuland explain how the war on disease is damaging medical care in the U.S. They argue that we need to stop sinking so much money into curing diseases that likely cannot—at least in the short term—be cured, and that we need to stop placing so much emphasis on prolonging the lives of people who are extremely sick. It’s a thought-provoking broadside against the way our culture currently approaches medicine, and it’s not to be missed.
Elsewhere in the issue, Jeffrey Gettleman, whose reporting from Africa in recent years has done so much to shape Americans’ understanding of the continent, has a fascinating piece about Congo. David Hajdu reviews Paul Simon’s new album. Tim Wu looks at how Americans came to adore monopolies. Eli Lake provides an inside report on our war with Pakistan’s intelligence service. Jonathan Chait pleads with politicians to stop catering to the whims of the moderately rich. Geoffrey Wheatcroft explains the rapid demise of Britain’s Liberal Democrats. Leon Wieseltier explains why both Abbas and Netanyahu are to blame for the current Israeli-Palestinian impasse. And the editors implore President Obama to once again crusade on behalf of the environment.
Subscribe today and save an additional 20% off TNR Society.
Richard Just
Editor