I enjoy writing but I much prefer the experience of having written.

The great drama of Russian history has been between its state and society. Put simply, Russia has always had too much state and not enough society.

American influence is not what it used to be.

Intelligence is called the world's second oldest profession for a reason. Everyone does it.

If a senator calls me up and asks me what should we do in Iraq, I'm happy to talk to him.

Conservatives used to believe in confronting hard truths, not succumbing to comforting fairy tales. Some still do.

We all accuse Vladimir Putin of Cold War nostalgia, but Washington's elites - politicians and intellectuals - miss the old days as well. They wish for the world in which the United States was utterly dominant over its friends, its foes were to be shunned entirely, and the challenges were stark, moral, and vital. Today's world is messy and complicated. China is one of our biggest trading partners and our looming geopolitical rival. Russia is a surly spoiler, but it has a globalized middle class and has created ties in Europe.