Politically Incorrect was the name of the show Bill Maher hosted in the 1990s. It's also an apt description of the man himself. Now host of - HBO's hit show Real Time, I find Maher to be one of the sharpest observers of American politics and life in general out there. It doesn't mean I always agree with him. I always find him funny, though.

There is very strong historical data that suggest the way societies grow is by making large, long-term investments.

Iran is a country of 80 million people, educated and dynamic. It sits astride a crucial part of the world. It cannot be sanctioned and pressed down forever. It is the last great civilization to sit outside the global order.

The markets are much more interested in America's long-term trajectory than they are in feeling that there is an acute short-term crisis.

I grew up in this world where everything seemed possible.

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.

In the 1990s, we were certain that Saddam Hussein had a nuclear arsenal. In fact, his factories could barely make soap.