What is most needed in Darfur is an international peacekeeping and protection presence, and this is what the Sudanese government most wants to avoid.

When it came to the Vietnam War, Mr. McNamara was an early advocate of escalation but came to realize the flaws in the American approach earlier than many of his colleagues. Yet in public, he continued to defend the war.

Democracies are expense-averse and they think in terms of short-term, political interests rather than a long-term interest in stability.

I happen to miss the Constitution; I thought it was a good document.

Without investing in the rule of law for the poor, none of the other investments we make will be sustainable.

I think we do have an interest in combating states that try to cross borders and steal parts of other people's country.

Historical hypocrites have themselves carried out the very human rights abuses that they suddenly decide warrant intervention elsewhere.