Smart Takes

Jay Winik tells wannabe Lincoln Obama to imitate Honest Abe 's pragmatism and humility.

Evan Osnos blogs that China's Obama response is curious and cautious.

Christopher Dickey suggests Arabs imitate MLK to win Obama's support.

Fyodor Lukyanov thinks Clinton-era ghosts will haunt Obama's Russia policy.

The Chicago Tribune warns Obama not to cut trade, or the world will follow step.

Alexander Medvedev of Gazprom says Ukraine got away with a gas heist.

Yossi Alpher thinks the real war on Gaza is economic and started long ago.

Jim Hoagland says the Egyptian peace deal is welcome but the country's leadership is missed in the Gaza crisis.

The Los Angeles Times advises Obama plan for the worst, not best, in wars.

Glenn McCoy draws out Hillary Clinton's foreign cash connections.

Kyle Wingfield says Gazprom's politicization will stifle its operations.

David Pilling thinks Taiwan's ex-president's trial is a test of the country's democracy.

James S. Robbins reflects on the failure to catch Osama bin Laden.

Daniel Gross says since politics killed the economy, economists alone can't fix it.

David Schenker says Lebanon's economy is a triumph of pragmatism over ideology.

The Economist is sorry Brazil's outgoing President Lula didn't finish his reforms.

Bret Stephens says Hamas doesn't want a Palestinian state, or any state for that matter.

Paul Kennedy says the deficit is the number one reason for waning U.S. power.

Charles Tannock says Bangladesh disproves a global trend of extremism.

Signe Wilkinson cartoons Uncle Sam's China-credit crunch.

For more news and commentary from around the world, check out FP's continually updated Must Reads feed every day.

Brahma Chellaney says the Afghanistan surge won't work without a democratic Pakistan.

Philip Stephens warns that an Israeli military victory won't bring peace.

The Economist bemoanes that British courts might be crushing world press freedom.

Nouriel Roubini echoes his FP article: 2009 will be knee-deep in recesesion.

Center for Int'l Policy blogs that Venezuela itself, not Chavez, should scare the United States.

For more news and commentary from around the world, check out FP's continually updated Must Reads feed every day.

Jimmy Carter argues that the latest Israeli-Palestine conflict was preventable.

Kevin Peraino says Fatah will be the big loser as Hamas is pummelled. 

Martin Peretz thinks an Israeli-Palestine cease-fire would be a band-aid on a laceration.

Daniel Henninger has a New Year's Resolution for finance: don't be stupid.

The Economist worries that the "Enron"-esque scandal in India exposes wider corruption.

For more news and commentary from around the world, check out FP's continually updated Must Reads feed every day.

The Wall Street Journal thinks Europe's trust in Gazprom is dangerously naive.

Juan Cole blogs about the global implications of Israel-Palestine on political unrest.

The Jerusalem Post wants Turkey to pick a side in the conflict.

Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar says Mumbai terror shouldn't hurt Indian stock markets.

Johann Hari says pirates aren't justified, but they do have their reasons.

For more news and commentary from around the world, check out FP's continually updated Must Reads feed every day.

The Washington Post calls foul as Chavez tries to eliminate term limits.

John L. Allen says the Pope and Obama see eye to eye... except on abortion.

Alan Greenspan thinks banks need a lot more buck to bang out loans.

Alex Perry says a Mugabe-organized feast shows how delusional the leader is.

Ehud Barak interviews with Haaretz as the Gaza ceasefire dissolves.

For more news and commentary from around the world, check out FP's continually updated Must Reads feed every day.