Frightened people want to protect themselves, sometimes without thinking about others. Often, they get angry and want to find someone to blame for catastrophe. Inevitably, they spread information without checking if it's true. David Ignatius angryblamecatastrophe share on social
The CIA in real life, we know, is looking for new kinds of cover. It's looking for new platforms, as they like to say, and it's trying to use the revolution in communications technology, the ability to use all sorts of corporate entities in ways that are hard to detect to get our spies in the places where they need to be. David Ignatius abilityciacommunication share on social
Self-proclaimed saviors and other outliers come and go throughout our political history. Occasionally, they're successful; most times, they're not. But the system has rebalanced toward the basic principles of tolerance, freedom and democracy that were set forth by the Founders. David Ignatius basicdemocracyfounder share on social
2011 was a year in which events rarely turned out as predicted, and when much of the world seemed shrouded in turmoil and uncertainty. It was difficult for government analysts back in Washington to know just where they were on the map, let alone where they were heading. David Ignatius analystbackdifficult share on social
Chinese experts noted that the U.S. economy has rebounded from the 2008 crash more strongly than some analysts here had expected, while China's own growth is slowing after several decades of rocket-ship acceleration. David Ignatius accelerationanalystchina share on social
American politics, like most things, is a story of what statisticians describe as the reversion to the mean. David Ignatius americandescribepolitic Change image and share on social
Hedge-fund managers make too much money relative to their social utility. I wish their rewards were a bit closer to those of, say, schoolteachers. David Ignatius biteclosefund Change image and share on social
Sometimes James Bond movies drive me crazy. They're fun to watch, but they don't have anything to do at all with what intelligence officers really do. David Ignatius bondcrazydrive Change image and share on social
Training a reliable military force that adheres to Western norms and standards is the work of a generation, not a few months. David Ignatius adhereforcegeneration Change image and share on social
Paradoxically, the United States' determination to protect its troops can be self-defeating. Allies and adversaries see U.S. forces living in secure compounds, eating fancy chow and minimizing their exposure to potential terrorist assaults. David Ignatius adversaryallyassault share on social