Position: World Section Editor
E-mail: jgelbart at stanford dot edu
Class: 2011
Major: International Relations
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Writing Interests: World section, including on Islam and the former Soviet Union. Occasionally News and Features as well.
Activities: President of Alpha Epsilon Phi fraternity and Students for an Open Society, a group that aims to educate the Stanford community about radical Islam.

Full Moon Eclipsed

Swine flu fears lead University to cancel famous fall tradition

Out In the Cold: A Look at Obama’s Foreign Policy

The foreign policy strategy of the Obama Administration, at least in its first four months, could be described as a terrifying mix of obsequiousness, blind optimism, and naivete. From incessant apologies to timidity in the face of the nation’s enemies, the Obama Doctrine seems to have the permanent weakening of America as its primary goal. A breakdown by region follows.

Touring Stanford—With a ’60s Radical Twist

Activists return to campus, demonstrate outside president’s office.

Rick Santorum Speaks on Islam, Iran, and the War on Terror

“I believe this is the great threat of our generation.”

India: Bearing the Brunt of Terror

India, a frequent victim of terrorist attacks, deserves the full support of America and the West.

New York Times Reporter Sees ’08 Election As Transformative

Timothy Egan sees potential in targeting the West when campaigning.

Shattered Peace: The Road to World War II

Hoover Institute Opens New Exhibit Detailing Build-up to Second World War

Demonstrators, Counter-Demonstrators bring Gaza Conflict to Stanford

Students, faculty express views at two-part event on Gaza conflict

Abroad in Moscow: Living in the State of Denial

I thought I knew what to expect. The dozens of articles, interviews, and books I had read about Russia had painted a picture in my mind of a land where “honest policeman” is an oxymoron, half of the population is paralyzed by AIDS or tuberculosis, and racism has seen a resurgence so epic that every minority trembles in fear at the mere thought of walking the streets at night.

The Wheezing Bear

When Goldman Sachs included Russia in its now-infamous delineation of the “BRIC” countries—Brazil, Russia, India, and China— as key emerging markets in 2002, businessmen around the world scrambled to cash in on the former superpower’s coming economic boom. Since then, soaring oil prices have led Russia to meet and exceed even the loftiest of the investment bank’s expectations. Since the election of Vladimir V. Putin in 2000, Russia has successfully reasserted itself as a major world power, emerging from the economic and social unrest of the 1990s stronger and more confident than it has ever been. Moscow now boasts the largest number of billionaires and the highest cost of living of any city in the world. And in the political realm, the Kremlin’s newfound confidence has been on prominent display throughout the year, starting in May with the now nearly-forgotten military parade in Red Square—the first since the fall of the Soviet Union—and continuing with the surprisingly aggressive invasion of Georgia three months afterward.