John Feffer is director of Foreign Policy In Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies.

He is the author, most recently, of Aftershock: A Journey into Eastern Europe’s Broken Dreams (Zed Books). He is also the author of the dystopian novel Splinterlands (Dispatch Books) and its soon-to-be-released sequel Frostlands. He is the author of several other books, and his articles have appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, USAToday, Los Angeles Review of Books, Salon, and many other publications.

He has been an Open Society fellow, a PanTech fellow in Korean Studies at Stanford University, a Herbert W. Scoville fellow, a writing fellow at Provisions Library in Washington, DC, and a writer in residence at Blue Mountain Center and the Wurlitzer Foundation.

He is a former associate editor of World Policy Journal. He has worked as an international affairs representative in Eastern Europe and East Asia for the American Friends Service Committee. He has studied in England and Russia, lived in Poland and Japan, and traveled widely throughout Europe and Asia.

John has been widely interviewed in print, on radio, and TV.

Learn more about him on his website.

Latest

The Future of Korean Democracy

Korea faces the same democratic deficits as other countries–polarized opinion, rising populism, pervasive fake news–just when it needs responsive democracy the most.

The Far Right is Crazy–Like a Fox

Forget the deplorables and focus instead on the persuadables.

The Crypto-Populist Pyramid Scam

Here’s how to connect Donald Trump and Nayib Bukele to Sam Bankman-Fried and Bored Ape Yacht Club.

Changing My Mind on Ukraine

Bosnia did not get the support it needed 30 years ago to defend itself. Today it is barely a state, and that’s the fate that Ukraine needs to avoid.

What Climate Debt Does the North Owe the South?

Richer countries haven’t met their $100 billion promise to help poorer countries move beyond fossil fuels. Where’s the money going to come from?

Ukraine’s Edge Over Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far failed to weaken U.S. and European support for Ukraine. Meanwhile, despite punishing Russian air strikes, Ukraine is successfully ejecting the invading army.

Is Putin in a Corner?

Exactly how weak is Vladimir Putin, both in terms of his effort to defeat Ukraine and his ability to maintain power in Moscow?

Isn’t It Time to Challenge the Growth Paradigm?

The planet is running out of resources, and humanity is living beyond its means.

Learning from Gorbachev’s Failures

As we address the climate emergency, what lessons can we extract from Gorbachev’s efforts to transform the Soviet Union?

Will 2022 Mark the Turning Point in the Climate Crisis?

Carbon emissions continue to rise, but this year the international community might finally be getting serious about climate change.

The Green New Deal Goes Local

The Biden administration will be spending hundreds of billions of dollars on addressing the climate crisis. But what does that mean for communities around the United States?

The Weaponization of Food

Russia and Ukraine have come to an agreement on food exports. Will the deal hold?

The Fateful Fist Bump

If you thought the polarization of politics in the United States was corrosive, brace yourself for the even more corrosive polarization of geopolitics.

White Riot

Exposing the links between the Trump team and the far right is important for saving American democracy and defeating global fascism.

The Plot Against America

They say comedy is tragedy plus time, but it is clearly too soon for the events of Jan. 6 to be presented as comedy.

China Will Decide the Outcome of Russia Versus the West

Is Putin the Face of the Future or the Final Gasp of the Past?

Latin America’s ‘New’ New Left

The recent election in Colombia has produced new hope for the country–and for the whole region.

Is Universal Basic Income Part of a Just Transition?

When you give everyone a chunk of change, does it really change their lives and their communities?

Vladimir Putin: Global Gunman

Why are we concerned about humiliating mass murderers?

Biden’s Golden Opportunity to Reverse Course on China

Improving relations with China could lower inflation, isolate Vladimir Putin, and accelerate the transition to a clean energy future.

Project Director and Associate Fellow

Epicenter, Foreign Policy in Focus

    Asia/Pacific, Military/Peace, NATO, North Korea, Northeast Asia, South Korea

    UpFront PM – April 17, 2023

    KPFA UpFront | April 17, 2023

    Sirius XM 04-12-2023

    Sirius XM | April 12, 2023

    Russia’s War in Ukraine

    KPFA UpFront | March 27, 2023

    KPFA Pacifica Evening News

    KPFA Pacifica Evening News | January 23, 2023

    KPFA Pacifica Evening News

    KPFA Pacifica Evening News | January 17, 2023

    KPFA UpFront

    KPFA UpFront | January 9, 2023

    More...