comedy Politics, Relations & Current Affairs

latest

Iraq’s Indigenous Peoples Can’t Face Another Conflict

Despite the Islamic State’s retreat, Assyrians fear for their security in the Nineveh Plains. They need stronger support from Washington and Baghdad.

Argument |

R.S. Zaya

Oslo Is Dead, the Two-State Solution Isn’t

A two-state solution remains the only politically viable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—and, with the right Israeli and U.S. leaders, it can be achieved outside the Oslo framework.

Argument |

Jerome M. Segal

Washington Needs a Better Plan for Competing With China

U.S. China policy is heavy on rhetoric and light on goals. Articulating a clear set of objectives—from trade to defense—will help policymakers focus their efforts.

Argument |

Matthew Kroenig

Normal Is Over for Russia’s Hinterland

The ongoing protests in Russia’s far east aren’t a one-off—they’re a preview of the future of the country’s periphery.

Argument |

Sophie Pinkham

A still from "The Death of Stalin." (IFC Films)

Giggling at the Gulag

"The Death of Stalin" turns tyranny into comedy.

Argument |

Daniel Witkin

The Elephant in the Comedy Club

A troupe of popular young comics avoids mixing humor and politics in Rwanda.

Passport |

Kavitha Surana

An Alternative White House Correspondents Dinner for an Era of Alternative Facts

Comedians and journalists peer through the looking glass, darkly.

The Cable |

Emily Tamkin

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- "Kristen Stewart" Episode 1717 -- Pictured: (l-r) Alec Baldwin as President Donald J. Trump, Mikey Day as advisor Steve Bannon during the Oval Office Cold Open on February 4th, 2017 -- (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC)

Laughing All the Way to Autocracy

Jokes can stop a society’s slide into dictatorship — but not if they focus on the vanities and quirks of the would-be dictators.

Argument |

Rudolph Herzog

<> on April 2, 2011 in Pyongyang, North Korea.

Longform’s Picks of the Week

The best stories from around the world.

Feature |

FP Staff

Meet the Comedian Making Saudis Laugh About Driving Laws

Fahad Albutairi is revolutionizing Saudi Arabia's comedy scene. This month, he sat down with FP to talk about launching his career on YouTube, going to school in Texas, and walking the fine line of funny and political.

Passport |

Siobhán O'Grady