A former Wal-Mart executive avoided a prison term Friday when a federal judge resentenced him for tax evasion and fraud convictions.The judge added only 1,500 hours of community service to Tom Coughlin's punishment, and Coughlin said he was grateful."Judge, I just want to thank you...

Here are Bill Kristol and Lawrence F. Kaplan (in The War Over Iraq, 2003): "That things might be worse without [Saddam] is of course a possibility. But... it is difficult to imagine how... Nevertheless, Powell and others have argued that if the United States alienates...

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 22—The cease-fire that brought the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah to a halt last week is holding—for now—and Beirut’s neighborhoods, though still eerily quiet and free from traffic, are no longer reverberating to the sound of Israeli bombing raids....

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 22—The cease-fire that brought the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah to a halt last week is holding—for now—and Beirut’s neighborhoods, though still eerily quiet and free from traffic, are no longer reverberating to the sound of Israeli bombing raids....

Explores the history of the Collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Contends that the fall of communism was not a surprise but rather the result of political, economic and social pressures that culminated in its implosion.

This essay is an overview of the history of communism. It covers communism's theoretical origins, beginning with the writings of Plato and reaching full development through the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. It also explores the implementation of communist ideals in the governments of the Soviet Union, East Germany, China, Poland, and other countries across four continents. And the essay touches on the mostly negative legacy of communism worldwide, including in the United States.