December's Riots in Iran on and around the Day of Ashura have been shocking, to those of us who have been watching the news of it. This is, I would argue, the most important event currently unfolding now in world news. And I think that each and every one of us… Read full post »

Beneath high-level stories like Obama's Healthcare proposal, or the continuing economic uncertainties, there have lately been several more muted stories that wove a strange pattern.

We are now reading about how Srgt. John M. Russell murdered five of his fellow American soldiers.   … Read full post »

Now that there is a new Supreme Court spot to fill, folks on the Left are getting excited that Obama will choose someone who shares their views and will help advance their agenda. Notice that I did not say "Liberals." Because appointing a judge because their personal political agenda aligns with… Read full post »

I haven't had much time to write lately. Getting married. Long story. 

But the news is still inescapable. So here's the gist:

- Anyone whining about Obama handshaking Chavez, or saying that we want to take a less confrontational tone in the middle east doesn't really understand how international… Read full post »

In the ideal world, human rights would be the paramount currency of the planet. Every country and society would wish to enshrine democracy and equality as cherished and inalienable rights.  

 But this is not so. Countries that promote a distinctively anti-human rights agenda are afford… Read full post »

In the long run, we're all from Earth.

Maybe someday we'll figure that out, and act like it. I hope we do. Or Maybe we won't, and that will be far too unfortunate. I'm not sure which.

But if we, hopefully, are able to pull ourselves together, then we might undertake… Read full post »

Well great. North Korea is about to fire an ICBM, and we're looking at a very serious high tech confrontation.

First, some conjecture and a prediction. I think that given that the nature of this event is an outgrowth of the ceaseless negotiations with North Korea over their nuclear weapons and… Read full post »

In the UK, The Guardian is reporting that the Obama administration will shortly implement a series of policies designed to overcome the human political roadblock that is Hamid Karzai.

In conjunction with sending Richard Holbrook, one of the nation's most intelligent and succesful geopolitical strateg… Read full post »

Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, has just abolished the death penalty in his state. 

Not only is this another sign of progress for the country, but it is potentially the start of a Richardson comeback. Richardson has been recently implicated in some embarrassing scandals a… Read full post »

Republican mismanagement and neglect of our economy for the last 8 years was a leading cause of our current economic almost-depression. So let me ask you, Democrats, did you hope that upon returning to power we should focus less on the economy? Did you hope that we would make the economy… Read full post »

After reading this ridiculous, illogical, broken-record-of-a-conservative-talking-point that somehow emerged from the Wall Street Journal's editorial board, the least offensive thing I could do was scratch my head.

The first three sentances of the article are enough to make you bang your head against… Read full post »

Much has been, and will continue to be said about President Obama's agenda. But at this point, one month into his presidency, it should be patently clear to everyone that he intends no small plans. Anyone who thought that his relative inexperience or crowd-pleasing candor would lead to a subdued pres… Read full post »

Is it a win for freedom of religion? Freedom of speech? For the primacy of civic government? Or none of the above?

 The supreme court unanimously voted to allow a town to refuse a religious monument's placement on public property.  

 This sets a precedent in which government will be th… Read full post »

Well that time cushion evaporated pretty quickly didn't it? The International Atomic Energy Agency is now reporting that Iran has refined enough nuclear material to create a nuclear weapon, should it choose to do so. Regardless of what you think about the Iranian Nuclear program, we can now all agree… Read full post »

I recently re-read Jonathan Haidt's remarkable article on how morality, culture, and politics interact.  I highly recommend it. In fact, I think this should be required reading for anyone who ever wondered why people make the political choices they do.

There are a number a of thought-provoking c… Read full post »

Interesting article from the Associated Press on new developments in the Manas Air-force base debacle in Kyrgystan.

Their analysis seems to be that Russia, while being aggressively assertive, may not be trying to be outright obstructionist when it comes to our efforts in Afghanistan. 

However, t… Read full post »

Here's a great reminder that the perils of international strongman diplomacy can often sink to the level of brute personal stamina. Examine this French broadcast on a recent G8 summit.

I imagine that this is how Putin works his diplomatic muscle. Long, 3-cocktail lunches while hamme… Read full post »

Just as President Obama has begun to refocus our efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and Pakistan, the international sabotage begins. Kyrgyzstan will close a U.S. Military Base there.  Does anyone think that its a coincidence that Russia will also be increasing its financial aid to Kyrgyzstan... wh… Read full post »

The more I think about it, the more I have come to agree with David Brook's assesmant of Obama's stimulus bill. This thing is no good. Can anyone tell me what the plan is here? Everyone is getting a piece of the pie, and its getting sliced so small that we're… Read full post »

I hate economics. Obviously, in this economic climate, we're all in the mood to shake our fists at the chart-wielding and calculator-packing purveyors of the "dismal science" who seem to understand all of this better than any of us do. But I'm upset and worried in my own special way; I'm… Read full post »

President Obama's first few days in office have done much to assuage my earlier fears of his innatention to civil liberties and freedoms in this country. Announcing the closing of Guantanamo, along with a process of review to determine how to try suspected terrorists, qualifies as a significant and f… Read full post »

Is Mexico a failed state? These days, an ongoing crime war with everything from beheadings to kidnappings has made that question seem less hysterical than one might imagine. At the very least we should be concerned about this as a good neighbor. Reaslistically, we need to evaluate the complex reality… Read full post »