Recent developments in Gaza indicate what happens when broken-down, hate-filled, dysfunctional states gain autonomy. So what are the choices for the West in dealing with such societies? Either (a) install a (hopefully) relatively benevolent dictator of your choice, who is … Continue reading →
I wondered here why the Democrats pursued a “withdraw the troops” strategy they knew was doomed to failure with a President who was bound to veto every bill they sent with no hope of override. This particular post-mortem on the … Continue reading →
The consensus appears to be that the Democrats in Congress have blinked on the issue of troop withdrawal (see this and this and this, for starters). This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has followed the story. From the … Continue reading →
Nidra Poller’s article about Sarkozy’s first few days in office reminds me once again of how important leadership can be in setting a new tone for a country and giving it a fresh breath of hope. Maybe this is just … Continue reading →
The proposed Feingold-Reid bill to cut funding to the Iraqi troops by March of next year was resoundingly defeated in the Senate by a vote of 67 to 29. And yet it gained some previously equivocating adherents: Presidential candidates Barack … Continue reading →
Yesterday I was in one of those stores that proliferate in the streets of the coastal resort towns of New England featuring items that aren’t at all needed but might be desired by the roving tourist with a heavy wallet: … Continue reading →
Headline in the Washington Post: “Bush would veto new Iraq bill.” Ya think? Surely this isn’t a surprise (it’s a sort of “dog bites man” story) although of course the Post and the rest of the MSM are required to … Continue reading →
One arena in which even Bush’s opponents would probably agree he stands out is that he’s the rare public figure who really doesn’t much care what the majority thinks when he sets his agenda; he does what he thinks is … Continue reading →
The Democratic leadership is pushing vigorously for further confrontation with the Bush administration over a timetable for a pullout. They clearly seem to think they have a winner for themselves in the political sense, whatever the fallout for Iraq itself. … Continue reading →
I haven’t been especially easy on Harry Reid lately. I think his behavior despicable, shortsighted, pernicious, self-serving, and bordering on the traitorious. But it doesn’t fit the definition of treason, even though Tom Delay recently has called it “very, very … Continue reading →
I keep reading (slowly, ever-so-slowly) the Robert Kagan book Dangerous Nation, his take on the history of what he contends was a non-isolationist United States from its very inception (and yes, you might call him a neocon historian.) I plan … Continue reading →
This election campaign promises to be a long one. But in some ways it’s rather short—short as opposed to tall, that is. I may in fact be the first to point out that this campaign is distinguished by a bunch … Continue reading →