This comment by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle on yesterday’s Memorial Day post makes an excellent point that needs to be addressed: Suppose that a war is commenced, based on incorrect assumptions which at the time of going to war were … Continue reading →
Before Memorial Day became a national three-day weekend in 1971 and the official kickoff to summer festivities, it was Decoration Day. I’m not all that ancient, but my earliest recollection of the holiday is of the latter name. It was … Continue reading →
The Democrats in Congress—and the few Republicans who agree with them—who’ve been pushing for a troop withdrawal continue to maintain that what they’re proposing is not only in the best interests of the American people, but it’s in the best … Continue reading →
Right now, at the top of the list of recommended reading at Real Clear Politics, are two articles that can be seen as companion pieces of a sort. The first is “Why Iraq’s So Hard” by Ralph Peters of the … Continue reading →
The word “defeat” has been thrown around lately in connection with the war in Iraq; here’s an example. The title of the editorial is “Vietnam syndrome: the consequences of U.S. defeat in Iraq would be much greater than they were … Continue reading →
I’ve long been puzzled by the need of the antiwar and/or anti-Bush factions to give Saddam the benefit of enormous doubt in the buildup to the Iraq War, and to give Bush and his administration none. It’s not so much … Continue reading →
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has called the war in Iraq a failure. How does he know this? Because of the “extreme violence in Iraq this week.” And what did that violence consist of? A series of terrorist bombings … Continue reading →
The commenter known as “unknown blogger” wrote in the previous thread: “Impotent.” “Weak.” “They must have cut a deal.” [quoting those who criticize the Blair government’s public handling of the affair]. Tsk, tsk. Such a tremendous amount of disappointment around … Continue reading →
I’ve been perplexed by the weak reaction of so many officials in Britain to the ongoing hostage crisis. Whoops! I used the “h” word. Apparently that’s a no-no; this Time article reports that President Bush was criticized roundly by John … Continue reading →
Many years ago I took a course to be certified as a volunteer divorce mediator in the state in which I lived. The profession was then in its infancy, and it sounded like such a good idea: the adversarial nature … Continue reading →
In taking fifteen British sailors prisoner, the Iranian government is merely following its tradition of win-win hostage-taking. When in trouble (and there is some evidence the mullahs are in a certain amount of internal political difficulty in Iran), the best … Continue reading →
If you’ve ever had a bad back you know the drill: the doctor places your legs and feet in various positions, takes his hands and pushes in various ways, and asks you to push back each time. What’s he doing? … Continue reading →