The Thirty Years War of 1618-1648 was the last major religious war in Europe, and it was a lulu. I challenge anyone who’s not already a student of European history to wade through that Wikipedia article linked above–it’s dense with … Continue reading →
We in the modern west have grown unused to the concept of religious war. In fact, the very term seems un-PC, like the word “crusade.” Wars of religion have come to be regarded as mere screens for other motivators: socioeconomic … Continue reading →
The thread on Iraqi federalism inspired a debate in the comments section about whether Iraq is facing a civil war or a religious war, or neither, or both. Perhaps it’s just a question of semantics. We could (and no doubt … Continue reading →
I’m going to talk about Iran and regime change. But first I’m going to take a detour for some news of the day. The latter may seem totally unrelated to the former, but please bear with me: though this be … Continue reading →
Commenter “Sergey” has contributed a wonderful piece of folk wisdom about international law and its enforceability: In old Russia there was a proverbial Yiddish saying on usefulness of formalities of law in dealing with those who do not respect law: … Continue reading →
Iran and Ahmadinejad have once again demonstrated the great and awesome power of the UN and their fear of its sanctions, in Iran’s continued defiance of the UN’s call for limitations on its nuclear program. Although Kofi Annan made a … Continue reading →
Victor Davis Hanson has written a compelling piece on the current moral malaise in the West and its pernicious effects. It’s a topic many of us have been hammering home lately, although Hanson–as usual–says it especially well. Hanson makes a … Continue reading →
The casualties at Qana are horrific. The visuals are heartrending, and the details sorrowful–especially the predominance of women and children among the dead. We are biologically predisposed to want to protect children–to love them, to smile when we see them. … Continue reading →
There’s an old saying, rendered variously as: When elephants fight, it’s the mice who must tremble. When elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers. The applicability to the current situation in the Middle East? When Hezbollah goads Israel from its … Continue reading →
Now, how could proportionality in war be dangerous? First, before I attempt an answer to that question, here’s a great post by Betsy Newmark (via the Anchoress) on the widespread European international community’s condemnation of Israel’s response to the attacks … Continue reading →
No, that’s not a typo above. I didn’t mean “Zero diplomacy,” I meant “Zeno diplomacy.” What’s Zeno diplomacy? It’s described in this article by Robert Tracinski, a writer with whom I wasn’t previously familiar but who appears to be an … Continue reading →
I was rummaging around the house where I’m staying, looking for something to read, when I encountered an old favorite from my childhood, choreographer Agnes De Mille’s memoir And Promenade Home. While skimming through it, I came across a passage … Continue reading →