Olympic Opening Ceremonies and the Death Throes of a Civilization
Watching the ceremony last night, I had a profound sense of sadness for the hollow revelry. There was no dignified memorializing of the greatness, uniqueness, and courage of Britain’s past. There was “irreverent, idiosyncratic” entertainment, and a very long segment of writhing self-abasement before the shibboleth of socialized medicine.
While Media Repeated ‘********’, Trump Altered Policy on Iran, Hezbollah
As long as the mainstream media have rumors of geniuses and *********to combat, they may not be able to mount a concerted, thematic counter-effort against Trump’s actual policy moves.
Mexico’s Probable Next President: ALL World’s Migrants have ‘Human Right’ to Live in US
AMLO is all for tearing down borders – except that of course Mexico gets to have them, and rely on them to protect policies on economics and other issues. Mexico moreover gets to use the power of the nation-state to … well, not to put it too delicately, to extort the United States.
Double Standards on Facebook
Ms. Blum worked through the wickets Facebook set up for restoring her account to its good graces, but was unable to determine what, exactly, had violated its standards.
J.E. Dyer: Tumultus Post-Americanus
The Tumultus Post-Americanus is now well underway. There is no initiative on our collective part – we have done nothing but react in the last three years – and possibly even less appreciation of how the world is changing. The forms of international discourse – the processes of the UN, the G-8 and G-20, the IMF – are being adhered to now because they are a convenience, not because they produce anything useful.
Are Drone Strikes Analogous to the Civil War?
To advance our objectives in the War on Terror there was and will be nothing to justify the extra-judicial, standoff-distance execution of a US citizen.
You Say Thermopylae, I say Alamo
Was Cruz’s Stand an “Alamo” moment?
Syria, Russia: It All Looks Different From Out There
Robert Mackey at New York Times’ The Lede has a Friday post entitled “Crisis in Syria Looks Very Different on Satellite Channels Owned by...
J.E. Dyer Videos: Iran and the Reagan Strategy
The topics are “The Reagan Strategy,” and the “Iran Time Bomb.”
J.E. Dyer: Strategic Ambiguity Watch – The Maritime Version
Iran is making full use of strategic ambiguity on the high seas to advance its interests and dictate outcomes. Unless each new measure is directly challenged, strategic ambiguity would be a lot more fun for Iran than for the rest of us.
Paradigm Shift: Why Iran Now Needs the Bomb
Iran’s relative situation has deteriorated. To regain a sense of leadership and invulnerability – as well as to vindicate Shia Islam over the recent Sunni triumphs in the region – Iran needs a big strategic win. She needs a trump card over the emerging Sunni centers of gravity in Cairo and Ankara.
In Clear Attempt to Sabotage U.S. Relations, Intel-Leakers Tell Media What Trump Did NOT...
Bottom line: Trump didn’t expose sensitive information about intelligence sources and methods. (Keep that in mind. Trump has not exposed anything.)
Top 5 Reasons Why the non-Deal Agreement with Iran is Bad
Iran has not agreed to give up anything needed to acquire a bomb or cease any aggressive behavior
‘9/10’ Media Mindset: Threat from Soleimani ‘Not Imminent’
In military planning terms, Soleimani was the operational center of gravity for Iran’s proxy campaign throughout the Middle East, from Iraq to Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. That operational center of gravity just received a knockout blow.
Brown Signs Bill to Overpopulate Planet
Each and every permutation of artificial “fertility” will wind up in court at some point.
Israel, Iran, Hamas, and Why it’s Not 2014 Anymore
Hamas' purpose was to attack the unity of the de facto Middle East coalition – a coalition against radical Iran – forming through the Abraham Accords. The premise of the attack was that framing the conflict as a response to an outrage against Al Aqsa, and forcing Israel to strike back hard, would peel away the Arab partners to the Abraham Accords.
Biden: ‘NO Amendment to the Constitution is Absolute.’
Got your amendments right here, Mr. President
Israel’s ‘Not Routine’ Strike on Syrian Special Weapons Facility Confirmed by Imagery
Israel is in this as a fight for her existence, and will not be deterred or limited by the military arrangements of others. Put more bluntly, Russia’s interests in Syria, and effective control of Syrian airspace, will not hold a veto over Israel’s strategic latitude.
Most Pointless Peace Talks Ever?
If we should have learned anything since January 2011, it’s that Middle Eastern unrest is growing because of a good half a dozen really important things other than “Israel.”
Game change: Russia Can Now Warn Israel Against IAF Operations Over Syria
Israel has never faced the reality of Russia potentially vetoing its air defense decisions
Yet Another Reminder: Iran Still Closing in on Bomb
Iran could produce enough high-enriched uranium (HEU) for a first nuclear warhead in as little as two weeks.
Sunset: The Limits of Pier Politics
Well, they tried.
Er, No, Obama Didn’t Win the Debate
We’ve reached a watershed here, where we either live in our own heads affirming reality, regardless of spurious inputs from demagoguery or sentiment, or we give up on reality and let demagoguery and sentiment take over at the decision table. Did the president pull off a performance last night, in terms of sounding passionate and full of conviction? To some extent, yes. Does that mean he won the debate, or even achieved a draw with Romney? No.
Intolerance and Antisemitism: Britain Jumps the Shark
It could not have happened at all if Britain weren’t already pretty far gone.
J.E. Dyer: Reflections on Ambassador Shapiro’s ‘We’re ready to attack’ comments in Israel
For the United States, issuing attack threats in the manner of Hugo Chavez is not a convincing posture. I don’t know if the Israelis will find it reassuring; I suspect the Europeans and Iranians will find it annoying, and decide to ignore it.
Summits with the King: France in; Obama out
The world's more vulnerable to predation, eruption, and chaos than it has been in at least 600 years
You Don’t Have to be Jewish to Oppose Hagel for Defense
Chuck Hagel writes his own narrative, in which threats aren’t really threats and policies that actually work are just horrible.
Obama’s Campaign Against Israel
Obama is transparent, if you read his oracular signs with the right key.
Who is an ‘Islamist’ and Why it Matters
Based on the Associated Press's definition, whom exactly can a reporter call an Islamist?
On the Job but Not Getting Paid?
As happy as I am to see the EPA and other agencies off the job, I’m concerned about morale among the hard-working law enforcement and essential-services folks.