Month: March 2011
-
Libya vs. Iraq: Geopolitical Insight in a Robotic Monotone
He: "So Obama is killing civilians in a pre-emptive, unfunded war for oil, promoted by the dictators of the Arab League along with the UN, in support of some unidentified rebels who he’s never met with, and you are fine with all that?" She: "He is a man of peace. Did you know he even got the Nobel Peace Prize? Just like Morgan Freeman."
-
Astonishment at Obama’s War-Making Overwhelms Consideration of the Merits of It
It was nearly three years ago that Senator Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination, in part on the strength of having the purest "surrender-at-any-cost" position on Iraq. Who then could have predicted the following headline: "Nobel Peace Prize Winner Enters Third War"?
-
Libya, Where the French Lead the Way
It’s like I’ve emerged from a coma into a parallel universe, where the United Nations takes a leadership role in a crisis, and the French — the French! — back up their stern words with military action.
-
My Favorite Sailor Spends His Birthday in Relief Effort Off the Coast of Japan
Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Third Class Harry Petersen turns 23 today, and he’ll celebrate by working his butt off all day long. He’s one of about 5,000 Navy personnel on the USS Ronald Reagan, currently engaged in disaster relief efforts off the coast of Japan. I’ve previously written about my son here, here and here. In […]
-
No Easy Choices in Libya
I’m sympathetic to the idea of a no-fly zone in Libya. But while Obama has escalated in Afghanistan and declined to follow through on his campaign promise to surrender in Iraq, it’s hard to imagine this administration starting a brand new war. And enforcing a no-fly zone is an act of war.
-
A Scary Road Ahead for the U.S. Economy
In the midst of the coverage this past week of the various pathologies of Muammar Gaddafi, the Wisconsin legislature and Charlie Sheen, some of the most ominous news was largely overlooked. Pacific Investment Management Co. (Pimco) confirmed that billionaire Bill Gross, manager of the world’s largest bond fund, had completely eliminated U.S. Treasury Bonds from […]
-
Victory for Gov. Walker, and for Wisconsin Taxpayers
Gov. Scott Walker and Wisconsin Republicans used a parliamentary maneuver to pass union reforms without the 14 state Senate Democrats who have disgracefully abandoned their responsibilities for nearly three weeks. It’s certainly easy to understand why the unions feel threatened; here’s CNN: [Walker’s] bill, which already had passed the state Assembly, would bar public workers […]
-
On National Security, Obama Eventually Tends to Get it Right
War is different from crime-fighting. Prisoners of war logically should be treated differently from people accused of crimes. No battlefield reading of Miranda rights while the gunfire continues. No presumption of innocence, no standard of “guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” President Obama, to his credit, recognized this reality again yesterday in signing an executive order […]
-
They Looked at a Hillside and Envisioned a Church
Nearly nine decades ago some citizens of Maplewood, New Jersey came together in a spirit of faith and community to begin planning a major new Episcopal church on a wooded hillside off of Ridgewood Road. The parish traces its roots back to just after the Civil War, but the cornerstone for the current building was […]
-
Mary Meeker, Entitlements, Wikipedia Drift, and Why It Takes Me Three Hours to Write a Blog Post
Mary Meeker, the early Internet visionary who endured derisive criticism when she (correctly) predicted that Ebay’s stock would soar to more than $400*… No, that doesn’t sound right. Off to Wikipedia to refresh my memory. I’m a huge Wikipedia fan, btw, and I have no patience for whining complaints to the effect that “Wikipedia isn’t […]