Month: March 2014

The libertarian movement has always been a contentious arena: that’s the nature of the beast. After all, we’re talking about libertarians – individualists to a fault: getting them to agree on anything is often like trying to herd cats. Aside from this question of temperament, however, there have been some very substantial ideological differences over … Continue reading “Ron Paul Is Right About Crimea”

To pivot, according to the venerable Oxford English Dictionary, means “to turn as on a pivot.” Which takes us to the noun, which seems more appropriate for describing the Obama administration’s Pacific policy: “That on which anything turns; a cardinal or central point.” The problem, however, is that finding a cardinal or a central point … Continue reading “The Elephant vs. the Shark”

Many recent indicators point to a U.S. national security bureaucracy running roughshod over the sad remnants of the founder’s republican vision. As in the Roman world, empire is gradually snuffing out the republic. The US government’s more than $1 trillion dollar annual spending on security – for a country that may very well be the … Continue reading “US Security Agencies Are Out of Control”

The observation that the Chinese characters for the word “crisis” combine the characters for “danger” and “opportunity” has become a staple of Washington foreign policy discourse for years. So it’s no surprise that the ongoing crisis in Ukraine – and Russia’s de facto absorption of Crimea – provides lots of “opportunities” for various interests to … Continue reading “The Uses of Ukraine”

At least 68 people were killed and 81 were wounded across Iraq today. Also, a month shy of national elections, the Independent High Electoral Commission quit en masse over what they described as “interference” with their jobs.

It was almost ten years ago when, before the House International Relations Committee, I objected to the US Government funding NGOs to meddle in the internal affairs of Ukraine. At the time the “Orange Revolution” had forced a regime change in Ukraine with the help of millions of dollars from Washington. At that time I … Continue reading “US ‘Democracy Promotion’ Destroys Democracy Overseas”

Mitt Romney is the kind of guy who just never goes away, even when you really, really want him to. Readers will recall that Mitt had some funny ideas about foreign policy back in 2012, insisting that Russia was our "number one geopolitical foe." He is now at it again, explaining what he would have … Continue reading “Foreign Policy Delusion Is Bipartisan”

At least 46 Iraqis were killed and 32 more were wounded in today’s violence. The most shocking report, however, may be the discovery of polio in Iraq after a 14-year-absence.

What to do about Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea? This is the question of the hour for the War Party, and they are tearing their hair out in a paroxysm of frustration about what course to take. The Obama administration, for its part, seems content to get up on its high horse and issue feckless … Continue reading “Taking on Putin: The Gessen Plan”

Dear Mr. President, As you ponder your potential moves regarding President Vladimir V. Putin’s annexation of Crimea (a large majority of its 2 million people are ethnic Russians), it is important to remember that whatever moral leverage you may have had in the court of world opinion has been sacrificed by the precedents set by … Continue reading “Obama to Putin: Do as I Say Not as I Do”