Eric Schuler

In any critical study of US foreign policy, one question is bound to arise: Are they really this stupid? By “they” I am of course referring to the politicians and advisers that have set and implemented the disastrous course of foreign intervention. The question is aimed at trying to explain these repetitive failures. Depending on … Continue reading “Hillary Clinton and Syria: Stupidity or Something Worse?”

Facts are still coming out about the New York and New Jersey bombings. But from the information we do have, one thing is clear: the counterterror solutions promoted by Trump and Clinton would not have helped prevent it. Background Two bombs exploded in New York City and New Jersey this past Saturday. No one was … Continue reading “Two Major Candidates, Zero Solutions for Terrorism”

Just in time for Throwback Thursday, there is a fresh new Iran scandal dominating the news. And like most Iran scandals, the latest is much ado about nothing. It’s not even a new event; just new details on something that happened nearly seven months ago. The long and short of it goes something like this: … Continue reading “Did the US Make ‘Ransom Payments’ to Iran? No, Of Course Not.”

Europe suffered another tragic terrorist attack Thursday night, as a white semi-truck deliberately ran over scores of pedestrians in Nice, France. Reports put the death toll at 84 while more than 200 were wounded. The truck driver was also armed and apparently opened fire on civilians before ultimately being killed by police. At this point, … Continue reading “After Nice, Don’t Trade Liberty for Security”

The latest in shocking but not surprising news came yesterday as FBI Director Jim Comey formally recommended not indicting Hillary Clinton for her alleged mishandling of classified information. Given America’s less-than-stellar track record of prosecuting the powerful, this outcome has been a virtual certainty for some time. Even so, the event is still important. It … Continue reading “FBI: Hillary Clinton Broke the Law, But Don’t Prosecute Her”

A new poll published by the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy, shows that a plurality of Americans misunderstand a fundamental fact about the Middle East. Specifically, a statistically representative sample of Americans and three other nationalities were asked a simple question about Israel and Palestine. The wording of the question and the results are shown … Continue reading “Who Occupies Whom in Israel-Palestine? Don’t Ask an American”

Donald Trump’s chances of winning the Republican Presidential Nomination seem to grow with each passing poll and primary. Despite concerted efforts by some in the media, the other campaigns, and elite members of the Republican Party, his victory appears to be all but assured. As Trump’s success has grown, so too has the rise of … Continue reading “Is the Anti-Trump Hysteria Justified?”

Deciding who to support in a US Presidential election often comes down to a matter of priorities. The two party system rarely offers a candidate that can be supported wholeheartedly by anyone. Instead, we decide what issue we care about most, determine who is the least bad on that issue, and then vote for them. … Continue reading “Prioritize Foreign Policy Over Domestic Policy”

This weekend, Iran’s compliance with the terms of last summer’s nuclear deal was officially verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Shortly thereafter, the P5+1 nations (UN Security Council + Germany) proceeded to lift the majority of their sanctions against Iran, pursuant to the terms of the agreement. Additionally, coinciding with this agreement, the US … Continue reading “Sanctions Against Iran Lifted, Followed by New Sanctions”

Lately, a heated debate has broken out over the question of admitting Syrian refugees. On the Republican side, Donald Trump’s previously hyperbolic suggestions of an ISIS "Trojan Horse" have essentially become mainstreamed. Meanwhile, on the Democratic side of the aisle, President Obama has criticized the Republicans for demonizing Muslims and has argued that accepting Syrian … Continue reading “Stop the Political Grandstanding on Refugees”