John Taylor

John Taylor received an A.B. in Near Eastern languages from the University of Chicago, a B.A. and an M.A. in Oriental studies from Cambridge University, and an MBA from Columbia University. He served two years active duty in the United States Army, reaching the grade of sergeant, and spent six years in the reserves. Before making his career in the oil and gas business in Texas, he worked in the Middle East as an archaeologist, banker, and civil servant. Taylor is a life-long Republican.

Please Mr. President,
Don’t Make Promises to Fools

“This is not 1968 and the invasion of Czechoslovakia where Russia can threaten a neighbor, occupy a capital, overthrow a government, and get away with it.” – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Aug. 14, 2008 Condi Rice seems to think the invasions of Czechoslovakia and Georgia are quite comparable, except that this time the invaders … Continue reading “Please Mr. President,
Don’t Make Promises to Fools”

Mahmoud Abbas’ Time Has Passed

Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, is a collaborator with the his peoples’ chief tormentors, Israel and the United States. Without Israeli and American support, Abbas would be gone in an instant. The general commanding Israeli forces on the West Bank, Gadi Shamni, put it best: “He’s a joke, a nothing. We are the … Continue reading “Mahmoud Abbas’ Time Has Passed”

Caveat Emptor: Buy McCain,
Get Kagan and Woolsey

A new president brings fresh eyes to old problems, but more importantly, the head of the executive branch has the flexibility to reject the failed policies of his predecessor without gravely wounding his own credibility. Unfortunately, John McCain has promised, should he become president, to continue the disastrous Middle East policies of the current administration. … Continue reading “Caveat Emptor: Buy McCain,
Get Kagan and Woolsey”

God vs. Elliott Abrams

Back in June 2003 Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath came to the White House to meet President Bush for the first time. Shaath relates that Bush told his visitors during their meeting in the Oval Office that God had commanded him to establish a Palestinian state: "God told me, ‘George, … Continue reading “God vs. Elliott Abrams”

James Woolsey: Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind

It is quite remarkable that a coterie of neocon intellectuals and influence peddlers can exhibit bizarre personal behavior, prove utterly incompetent in high appointive office, manufacture entirely false evidence to propel us into a disastrous war, and yet still have people willing to listen to them. An outraged American public ought to be shouting "Enough! … Continue reading “James Woolsey: Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind”

Is Tom Lantos’ Seat in Jeopardy?

Tom Lantos, a Democrat who has represented San Mateo in the U.S. House of Representatives for 13 terms, plans to run for reelection in 2008. Budapest-born Lantos, who came to the United States as a young man, may face a primary challenge from popular former state Sen. Jackie Speier. Reports indicate that Speier, who has … Continue reading “Is Tom Lantos’ Seat in Jeopardy?”

Who’s Afraid of Gen. Petraeus?

Is Congress afraid of Gen. David Petraeus? If not, why did its members run around like panicked turkeys in a rain storm to defend a four-star general from a few liberal Democrats at MoveOn.org? Before the “Betray Us” flap established MoveOn’s bona fides, the outfit was little more than a fundraising adjunct to the Democratic … Continue reading “Who’s Afraid of Gen. Petraeus?”

Thucydides vs.
Victor Davis Hanson

Victor Davis Hanson, previously a classics professor at Fresno State specializing in the military history of ancient Greece and currently embedded at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, is a fervent apologist for the Bush administration’s interventionist foreign policy. In his enthusiasm to transform the Islamic world by force and serve his new political patrons, Hanson … Continue reading “Thucydides vs.
Victor Davis Hanson”