Steve Breyman

The Mostly Mainstream Foreign Policy of Rand Paul

One thing you can say about Kentucky Senator Rand Paul is that he’s a crafty politician. His thirteen-hour filibuster to protest President Obama’s nomination of National Security Advisor John Brennan as CIA chief caused a stir across the political spectrum. Paul’s action was the high point of the brief debate about Obama’s reliance on drones … Continue reading “The Mostly Mainstream Foreign Policy of Rand Paul”

Why the War on Terror Endures: Spawning Terror Over There

Believe the War on Terror has been an unmitigated disaster? Find it difficult to wrap your head around the Long War’s long list of horrors? Think the Obama administration and Congress’s willingness to wage the War indefinitely is murderous myopia? Think again: the War on Terror is good at any number of things. It shifts … Continue reading “Why the War on Terror Endures: Spawning Terror Over There”

Crackpot Pragmatism: Richard Cohen and Torture

It’s 2013 and Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen is still conflicted about torture. Why? The proximate cause is that he went to the movies, and saw "Zero Dark Thirty," which impressed upon some viewers the efficacy of torture in unearthing the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden. Cohen considers the movie "fantastic," Oscar worthy "in the … Continue reading “Crackpot Pragmatism: Richard Cohen and Torture”

A Question of Competence

Leave aside the war’s preface of lies. Forget about Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib. Pretend not to care about international law and organizations. Ignore the chutzpah of the Coalition Provisional Authority, the increase in terrorism around the world, and the awesome pigishness of Halliburton. Think not about the international reputation of the United States. Don’t … Continue reading “A Question of Competence”

The Peace Movement: Right Before the War, Right Today

As Cindy Sheehan supporters continue their vigil in Crawford, and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) plans hearings on her resolution calling on the administration to begin planning an exit strategy for Iraq, it’s useful for the growing number of concerned citizens to recall that their friends, neighbors, and family members opposed to the war were right … Continue reading “The Peace Movement: Right Before the War, Right Today”