Author Aldous Huxley once wrote, “Government-through-terror works, on the whole, less well than government through nonviolent manipulation of the environment and of the thoughts and feelings of individual men, women, and children.” Writing this in 1958, Huxley hadn’t...
Foreign Service officer Peter Van Buren had an interesting week. Aside from getting a book published, he became a news-cycle celebrity of sorts in Washington — not for his book, per se, but for the fact that he might get fired for it. Reporters and bloggers quickly...
This is the first profile in an occasional series about individuals taking on the Goliaths of war from inside the belly of the beast — Washington, D.C. In Washington, there are those who rattle the sabers, and then there are those who use them. The Project on...
Lal Mohammed says his 9-year-old son was stabbed and shot and left to die in a raid on his home. Another Afghan villager reported that a 17-year-old boy had been detained, beaten, and had nails driven into his feet. His injuries were so bad that his family packed up...
If he were to pat you on the back, you would list it on your resume. When in Rome, they do as he does. He is the life of parties he has never attended Sharks have a week dedicated to him. He is the most interesting man in the world. Just a few lines from the...
In the latest installment of a year-long advertising campaign on the Washington metro, subway riders are treated to a series of smart, mod photographs of leather-clad VPPs (very pretty people) who we assume are spies, operatives, or fugitives á la Jason Bourne....
President Obama’s critics like to say he’s anti-business, and that he doesn’t understand, nor even like, the military. He is a Democrat, after all, so how could he? Well, we can say that’s fundamentally not true with only two words: Blackwater Worldwide. If...
Campaign season’s here and the time is right, for bombast in the street. Right here on Main Street, USA, every day, they’re bloviating in the street. Invoking Martha & the Vandellas might be fun, but the prospect of facing another 441 days of Rick Perry,...
Of the many revelations and questions still unresolved following the recent riots in Britain, a novel yet not altogether surprising thread has emerged but has hardly been noticed by the mainstream media: These riots were not dominated, driven nor taken advantage of by...
The list of what the authors call events over a “random 79 days in a 2,500 day-old war” is gruesome. 4/26/08 — Bahaa — DEATH — Death caused by multiple injuries sustained during torture 9/11/2005 — Dieyer — KIDNAP, DEATH — Abduction, death 6/29/04 — Lamees — DEATH —...
