Is Afghanistan a Failed Mission?

As in Vietnam from 1965 to 1973, the year our prisoners of war came home, America did not lose a major battle in Afghanistan. Yet we did not win the war. South Vietnam was lost. And contrary to the message awaiting President George W. Bush when he landed on the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which … Continue reading “Is Afghanistan a Failed Mission?”

Boris Johnson Defies Vladimir Putin’s Claim to Crimea

About that clash between a British destroyer and Russian warplanes and warships in the Black Sea last week there are conflicting versions. The Kremlin version is the more dramatic. HMS Defender, says Moscow, entered the Black Sea, made port in Odessa, Ukraine, and then sailed for Batumi on the coast of Georgia. However, the British … Continue reading “Boris Johnson Defies Vladimir Putin’s Claim to Crimea”

All Is Hype for the Biden-Putin Summit

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce. Karl Marx’s comment came to mind as President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Boris Johnson sought to equate their tête-à-tête at the G7 confab in Cornwall, England, to the Atlantic Charter conference of 80 years ago. Those were historic days, to which these days cannot compare. … Continue reading “All Is Hype for the Biden-Putin Summit”

What Is America’s Cause in the World?

"Take away this pudding; it has no theme," is a comment attributed to Winston Churchill, when a disappointing dessert was put in front of him. Writers have used Churchill’s remark to describe a foreign policy that lacks coherence or centrality of purpose. For most of our lifetimes, this has not been true of the United … Continue reading “What Is America’s Cause in the World?”

Putin and Xi Have Red Lines, Too

In recent days, Russian tanks, artillery, armor, trucks and troops have been moving by road and rail ever closer to Ukraine, and Moscow is said to be repositioning its 56th Guards Air Assault Brigade in Crimea. Military sources in Kyiv estimate there are now 85,000 Russian troops between six and 25 miles from Ukraine’s northern … Continue reading “Putin and Xi Have Red Lines, Too”

For What Should We Fight Russia or China?

Last Monday, in a single six-hour period, NATO launched 10 air intercepts to shadow six separate groups of Russian bombers and fighters over the Arctic, North Atlantic, North Sea, Black Sea and Baltic Sea. Last week also brought reports that Moscow is increasing its troop presence in Crimea and along its borders with Ukraine. Joe … Continue reading “For What Should We Fight Russia or China?”

Autocracy vs. Democracy or China vs. America?

"I’ve known Xi Jinping for a long time. … He doesn’t have a democratic – with a small ‘d’ – bone in his body," said Joe Biden in his first press conference as president, and then he ambled on: "He’s one of the guys, like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, who thinks that autocracy is the … Continue reading “Autocracy vs. Democracy or China vs. America?”

Why Putin’s Pipeline Is Welcome in Germany

During a joint interview with Jens Stoltenberg, the Norwegian secretary-general of NATO, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, fresh from his bout with the Chinese in Anchorage, took on Angela Merkel and the Germans. Issue: Nord Stream 2, the Baltic Sea pipeline Vladimir Putin is building to complement his Nord Stream 1 and carry more natural … Continue reading “Why Putin’s Pipeline Is Welcome in Germany”

Is Biden Reenlisting in the Forever Wars?

Thursday, in its first military action, the Biden Pentagon sent two U.S. F-15Es to strike targets of Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia just inside the eastern border of Syria. The US strikes were in retaliation for a missile attack on a US base in Erbil, capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, which killed a contractor and … Continue reading “Is Biden Reenlisting in the Forever Wars?”

Ideological Imperialism Is Leading to a Bad End

When it was learned in 2016 that Russia may have hacked the emails of John Podesta and the DNC, and passed the fruits on to WikiLeaks to aid candidate Donald Trump, mighty was the outrage of the American establishment. If Russia’s security services filched those emails, and a troll farm in Saint Petersburg sent tweets … Continue reading “Ideological Imperialism Is Leading to a Bad End”