Terrorism, at Home and Abroad

Let me tell you a story. Or rather, why not let Prof. James D. Miller, writing for National Review Online, tell you one, since he does it so much better than I could: "America should not even pretend to care about the rights of dictators. In the 21st century the only leaders whom we should … Continue reading “Terrorism, at Home and Abroad”

Demonizing US Enemies

In an apparent attempt to prepare for action against Iran, President Bush in his State of the Union address declared, “Iran aggressively pursues these weapons and exports terror, while an unelected few repress the Iranian people’s hope for freedom.” Someone at the State Department ought to inform Bush that Iranian President Khatami has twice been … Continue reading “Demonizing US Enemies”

Never Mind Osama

President Bush’s State of the Union speech confirms what we have long maintained on this website: the “war on terrorism” is not a defensive operation, but a war of conquest. In the wake of 9/11, we endorsed a limited police action narrowly aimed at getting the perpetrators and bringing them to justice: the title of … Continue reading “Never Mind Osama”

Soybeans

If anyone had any illusions concerning China’s WTO membership, recent events should have dispelled them. Drooling suits are now wiping themselves clean and taking a good look at semi-accurate translations of semitransparent regulations the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) released earlier this month concerning the import of soybeans. The issue of … Continue reading “Soybeans”

State of the Union at War

Some might argue that I should be grateful at having my prejudices confirmed. But there’s plenty of evidence on the historical record. I could have lived a long time – a lifetime, perhaps? – without a contemporary, up-to-the-minute demonstration of the old Bournean adage that war is the health of the state. My preferences aside, … Continue reading “State of the Union at War”

‘Crony Capitalism’ & War

My recent column on the "warbloggers" raised a lot of hackles, as well as provoking some interesting arguments. Dealing with the latter first, we have Jim Henley of "Unqualified Offerings" – a consistently interesting and well-written blog – telling me to "aim at the target, please." Henley wants to know: "Why does Justin Raimondo spend … Continue reading “‘Crony Capitalism’ & War”

Guantanamo and Geneva: The Missing Questions

It is hardly unusual for all sides of a given controversy to miss the central point; it’s what most of us do most of the time. But the skirting of salient issues surrounding the prisoners being held at the American Guantanamo Bay base in Cuba seems more egregious than usual. I doubt if the prisoners … Continue reading “Guantanamo and Geneva: The Missing Questions”

The Tali-boy: Made In the USA

Political trials are the musical accompaniment of modern warfare: Stalin’s purge trials, purportedly showing that the Soviet dictator’s enemies on the home front were agents of Hitler and the Mikado, provided ideological grist for Moscow’s propaganda mills during World War II. The Reichstag fire and the subsequent trial gave the German Nazis a rationale for … Continue reading “The Tali-boy: Made In the USA”

Fast Times at National Review

Happy days are here again at National Review. For forty some years, the editors and writers of that august journal have wanted wars and were happiest when they had one. If one ended, they promptly demanded another one. Of course the Cold War was a glorious time for them, partly because of its seeming permanence; … Continue reading “Fast Times at National Review

The Coming Implosion of the Bush Campaign

Like the old Soviet Union, which no one – including our own CIA – suspected was on the brink of complete collapse, the Republican Party Establishment thinks it is immune to any challenge from within or without. The only difference is that the Bush campaign won’t take 45 years to go into a tailspin: thanks … Continue reading “The Coming Implosion of the Bush Campaign”