Posts by James Joyner

James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

January 6 vs BLM Riots

Shockingly, they’re not remotely equivalent.

COVID and Reasonable Risk

A lot of America is simply over the pandemic, even if it isn’t over us.

The Divide Within Our Parties is Almost as Wide as that Between Them

Pew’s new typology shows the diversity of both US political parties.

hand, care, medicine, healthy, health, product, hospital, clinic, nurse, doctor, medical, medic, healthcare, disease, diagnosis, stethoscope, clinical, health care, general practitioner, diagnostic, stetoscope hand, care, medicine, healthy, health, product, hospital, clinic, nurse, doctor, medical, medic, healthcare, disease, diagnosis, stethoscope, clinical, health care, general practitioner, diagnostic, stetoscope

Doctoring Ain’t All it’s Cracked Up to Be

The rat race of becoming a physician and maintaining one’s license is more intense than popularly understood.

Bryce Young 1st Alabama Quarterback to Win Heisman Trophy

A historic achievement for the first-year starter.

RVA Pro Gun Rally 2020-11 Streets of Richmond, VA RVA Pro Gun Rally 2020-11 Streets of Richmond, VA

Vigilante Politics

We’re likely to see more instances like the Capitol Riot and the Kyle Rittenhouse shootings.

Vaccine Mandates Aren’t Cost-Free

Kids are getting caught in the crossfire of the fight over COVID shots.

Is COVID Being Overhyped?

In the age of vaccines, should we stop worrying about the pandemic?

Beatles ‘Get Back’ Documentary

A long peek at history in the making.

Unilateral Disarmament on Gerrymandering

Democrats and Republicans are playing by different rules.

A Coup Plotted in PowerPoint

They took notes on a criminal fucking conspiracy.

Peak Fact-Checking?

Not every argument can be tested on a Pinocchio scale.

The free high-resolution photo of person, people, girl, boy, child, children, poverty, 2010, afghanistan, afghani , taken with an Canon EOS 5D Mark II 03/14 2017 The picture taken with 50.0mm, f/8.0s, 1/100s, ISO 200 The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required. The free high-resolution photo of person, people, girl, boy, child, children, poverty, 2010, afghanistan, afghani , taken with an Canon EOS 5D Mark II 03/14 2017 The picture taken with 50.0mm, f/8.0s, 1/100s, ISO 200 The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required.

US Sanctions Compounding Afghan Crisis II

There are no good options, only bad and worse ones.

Thursday’s Forum

Putin, Ukraine, and History

Russia’s leader sees the situation in the former Soviet Republic quite differently than the West.

The Kids Are Not Alright

Do young Democrats really hate Republicans more than vice-versa?

Portrait of a Robert E. Lee astride his horse, Traveller. Lee is bare-headed, wearing a military uniform, sitting very erect with his sword at his proper left side. His proper left hand is on the reins, and his proper right hand hangs down, holding his hat. The horse is in a walking pose with his proper left front hoof raised. On the front of the base is a relief depicting a fighting eagle with wings expanded, surrounded by clusters of oak leaves. On the back of the base is a relief of a garland. Portrait of a Robert E. Lee astride his horse, Traveller. Lee is bare-headed, wearing a military uniform, sitting very erect with his sword at his proper left side. His proper left hand is on the reins, and his proper right hand hangs down, holding his hat. The horse is in a walking pose with his proper left front hoof raised. On the front of the base is a relief depicting a fighting eagle with wings expanded, surrounded by clusters of oak leaves. On the back of the base is a relief of a garland.

Two Confederate Statues Meet Their Fate

Two controversial monuments are gone.

Trump Leads Biden in Meaningless Poll

We’re three short years from the next election.

Military Justice Reform Watered Down

The Pentagon brass have defeated a supermajority coalition in Congress.

Bob Dole, 1923-2021

The longtime Senator and Vice Presidential and Presidential nominee is gone at 98.

Biden and Putin to Talk Ukraine

Russia may invade Ukraine again. The United States would prefer otherwise.

Alabama Beats Georgia, Back to Playoff

An epic but improbable win.

The free high-resolution photo of person, people, girl, boy, child, children, poverty, 2010, afghanistan, afghani , taken with an Canon EOS 5D Mark II 03/14 2017 The picture taken with 50.0mm, f/8.0s, 1/100s, ISO 200 The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required. The free high-resolution photo of person, people, girl, boy, child, children, poverty, 2010, afghanistan, afghani , taken with an Canon EOS 5D Mark II 03/14 2017 The picture taken with 50.0mm, f/8.0s, 1/100s, ISO 200 The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required.

US Sanctions Compounding Afghan Crisis

Children are starving and it’s partly our fault.

Sunday’s Forum

Democrats Frustrated They Can’t Pass Biden’s Build Back Better Bill

They’re searching for good times. But just wait and see.

Nobody Watches Cable News

A media critic argues we pay outsized attention to the goings-on at Fox, MSNBC, and CNN.

Saturday’s Forum

The Phony-Tough and Crazy-Brave

Violence, masculinity, and American politics.

The Politics of Abortion

What happens if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade?

SCOTUS Could Overturn Roe

Oral arguments on the biggest abortion case in decades will be heard today.

December’s 1st Forum

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on ending the war in Afghanistan, Tuesday, August 31, 2021, in front of the Cross Hall of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz) President Joe Biden delivers remarks on ending the war in Afghanistan, Tuesday, August 31, 2021, in front of the Cross Hall of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

Can Joe Biden Save Christmas?

There will be two chickens in every pot this holiday season. Maybe three.

Defense Bill Stalled Over Amendments

Every now and again, it’s not Mitch McConnell’s fault.

Tuesday’s Forum

Esper Suing DoD Over Book Redactions

Trump’s last Secretary of Defense is being stymied by preclearance review.

French Battle Wokisme

The language is going to iel in a handcart.

10 Years On

Kimberly Webb Joyner, my first wife and the mother of my children, has been gone a decade.

Omicron Cometh

Yet another COVID-19 strain has emerged.

The free high-resolution photo of writing, pencil, number, font, text, handwriting, document, testing, test, exam, bubble form, test form, exam form, bubble sheet, multipe choice , taken with an SM-N900V 02/12 2017 The picture taken with 5.0mm, f/2.2s, 1/17s, ISO 200 The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required. The free high-resolution photo of writing, pencil, number, font, text, handwriting, document, testing, test, exam, bubble form, test form, exam form, bubble sheet, multipe choice , taken with an SM-N900V 02/12 2017 The picture taken with 5.0mm, f/2.2s, 1/17s, ISO 200 The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required.

The College Admissions Rat Race

An interesting argument, albeit about a tiny and vastly over-discussed segment.

Gerrymandering State Legislatures

Representatives Choosing Their Voters Rather than Vice Versa, Chapter 412.

Gun Control is Jim Crow protester Gun Control is Jim Crow protester

Tribal Lenses and Criminal Justice

Our reactions to recent murder trials tells us a lot about our divided country.

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Masking! In Homes!

The horrors never cease.

ODU Prof Out After Minor-Attracted People’ Backlash

Academic freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.

Justice for Ahmaud Arbery

A just verdict—but just a verdict.

Happy Thanksgiving from OTB

Family, football, feasting, and flashbacks.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki looks on as Domestic Policy Advisor Susan Rice delivers remarks during a briefing Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Chandler West) White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki looks on as Domestic Policy Advisor Susan Rice delivers remarks during a briefing Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Chandler West)

Susan Rice, Comma Queen

President Biden’s domestic policy chief is a stickler for grammar.

Wonkier Worldwide Web

The Internets are terrible.

More Capitol Riot Sentencing

A woman who declared “Civil War is coming” and “they have to kill me” has asked for and received leniency.

More Americans Have Died from Covid this Year than Last

A scary if misleading factoid.

Disparate Sentencing of Capitol Rioters

A pattern is emerging.