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.

Dumping Russian Vodka is Stupid

It might feel good but it has zero impact on Putin.

President Joe Biden takes his mask off to deliver remarks on COVID-19 and the economy, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in the East Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz) President Joe Biden takes his mask off to deliver remarks on COVID-19 and the economy, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in the East Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

Timing and the Mask Mandate

The rollout could have been smoother.

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But What About the Most Vulnerable?

Some of our citizens are at greater risk under relaxed mask guidelines.

West Accelerates Pressure on Russia

NATO has stepped up in a pleasantly surprising way to resist the Ukraine invasion.

Double Jeopardy in All But Name

Two notorious cases indicate a policy shift on federal prosecutions of cases already tried in lower courts.

President Joe Biden calls New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Wednesday, November 3, 2021, in the Oval Office Study. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz) President Joe Biden calls New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Wednesday, November 3, 2021, in the Oval Office Study. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

Biden a Failure?

Some of his numbers are worse than even Donald Trump’s.

CDC Relaxes Mask Requirements (Again)

Most of us have suddenly gone from High to Low risk communities.

NYC Criminal Probe of Trump Appears Stalled

Manhattan’s new DA seems to think he has a weak case.

Hitting Russia Where It Hurts

Sanctions are already taking a toll. But the West could do more if it had the will.

Russia Really Invades Ukraine

Putin’s forces are in Kyiv.

‘Freedom Convoy’ Coming to DC

Right wing protestors are expected to attempt to create (more) gridlock in the capitol later today.

Virginia’s Youngkin Already ‘Underwater’

The Commonwealth’s undemocratic political system is, shockingly, unrepresentative of the will of its people.

The Beginning of a Response to the Beginning of an Invasion

The first shoe has dropped.

Bob Beckel, 1948-2022

The Democratic strategist and longtime talking head is gone at 73.

Do We Need a Fourth Covid Shot?

The reports are conflicting but I’d bet on Yes.

Putin Invades Ukraine in Defiance of West

The much-anticipated escalation has happened. Now to see how the United States and its allies respond.

People Moving for Politics?

It seems that some Americans are relocating to be with people who share their social and cultural views.

Are Helmet Laws Racist?

Surprisingly, yes.

Trump Facing Multiple Legal Disasters

The 45th President is unlikely to face Federal prosecution but state and civil suits are not going his way.

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Trump Had Classified Docs at Mar-a-Lago

Because of course he did.

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Being Unvaccinated is Like Smoking

A new way to think about the problem.

Mask Mandates Ending Across America

Even liberal states like California and Massachusetts are moving on.

P.J. O’Rourke, 1947-2022

The great conservative humorist is gone at 74.

Sarah Palin Defamation (Sort of) Dismissed

The bar for defaming public officials is too high.

Ivan Reitman, 1946-2022

The ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Animal House’ producer is gone at 75.

‘Freedom Convoy’ Ends in Windsor, Moves to Paris

The anti-vax-and-other-stuff protest is spreading to Europe.

Generals Say Afghan Exit Would Have Been Smoother Had Biden Listened to the Generals

Two unclassified after-action reports shine a new—if one-sided—light on the evacuation.

Who Decides What’s Disinformation?

What if the “fake news” is really fake news?

Russian ‘False Flag’ to Justify Ukraine Invasion

Western intelligence agencies continue to predict an invasion under absurd pretexts.

‘Freedom Convoy’ Not What it Claims to Be

A protest against vaccine mandates is growing with a little help from our adversaries.

Jim Angle, 1946-2022

The veteran journalist and Fox News original is gone at 75.

US Inflation at 40-Year High

Can the Misery Index be far behind?

But His Documents!

Former President Trump routinely broke the law with respect to protecting public records.

The free high-resolution photo of technology, car, wheel, vehicle, metal, auto, steering wheel, automotive, sports car, supercar, gears, rim, audi, dare, pkw, circuit, passengers cars, gear shift, land vehicle, gear lever, gearshift, automobile make, automotive design, luxury vehicle, family car , taken with an ILCE-6000 02/08 2017 The picture taken with 50.0mm, f/5.6s, 1/200s, 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 technology, car, wheel, vehicle, metal, auto, steering wheel, automotive, sports car, supercar, gears, rim, audi, dare, pkw, circuit, passengers cars, gear shift, land vehicle, gear lever, gearshift, automobile make, automotive design, luxury vehicle, family car , taken with an ILCE-6000 02/08 2017 The picture taken with 50.0mm, f/5.6s, 1/200s, 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.

Shifting Gears on COVID

Blue and red states alike are ending mask mandates and other restrictions.

Why Would Anyone Want to be a Senator?

Two popular Republican governors have declined a chance to join the World’s Greatest Deliberative Body.

Gun-Wielding Lawyers Given Slap on the Wrist

The infamous duo will have to do what they were already supposed to do for a year.

Are the Teachers Quitting?

The plural of anecdote is not data.

A Modest Step on Voting Integrity

It’s Manchin-approved.

Republican Vote Needed to Confirm Biden Justice?

New Mexico Senator Ben Ray Luján is hospitalized with a stroke.

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Secrecy and Democracy

How do we know when our government is telling us the truth?

Sunday’s Forum

Boosters ‘Less Effective’ for Those in Least Danger

Media reporting on CDC findings is, once again, unhelpful.

US Surpasses 900,000 COVID Deaths

Yet another grim milestone.

Yahoo News: News for Yahoos?

The longtime aggregator is now serving mostly non-news content.

US Waives Iran Sanctions as Deal Nears

The Biden administration is close to repairing the damage Trump caused.

Supreme Court Wikiality

Did you know that the elephant population has tripled over the last six months?

The Olympic Spirit and Authoritarian Regimes

There’s no keeping politics out of these Games.

Friday’s Forum