Outside the Beltway

My review of Andrew Bacevich’s latest book, Breach of Trust: How Americans Failed Their Soldiers and Their Country.

The argument that the Roberts Court has been overly “activist” does not hold up to examination.

A little noticed rule change in the House is arguably one of the main reasons we’re in a government shutdown crisis.

So much for the most transparent Administration in history.

The U.S. sends a mostly weak signal to the Egyptian military.

The situation we currently find oursevles in is very much driven by structural issues.

I’ve been up since 3 am and drinking since 6 pm, so my reaction to a presidential war speech at 9 am may not be the definitive word

Even before the Russian curve ball, the public opposition to military strikes on Syria was mounting.

Opposing interventionism and unnecessary and unwise military engagements is not isolationism.

Given that the vote count seems to be heading that way, this is a question worth examination.

Score one for Team Bush?

An Example of How Institutions Matter.

Persuasion is sometimes an important part of being president.

Some thoughts on reform.

Virginia Tech English prof Steven Salaita implores us to “Stop saying ‘support the troops.'”

In both Egypt and Syria, it’s damned if we do and damned if we don’t.

Walter Russell Mead explains why a well intentioned, carefully crafted and consistently pursued grand strategy failed.

The Obama administration has issued a strongly worded statement on this morning’s massacre by the Egyptian government.

Yesterday, Hillary Clinton gave a speech that will most likely be remembered as the start of her 2016 Presidential campaign.

Some striking data to illustrate the role slavery played in the economy of the South.

Some thoughts on a decade old video in which Samantha Power speculates on actions to take against an unfolding genocide.

President Obama has appointed a lot of donor’s and supporters to plumb Ambassadorial slots. That’s not at all unusual.

Texas has become the latest state to attempt to restrict abortion rights, and North Carolina isn’t far behind.

Ostensible allies in the fight against the Assad regime, al Qaeda and the Free Syrian Army are killing each other.

Some thoughts on the ongoing situation in Egypt.

Words don’t always mean what you think they mean.

The events of the last week in Egypt raise a whole host of questions.

Egyptians celebrated last night, but the future is far from clear.

if reports are to be believed, there is a coup d’etat underway in Egypt.

Yesterday saw some of the biggest protests ever to rock Egypt. Where does it go from here?

The return of a really bad idea.

A thirteen hour filibuster by Wendy Davis ran out the clock on a special session of the Texas legislature, apparently defeating an abortion bill that passed 19-10 after time expired.

A major Constitutional ruling from the Supreme Court.

A new blog, Rejection Letters of the Philosophers, “imagin[es] what the greats of history might have been faced with, had they been forced to publish or perish.”

As of today, John Dingell has been a Member of Congress for 20,997 days, a new record. That’s not something to celebrate.

Turkey has had along and ongoing struggle with democratic consolidation.