Outside the Beltway

Barbara Bush, only the second woman in history to be the wife and mother of a U.S. President, has died at the age of 92.

Without Congressional authorization, any attack on Syria would be illegal, but don’t expect Congress to do anything about it.

A plurality of Americans aged 18 to 34 have no idea how many people were killed, what Auschwitz was, or how Hitler came to power.

President Trump took to Twitter this morning and decided poke a stick in the eye of the Russian bear.

As expected, Russia has retaliated for the retaliation against it in connection with the attempted murder of a former Russian spy and his daughter in the United Kingdom.

Not unexpectedly, Russia has retaliated for Great Britain’s retaliation for Russia’s apparent assassination attempt on British history.

Continuing a long-standard tradition, the Trump Administration claims it doesn’t need to get legal authorization to keep American troops in Syria.

Elliot Cohen laments the lack of steel in the spine of the statesmen, diplomats, soldiers, and thinkers of the current generation.

Phil Carter makes an interesting argument but he’s ultimately mistaken.

My latest for RealClearDefense.

The recent cooling of relations between North and South Korea has led to some talk of eventual reunification, but for many South Koreans that idea is a non-starter.

With the Administration set to commit the United States to a forever war in Syria, it’s time for Congress to act.

Russia has been barred from participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics after an investigation uncovered extensive evidence of cheating.

Is it time to reexamine Presidential authority to launch a nuclear strike?

America has become involved in conflicts around the world, largely without the knowledge of the American people or the consent of their representatives, and it doesn’t appear that’s going to end anytime soon.

President Obama spoke out yesterday against his successor and the America he has created.

Donald Trump continues to be as astoundingly ignorant about the most powerful weapons the U.S. military possesses as he was as a candidate.

Early on the morning of Sept. 26, 1983, Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov helped to prevent the outbreak of nuclear war.

In less than a month, voters in the Catalan region of Spain will be voting whether to remain part of Spain or assert independence.

They may both be Republicans, but the relationship between the President and the Senate Majority Leader is bad and seems to be getting worse.

Donald Trump kowtows to Vladimir Putin yet again.

The FARC have disarmed. Now to the hard part.

Foolishly, President Trump is rolling back part of President Obama’s opening to Cuba.

President Trump is reportedly considering at least partly reversing one of the great foreign policy successes of the Obama Presidency.

Roger Moore, who played James Bond for a longer period and in more films than any other actor to date, has died at the age of 89.

#RulesMatter

Another provocative move by North Korea.

After 100 days in office, President Trump has very little to show for his work except to show that there’s no reason to trust his judgment going forward.

It’s been a bad week for U.S.-Russian relations.

The tiny Balkan nation of Montenegro is set to become the latest member of the NATO alliance despite the fact that there is seemingly no good reason for it.

More stepping back from free trade and the established global economic order.

South Korea removes a corrupt leader by peaceful means.

In a closer than normal vote for the position, Rex Tillerson has been confirmed as Secretary of State.

As with so many things, the President is demonstrating that he really doesn’t know what he is doing.

While vigilance is called for, America will survive Donald Trump just as it has survived everything else we’ve faced since the nation’s founding.

The head of the biggest energy company in the world is reportedly Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of State.

Godspeed, John Glenn.

Neither President Obama nor Vice-President Biden will attend Fidel Castro’s funeral.

One of the Cold War era’s last dictators has finally died.

In which I use a lot of words to say hello.

Even if you’re not sure who you should vote for, it’s obvious who you shouldn’t vote for.

The reputation of the US matters in global affairs.

One of the last survivors of Israel’s founding generation has passed away.

President Obama will leave office as the first two term President who presided over eight years of war. It didn’t start with him and it won’t end with him.

The Greatest Of All Time.