Ron DeSantis’ Mushy Foreign Policy

The would-be President is floundering as he tries to position himself.

On the Number of Parties 4: The Oddity of Two, Part 1

A real example of American exceptionalism.

Tabs for Friday

Because I really do need to close some of these tabs.

Biden Adopts Trump’s Immigration Policy

He’s using a tool he denounced as cruel to deal with a humanitarian crisis.

DeSantis’s Martha’s Vineyard Stunt

This is just playing crass political games with human beings.

Minority Rule in a Winner-Take-All System

How long can the unsustainable be sustained?

Putin’s War Gets Closer to NATO

Strikes near the Polish border show the real possibility of escalation.

Ukraine: Advantage Putin? Advantage NATO?

Expert opinion on the standoff differs sharply.

Hezbollah in Latin America! (Part Gazillion)

A possible murder plot in Colombia embedded into a problematic multi-decade narrative.

Biden, the FARC, and Domestic Politics

The Biden admin is about to take a demilitarized group off the terrorist list and some people aren’t happy about it.

Is Autocracy Really Winning?

A depressing magazine piece argues it is.

More Tabs to Clear

Red Lights on the Dashboard

Some recent news items that add to concern about American democracy.

Unanimous SCOTUS Keeps Immigration Catch-22 in Place

The law and justice are frequently not the same thing.

Peru to the Polls

A problematically wide-open election in difficult times.

President Donald J. Trump greets guests on the South Lawn of the White House Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, prior to boarding Marine One en route to Joint Base Andrews, Md. to begin his trip to Michigan, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Nevada. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) President Donald J. Trump greets guests on the South Lawn of the White House Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, prior to boarding Marine One en route to Joint Base Andrews, Md. to begin his trip to Michigan, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Nevada. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)

The Republicans are Going Nowhere

The party is unlikely to suffer consequences for its anti-democracy actions.

More Kook Than Coup

A shameful farce continues to unfold.

Latin America and Covid-19

The pandemic is having serious effects in the region, and they will persist for some time.

Bolton: Trump Asked China to Help Re-Election

Some explosive charges in the former National Security Advisor’s book.

Pressuring Venezuela?

In recent weeks the US has ramped-up pressure on Maduro.

SXSW Latest Victim of Coronavirus

Conferences, sporting events, and even school has been canceled to avoid spreading the pandemic.

Trump Promised Xi That The U.S. Would Remain Silent About Hong Kong

President Trump has reportedly pledged to Chinese President Xi Jinping that the United States would not speak out against Chinese actions in Hong Kong.

Bolton Was A Bad Consigliere, But Trump Is A Bad Don

John Bolton was not a good National Security Adviser, but the real problem with Trump Administration foreign policy comes from the man at the top.

President Trump Fires John Bolton

President Trump took to Twitter late this morning to fire his third National Security Adviser.

Pressure Continues On Mike Pompeo To Run For Senate In Kansas

Republicans from around the country want Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to run for Senate in Kansas. Because they’re afraid they can’t win without him.

The Trump Administration Has Killed Human Rights Diplomacy

Under the Trump Administration, the American commitment to human rights around the world is basically dead.

The Trump Administration’s Economic War Against Venezuela Will Not Succeed

The Trump Administration has effectively declared economic warfare against the government of Nicolas Maduro. It won’t succeed, and will further victimize the already suffering Venezuelan people.

RBG Speaks Out Against Court Packing Schemes

Ruth Bader Ginsburg isn’t very impressed by the proposals made by several liberal politicians lately to increase the size of the Supreme Court to counterbalance the conservative tilt created by the Gorsuch and Kavanaugh confirmations.

House Passes Defense Spending Bill That Seeks To Limit Trump’s War Powers

The House of Representatives passed a defense spending bill that seeks to limit Presidential authority when it comes to striking Iran and aideing the Saudi war on Yemen.

On Foreign Policy, Biden Is The Anti-Trump

Joe Biden delivered his first major foreign policy address of the campaign. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than what we have right now.

Six Months Without a SECDEF

The Pentagon has been headed by Acting Secretaries for an unprecedented period. Does it really matter?

Graham is Wrong

This time on Venezuela

New York Times Editorial Cartoons Gone

America’s Newspaper of Record has decided the backlash isn’t worth it.

Meanwhile, In Russia….

While the American media was paying attention to President travels and travails in Europe, there was another meeting taking place.

Donald Trump And The Legacy Of D-Day

Donald Trump has betrayed the legacy and the sacrifices of the soldiers who fought their way onto the beaches of Normandy.

thinker statue facepalm thinker statue facepalm

More Hackery: This Time from Hugh Hewitt

His colum in WaPo isn’t very good.

While In Japan, Trump Dismisses Missile Tests That Threaten Japan

President Trump is in Japan, and while there is is dismissing the seriousness of new North Korean missile tests that threaten Japan.

Trump’s Foreign Policy Is A Failure

President Trump’s foreign policy has largely been a failure, and there are specific reasons why.

Juan Guaidó Once Again Appears To Call For American Intervention In Venezuela

With his attempt to overthrow the government clearly a failure, Juan Guaidó is back to calling for foreign military intervention in Venezuela.

Trump Abandons Restraint In Foreign Policy In Favor Of Interventionism

While he campaigned on a message of restraint, Donald Trump has largely adopted the interventionist foreign policies of his predecessors.

Trump Taking Ill-Advised Militaristic Position Regarding Iran

The Trump Administration is taking an unnecessarily militaristic approach toward Iran, and that poses real dangers for the country and for the Middle East.

What’s Next For Venezuela?

With the apparent failure of the coup attempt in Venezuela, what happens next?

Trump Calls Putin To Exchange High-Fives Over End Of Mueller Probe

President Trump’s obsequious effort to please Russian President Vladimir Putin continues.

Why is the NYT Paywall Up the Other 362 Days?

Its explanation for why its paywall is coming down 3 days leads us to an obvious question.

Trump Selects Kentucky Coal Executive Kelly Knight Craft As Ambassador To U.N.

The former Kentucky coal executive, Republican fundraiser, and Ambassador to Canada would replace Nikki Haley in what used to be a position dominated by more experienced diplomats.

The Venezuela Coup Attempt Has Failed

Lacking any real support from the military or police, the attempted coup against Nicolas Maduro has predictably failed.

Venezuela Rebellion Appears To Fizzle Out

While street protests continue, the efforts to get the Venezuelan military to oust President Nicolas Maduro appear to have failed.

American Intervention In Venezuela Would Be Counterproductive, Unwise, And Illegal

The ongoing apparent attempted coup in Venezuela is already leading to talk of American intervention in the event of a crackdown. That would be unwise and unjustified.

Venezuela Coup Attempt Underway

Breaking News out of Latin America