Does Comedy Have to be Based on Truth?

Hasan Minhaj is a serial liar. Does it matter?

Republicans Divided on Foreign Policy

As memory of the Cold War fades, so does support for American primacy.

China Trade Wars the New Normal

The elite consensus that free trade would bring them around is gone.

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Quick Takes

A few stories to consider.

The Depth of US Support to Ukraine

The collaboration has been even more robust than advertised.

Biden Continuing Trump Foreign Policy?

Normalcy is not a bad thing.

Biden and bin Salman

An embarrassing photo demonstrates the perils of leading the free world.

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[Updated] Picturing The Gap Between Fantasy And Reality

Police and the Punisher Skull

Putin Will Likely Get Away with War Crimes

The Russian leader is very unlikely to be hauled before the Hague.

Putin’s War Gets Closer to NATO

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

Double Jeopardy in All But Name

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

Who Decides What’s Disinformation?

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

Hezbollah in Latin America! (Part Gazillion)

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

Patriots Leave Fox After Patriot Purge

Two NeverTrump Republicans have had enough.

Max Cleland, 1942-2021

The Vietnam War hero and one-term Georgia Senator has died at 79.

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The Forever War Isn’t Over By a Long Shot

We may be out of Afghanistan but the ‘war on terror’ is likely to continue indefinitely.

Who Lost Afghanistan?

The postmortems are well underway.

Donald Rumsfeld, 1932-2021

He was both the youngest and oldest man to run the Pentagon.

Virginia’s Weird Politics

The Commonwealth is much more diverse than national election returns might indicate.

Ryan Says GOP Must Move Past Trump

“If the conservative cause depends on the populist appeal of one personality, or on second-rate imitations, then we’re not going anywhere.”

On Coups, Insurrections, and Security Theater

Reflections on the events of 6 January two months later.

Eighteen Years of Blogging

Some reflections

Glenn Greenwald Quits Intercept

The iconoclastic journalist is out at the publication he founded.

Police Shouldn’t Be Anonymous

Cops aren’t soldiers or spies but fellow citizens.

Elizabeth Warren And The Commander In Chief Test

So far at least, Elizabeth Warren is not doing a good job of articulating her foreign policy positions. That needs to change if she’s going to be a serious candidate.

9/11/01, Eighteen Years Later

Eighteen years after the September 11th attacks, it’s becoming harder to remember what the world used to be like.

Trump Diverts Money From Military Families To Pay For Border Wall

The Trump Administration from projects to build on-base schools and daycare facilities to spend on his border wall.

Budget Deficit Growing Faster Than Expected, CBO Reports

Thanks for nothing, Republicans.

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.

Trump Supports Amendment To Ban Flag Burning. He’s Wrong.

Donald Trump has endorsed a proposal by a Republican Senator to ban flag burning.

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.

Congress Needs To Fix The National Emergencies Act

Instead of merely seeking to block the President’s declaration of an “emergency” at the southern border, Congress should instead significantly amend the National Emergencies Act.

Tensions Flare Between India And Pakistan

While the rest of the world looks at other events, tensions are flaring in a long-standing global hot spot.

Terrorist Crossings and the Wall

Terrorists aren’t walking across the desert to get here. Flying is so much easier.

Trump To Order Withdrawal of American Troops From Syria

The Trump Administration is reportedly preparing to withdraw the small contingent of American troops from Syria. If it actually happens, this would be a good move.

The Death Of The Weekly Standard

Thanks apparently to the fact that it remained unwilling to get in line behind the Trumpidians, the conservative owner of The Weekly Standard has shut the magazine down.

Trump Sides With Saudis In Murder Of Jamal Khashoggi

In what has to qualify as one of the most horrifying displays of moral depravity on the international stage, the Trump Administration is saying it doesn’t really care if the Saudi Crown Prince is a murderer or not.

American Green Berets Assisting Saudi War On Yemen

American involvement in the genocidal Saudi war on Yemen is getting more complicated. This is a bad idea.

9/11 And America’s Forever War

Seventeen years ago, America was thrust into a war that seemingly has no end.

No Questions (Or Answers), But Plenty Of Fireworks At Kavanaugh Hearing

The first day of the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings was much ado about pretty much nothing, but then that can be used to describe a process whose outcome is pretty much foreordained.

The Lessons In John McCain’s Final Words

In his final words to his fellow Senators, and to his fellow Americans, Senator John McCain left a legacy, and a challenge.

John McCain Was A Strong Moral Voice Against Torture, America Should Be Grateful

Throughout the War On Terror, John McCain stood out as a strong moral voice against the use of torture against prisoners. For that he deserves the thanks of a grateful nation.

Kofi Annan, Former U.N. Secretary-General, Dies At 80

Kofi Annan, who served as Secretary-General of the United Nations at the dawn of the “War On Terror,” has died at the age of 80.

Charles Krauthammer Dies of Cancer, Aged 68

A towering figure gone much too soon.

Trump Administration Argues It Didn’t Need Congressional Authorization To Attack Syria

Echoing the Obama Administration, the Trump Administration is arguing that it did not need Congressional authorization to attack Syria earlier this year.

Gina Haspel Confirmed As C.I.A Director

As expected, Gina Haspel was confirmed as C.I.A. Director yesterday despite her controversial record when it comes to torture.

Gina Haspel Nomination To Be C.I.A. Director Has A Clear Path To Confirmation

With a third Democrat crossing the aisle to support her, Gina Haspel now has the votes she needs to become the next C.I.A. Director.

Haspel Faces Questions About Torture, But Her Confirmation Seems Assured

Gina Haspel faced some tough questions from Democrats regarding her role in the C.I.A.’s post-9/11 torture programs, but she’s likely to be confirmed anyway.

On Eve Of Confirmation Hearing, Haspel Suggested Withdrawing CIA Nomination

With the start of her confirmation hearings just days away, Gina Haspel’s nomination to be C.I.A. Director is by no means secure.

The “Post-Truth” Era?

General (Retired) Michael Hayden has some harsh, and concerning, criticisms of the Trump administration.