Hasn’t Chechen separatists’ beef always been with Russia? With news that the dead bombing suspect is named Tamerlan Tsarnaev and, along with another suspect, his brother, is believed to be from Chechnya, the question naturally arises: what do Chechen — presumably separatists — have against the United States? Hasn’t their beef always been against Russia? It’s […]
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Marathon Monday investigation rolls on: the irony of being a privacy advocate in an NCIS world
Ah, yes. The advantages of living in a security state. Authorities have clear video images of two separate suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings carrying black bags at each explosion site and are planning to release the images today in an appeal for the public’s help in identifying the men, according to an official briefed […]
Boston Marathon bombing: can we at least speculate logically?
The speculation began before the smoke cleared: who was responsible for Monday’s terror attack at the Boston Marathon? What was their motive? Not only is it human to speculate, it’s just about impossible for us not to. We’re inherently theoretical animals, constantly seeking more informed and reliable ways of understanding and explaining (and predicting) how the […]
Did Boston Marathon bombers choose Patriots’ Day to cover their tracks?
At National Journal, Michael Hirsch wrote: The timing of the Boston bombing, coming on Patriots Day in Massachusetts, might well suggest [a U.S. right-wing extremist group] says Jessica Stern, a terrorism expert at Harvard University. … “All these discussions about whether they’re going to take away our guns would be another reason to suspect anti-government […]
Boston Marathon bombing: tragedy, bigotry and hope
First and foremost, my thoughts are with Boston today. I hope your friends and family were as lucky as mine were to avoid any harm, and my prayers are with those who were not as lucky. Watching the news was horrific for anyone who turned on a television or browsed the Internet yesterday. But apart […]
Domestic attacks like the Boston Marathon bombing add insult to injury
The best way to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing is by preventing its re-occurrence. Along with those killed in the Boston Marathon bombing, the numbers tossed around of how many will lose limbs are in the dozens. It’s tragic enough when veterans return from foreign wars with limbs missing. But, as Iraqis, […]
Emphasis added: the foreign policy week in pieces
Mental Illness a Prerequisite to Run for Public Office It’s unbelievable what people would do to be in power. I know: It happens everywhere. I can’t believe that normal people in their right mind would run for elected position. There has to be something wrong in their value system to go through what they have […]
To Wolfowitz, Iraq was just a chance for the U.S. to demonstrate its power
To Bush Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, the invasion of Iraq wasn’t war as much as an advanced form of saber-rattling. Andrew Bacevich’s Letter to Paul Wolfowitz at Harper’s has been generating significant attention. Bachevich reminds us that Wolfowitz was a protégé of nuclear strategist Albert Wohlstetter, who believed states should act to prevent […]
Emphasis added: the foreign policy week in pieces
Not Just a Wife, But a Slave; Not Just a Slave, But an Advertisement Because Naghma, whose name means melody, was not chosen by the groom, she will most likely be treated more like a family servant than a spouse — and at worst as a captive slave. Her presence may help the groom attract […]
How did the administration find itself in debt to the nuclear labs?
Corporate contractors not only receive money from the federal government, but help dictate policy. Dienekes was a Spartan soldier noted for his bravery. Herodotus wrote of him in The Histories (via Wikipedia) It is said that on the eve of battle, he was told by a native of Trachis that the Persian archers were so numerous that, their […]
Emphasis Added: The Foreign Policy Week in Pieces (4/1)
War: Not Just Hell, But the Tenth Circle Thereof War is obscene. I mean that in every sense of the word. Some veterans will tell you that you can’t know war if you haven’t served in one, if you haven’t seen combat. These are often the same guys who won’t tell you the truths that […]
A quick history lesson: Falklands or Malvinas, it’s complicated
Thirty years after the Falklands War, the islands where the sheep to people ratio is 200:1 are back in the news. First, 99% of the voters in the March 12 referendum voted to remain a British territory. Second, many of Margaret Thatcher’s papers relating to the war were released on March 22. It seems that […]
How do Buddhist attacks on Muslims help Burma’s government?
Cognitive dissonance aside, Buddhists — including monks — take up arms against Muslims in Burma while the government stands by. Global Post reports on another outbreak of sectarian violence in Burma this week that left “thousands homeless and more than 50 people confirmed dead. Video footage and photos taken at the scene by the local […]
Emphasis added: the foreign policy week in pieces
Emphasis, as always, added. Worst Fatwa Ever Another clergy member offered biblical justification for the military’s death flights, according to an account by one of the pilots anguished about dumping drugged prisoners out of aircraft and into the sea. Starting a Papacy, Amid Echoes of a ‘Dirty War’, William Romeiro and Simon Neumann, The New […]
S&R Honors: Military historian John Keegan democratized the study of war
When John Keegan died on August 2, 2012, it escaped me — I’m embarrassed to admit that I was unaware of his existence. Keegan, a lecturer in military history of the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and later military affairs editor at the Telegraph, wrote influential books on military history designed to appeal to the […]
Emphasis added: the foreign policy week in pieces
Emphasis, as always, added. The UN Temperance League “We make the modest proposal that the negotiating rooms should in future be an inebriation-free zone,” Joseph Torsella, deputy U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for management and reform, told the General Assembly’s budget committee. “While my government is truly grateful for the strategic opportunities presented by […]
S&R Honors
Click here to learn more about past honorees...- S&R Fiction: “The Treehouse,” by Aimee Stahlberg
- Republicans perpetuate myths to keep Cold War alive
- S&R Nonfiction: “The Nobodies,” by Jennifer Pocock
- “See You in Hell” and the dominatrix garage: The Lost Patrol drops a new video, and btw, the CD is fantastic
- Iran’s election nuclear, but not nuked
- Mystery Unraveled: How a white, moderate, married, churchgoing, middle-class, middle-aged woman could vote for Obama
- An open letter to Burt Rutan, regarding his WSJ commentary on human-caused climate disruption
- Meet the men of Match.com: Really, guys, are you serious?
- Climate scientists still besieged
- Pelosi on Bush: “He’s not worth impeaching”
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wilywascal: Overcoming the knee-jerk reaction using logic may …
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Frank Dilatush: The Israelis might dispute your foundation argumen…
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My final word on Oakwood? | Lack of Environment: […] theScholars and Rogues website, Brian A…
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