Even if you believe that the Syrian government or military used chemical weapons, it’s unclear who gave the order, but it matters. With Syria, the United States has been judge, jury, and […]
Russ Wellen
Russ Wellen is not exactly a rogue, as in cop or elephant. And, since he didn’t graduate from college, he’s more of an autodidact than a scholar. Come to think of it, though, that would make him a Rogue Scholar. (Usually, punning isn’t among his vices.)
Russ writes about:
1. Nuclear deproliferation.
2. Foreign relations with the Middle East.
3. Understanding what makes Americans tick.
He spends much of the rest of the time trying to figure out what makes his 12-year-old son tick.
"It's hard to tell people not to smoke when you have a cigarette dangling from your mouth."
-- Mohamed El Baradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
Attacking Syria to Undermine Iran
Kicking a leg out from under the Iran-Syria-Hezbollah tripod could also undermine Iran President Rouhani’s diplomatic initiatives. As many have noted, launching missile strikes against Syria might once again harden the arteries […]
The real reason Obama drew brakes on Syria attack
President Obama never gets tired of finding new ways to disappoint us. Yesterday, President Obama surprised the nation and the world when he announced that he would seek the approval of Congress […]
Parliament stonewalls latter-day Bush and Blair
So much for the “coalition of the willing.” At the New York Times, Mark Landler, David Sanger, and Thom Shanker write of President Obama’s decision to strike Syria even though the British […]
The Obama administration’s hollow case for striking Syria
As with Iraq, we’re casting due process aside in the rush to judgment. For once, the views of the New York Times editorial board and Focal Points align perfectly. From an op-ed […]
Is Assad a rational actor?
Syrian President Assad invokes logic to deflect accusations of chemical-weapons use. On Monday I wrote about Syrian President Bashar al-Assad invoking logic to refute the charges that his government carried out chemical-weapon attacks. […]
Syria: Assad’s empty gestures, empty threats
Though it’s not certain Syrian President Assad was responsible for what looks like chemical-weapons attacks, his behavior seldom fails to disturb. Syrian President Assad insists that the apparent chemical-weapon attacks that have […]
If true, does Assad really think WMD use is okay with Russia?
Syria President Assad seems intent on doing everything he can to alienate his allies and make us sympathetic to his often brutal opposition. Calls for intervention are rearing their ugly head again […]
If Iran had a nuclear weapons research program, it may have been rogue
Research into nuclear weaponization may have been carried out clandestinely by the Revolutionary Guard. Even informed Americans are loath to accept the unlikelihood of a nuclear weapons program on the part of […]
ReligionWeek: When faith only deepens our fear of death
Belief in reincarnation can open the door to a whole host of anxieties about death. Admit it: When people say they don’t fear death, you don’t believe them. What’s faith to them […]
Progressive Culture | Scholars & Rogues 