Calls for intervention are rearing their ugly head again in light of charges that the Syrian military mounted a poison gas attack outside Damascus. (Syria’s capital and home to President Assad: gives new meaning to “fouling your nest,” aka “s****ing the bed.”) While...
Foreign Policy Thin-Sliced (8/16/13)
Syrian Rebel-Force Futility “If a regular Syrian comes and asks me what we have given him, I don’t know what to say,” Ahmed said. Momentum Shifts in Syria, Bolstering Assad’s Position, Ben Hubbard, the New York Times Netanyahu, Agitator-in-Chief on Iran The amped-up...
Foreign Policy Thin-Sliced (8/8/13)
Privacy: Destined for the “Dustbins of History” Civil libertarians can protest about how the government will track us on these devices, too, but as long as the public and the political Establishment of both parties remain indifferent, the prospect of substantial...
Poison Gas and Arabian Tales
Would the Assad government really “cross the red line” in order to kill 150 people?
Syria and the Monarchs: A Perfect Storm
The Obama administration’s decision to directly supply weapons to the Syrian opposition may end up torpedoing the possibility of a political settlement. It will almost certainly accelerate the chaos spreading from the almost three-year old civil war. It will also align Washington with one of the most undemocratic alliances on the planet, and one that looks increasingly unstable. In short, we are headed into a perfect political storm.
On the Brink of Another War
The United States should not get involved in a civil war with unknown and dangerous ramifications for the region. It should not get involved in supporting an opposition that is ready to inflict a bloodbath on Syrian minorities, and it should not abet the rise of extremist al-Qaeda-affiliated groups.
The Empire’s New Clothes: “Humanitarian Intervention” Stripped Bare
Significant segments of the U.S. public are not falling for this ploy.
Has Intervention by the United States Become, by Definition, a Mistake?
To caring citizens of the world, the helplessness of watching a people suffer is a form of torture.
Emphasis Added: The Foreign Policy Week in Pieces (6/13)
Emphasis, as always, added.
From the Spanish Civil War to Syria: Parceling Out Truth Subverts Justice
All of us practice a partial vision some extent.