Peace and Security
Plain Old Murder
Drones are President Barack Obama’s weapon of choice in the War on Terror.
Unmanly Drones
One Nation, Under the Gun
Following that dark opening-night screening of the latest Batman movie in Aurora, Colorado., it’s time to contemplate yet again why America’s troubled young men kill so many more people than their counterparts in the rest of the world’s more affluent nations.
Shell-shocked Again, this Time because of Aurora
The night of Friday, July 20 was destined to make headlines — but never for this.
Drinking MOX-Laced Lemonade
Remember your parents telling you that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is? Well, that principle applies equally to federal programs and clearance racks at discount stores. The difference is that, while consumers learn from buying a lemon, our government too often keeps spending in hopes of making lemonade.
Our Troops as Cannon Fodder
Officials and partisans who promoted the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan early on favored “Support Our Troops!” as a rallying cry. The Pentagon propaganda machine even produced cute yellow magnets for our cars as Congress voted again and again to sustain those wars, all on our national credit card.
Afghanistan’s Corrupt Oligarchy
Our national leaders’ rationale for investing so much money and so many boots on the ground in that awful war in Afghanistan was that we’d leave behind a stable, popular government to assure peace and prosperity for all.
The War on Drugs Is the Dumbest of Them All
America recently commemorated the 40th year of its “War on Drugs.” Celebrations were muted because of the war’s dismal failure. How many candles are appropriate for shooting yourself in the foot? Congratulatory cards from sister nations were sparse, since many are urging us to abandon what was a stupid idea in the first place. Gee thanks, Richard Nixon.
The United Nations is Failing Syria
The United Nations Security Council, which is supposed to be the bulwark of global peace and security, has failed in its response to these popular uprisings, especially in the Middle East and North Africa. Inaction over Syria has left the Council seeming woefully unfit for its primary purpose: maintaining international peace.
Send in the Drones
Whew! The United States finally seems to have gotten the globe pretty much under control. Sure, it’s messy, but empires are like that. There are always malcontents mouthing off about “foreign threats” and the like, but nothing serious. We have the military, the technology, the will, and the oil.
