Offensive Smensive: 8 Reasons Why Russia’s Expected Offensive Cannot Succeed

Enough with the “Russian offensive” hype.  Whatever the Kremlin manages to stitch together in the coming weeks and months, there…

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A Brief History of Russian and Soviet Genocides, Mass Deportations, and Other Atrocities in Ukraine

War crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and mass killings carried out by their eastern neighbor are nothing new for…

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Putin’s Zombie Russian/Slavic Ethnonationalism Is Utterly Banal

As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the U.S. Congress, a look at the emptiness of his Russian counterpart’s ideological and…

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On Christianity, Ancient Rome, History, and Memory: A Christmas Season Reflection

A review of The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World (by Catherine Nixey, Mariner Books, 2017 hc/2019…

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9/11, Afghanistan, and the “War on Terror”: The Long View (& the Tragic One)

Osama bin Laden’s plan was clearly to get to the U.S. to overreact and play into his hands; long after…

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9/11 and Global Tribalism

As the 90s closed out, humanity was coming together. Now it’s tearing itself apart. Originally published on LinkedIn Pulse September 22, 2018…

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I (Still) Hate Trump, But He Was Right to Strike Assad Regime of Syria Before & He Should Do It Again

Trump is still a danger to America and the world. But if he exercises American power in a way that will…

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North Korea’s Nightmare Past Key to Understanding Its Nightmare Present & Nightmare Future

North Korea’s brutal, tragic history is the key to understanding why options for dealing with Kim Jong-un and his troublesome…

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I Hate Trump, But He Was Right to Strike Assad Regime of Syria

Trump is still a danger to America and the world. But if he exercises American power in a way that will…

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What We Can Expect from Trump & My Message to Iranians on Trump: Prove Him Wrong by Fighting for Peace & Human Rights

The Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) conducted another interview with me (see previous one here) a few weeks ago about…

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Trump, the Specter of Political Violence, & Lessons From the Roman Republic (Or, We Have a Problem America!)

Trump’s flirtatious waltz with hints and threats of political violence cannot be ignored and should not be underestimated. Apart from…

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9/11 Marked Continuation, Not Beginning, of Politicization of Foreign Policy & National Security

Rather than signify any beginning of weaponizing foreign policy and national security in politics, the 9/11 attacks simply marked the…

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Trump Foreign Policy Speech Latest Example of GOP Bankruptcy in Foreign Policy Ideas, Competence

A detailed examination of Trump’s foreign policy speech from a few weeks ago reveals how little substantive thought or ideas…

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The Word Terrorism & Its Diminishing Returns: Towards a Rational, Useful Definition & Application

For the crime of terrorism to have weight, we must move globally towards a more specific definition that goes beyond…

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Happy—Wait, No—Risky New Year 2016

Happy Risky New Year If people thought 2015 was bad, 2016 shows no sign of letting on up on risk.  The…

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