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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Republic of Georgia Shows Trump & His Fans Depressingly Normal: Just Another Ethno-centric Nationalist Movement

Author’s note: as Trump’s presidency unfolds into its third year, the idea that Trumpism really is little more than banal…

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10 Reasons for Liberals to Worry About Election Besides Trump / Clinton Debate

It’s kinda time to panic for liberals; regardless of how the public reacts to the debate, here are 10 reasons…

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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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Erdogan Leads Turkey’s Democracy on a Populist Death March After Failed Coup

In my previous piece on Turkey, written as the coup attempt was underway, I noted that should the coup fail, Erdoğan…

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DNC E-mail Leak Scandal: Not Much of a Scandal, Blown Way Out of Proportion: A Politics 101 Primer on Party Organization

Ultimately, the information revealed in the DNC e-mail hacks (by the Russian government!) “shockingly” revealed that people who were staffers…

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Brexit Heralds End of Positive Era & Possible Lurch Towards Awful One for Europe & World

Least among the problems posed by the UK’s Brexit vote to leave the EU are the actual effects that will…

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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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Western Democracy Is on Trial, More than Any Time Since WWII

Author’s note: when I wrote this, I was confident Clinton would win but still worried about the chance of a…

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December Republican Debate Exposed GOP As Joke on National Security

With its focus on national security, the mid-December Republican debate, though a month past, can still serve as a stark…

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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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2015 Year in Risk Review: Risky Business

2015 was a tough year, but not altogether bad… Originally published on LinkedIn Pulse January 4, 2016   By Brian E. Frydenborg…

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Russia Reaping What It Sows in Syria: Putin Puts Russia on Path to Peril & Destabilizing Middle East; Downing of Russian Plane by Turkey Latest Result

In the wake of Turkey’s downing of a Russian military jet that violated its airspace and Russia’s resulting casualties, tensions…

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U.S. Deployment of Special Operations Forces to Syria: Another Low-Risk, High-reward Move by Team Obama

Author’s note: as Trump pulls U.S. troops out of Syria, it’s worth noting what I pointed out here in late…

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