It’s official: The Saudis are remaking the Middle East. Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman gave his first press conference to foreign journalists, and he confirmed what retired Saudi General Anwar Eshki said at the Council on Foreign Relations on June 4, 2015. The key to successful change is incrementalism. You have…
Explanation is in order. Here you go
April 25, 2016
Tonight’s post is an explanation of what and why. I’ve been struggling with this decision for two years. It was eating me alive. I’ve been unable to answer e-mails or get my life back in order. It was a kind of agonizing paralysis. Explanation of what After my father Edward died on February 23, 2013,…
This is why the world is a mess
October 17, 2015
I’m an optimist. My view is that in the long run, we’re destined for improvement as a species. The reason that the world is a mess is that far too many people are crippled by idées fixe. They know nothing, but they have strong opinions and act on them. These are the classic low-information citizens…
A letter from a Yemeni
September 8, 2015
This is a letter from a Yemeni. I’ll break it up into segments so that we can better grasp how amazing it is. The letter shows that I was right: “Social-justice warriors” have fallen deeply in love with another group of depraved terrorists. In this case it’s Ansar Allah (“Supporters of God”), the Iran-backed Shi’ite…
A special place in hell
August 25, 2015
My mother’s favorite expression was, “There’s a special place in hell for—” Then she’d mentioned someone who’d abused their trust. Teachers or clerics who abused children. Cops who took bribes from criminals. Politicians who lived lives of corruption and debauchery while piously broadcasting their churchiness. Personally, I hope there’s a special place in hell for…
A state of perpetual war
December 6, 2014
Today I had a Twitter exchange with the sort of Muslim that the press wants us to believe doesn’t really exist. He not only exists, we’ve been at war with his compatriots for centuries now. His worldview is that humankind will remain in a state of perpetual war until everybody either converts to Islam, submits…
I used to be a journalist
December 30, 2013
I was a history major, and I used to be a journalist. When I wrote about musicians, I never had preconceived ideas about the story I’d produce. It was entirely up to the interviewee. In my military-history books, I go only where the facts take me. So I get angry when I see “respected journalists”…