One motivation behind the incredible change in the Middle East is self-interest. The region relies on tourism, and the oil-based economies are switching over to technology, manufacturing, and investment. Saudi Vision 2030 explains the plan. Peace and stability are necessary for the Middle East to survive. Just two Islamic State terrorist attacks wiped out the…
Trigger words: “brave, skilled, selfless, humane”
April 17, 2016
Today I learned that terms such as “brave,” “skilled,” “selfless,” and “humane” are trigger words for those who lack such attributes. We’re not supposed to praise others, because that will make the non-praiseworthy feel bad about themselves. Not my problem. This post is dedicated to Andrew Gabriel Rose—poet, author, and painter. Trigger an emission Andrew…
Everyone should live under the system they support
January 15, 2016
One of the benefits of being fifty-three is that I’ve got a lot of firsthand experience. If I had a magic button that would force everyone to live under the system that they advocate, I’d press it so hard and so many times that I’d break my finger. If you support Hamas, I’d make you…
Why the Coalition will win in Yemen
September 15, 2015
Here’s a report from the Marib Front in Yemen. I tried to translate it from Arabic, but I couldn’t. Hopefully a speaker of Arabic will translate it for me, and I’ll update this post. Journalist Yaheya Swaree says that the Coalition ground forces have surrounded the Houthis on three sides at Marib. On August 3,…
Words are worse than killing
May 23, 2015
Today I had an utterly fruitless conversation. It was a giant waste of time, but I didn’t realize it until I went out on my walk. I do some of my best thinking while walking. It struck me again that for many people, words are worse than killing. What happened was that someone posted a…
The false choice Jew-haters always present
March 8, 2015
Just about every day, somebody tells me that if I support Israel, that means I support the murder of children. They’re giving me a false choice: I can either continue supporting the murder of children, or I can oppose Israel and rejoin the human race. Who taught these people how to argue? This is infantile….