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The Many Wars of John Kerry

John Kerry finds himself in a familiar position or two on the issue of Syria. As the Obama administration continues to make its push for a military strike in Syria, …

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Angela Merkel: Mädchen in Flammen

Germany’s Chancellor looks set for another victory in this month’s parliamentary elections.  What, if anything, can we learn from her success? On September 22, Germans will head to the polls …

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The Russians are Coming

As President Obama spends the day at the G20 Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, trying desperately not to get caught dissing Vladimir Putin on an open mic, it appears that …

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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to War

Today, President Obama announced that he will seek authorization from Congress for a military strike in response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, an act apparently committed by …

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The Trouble with Swallowing Syria

WARNING: This is not an article about Miley Cyrus’ performance at the VMAs on Sunday.  It is an analysis of a serious news story.  If you are looking for less …

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The CIA Fesses Up…60 Years too Late

Did you hear the big news? No, not that Bradley Manning wants to undergo hormone therapy and prefers for us to refer to him/her as Chelsea Manning.  That’s a somewhat shocking and …

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A Bad Week to be Bo

While most of the news these days seems to be an endless train of unrelated tittle tattle, every so often two stories coincide in a way that sheds new light …

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What Do NSA Violations Tell Us About The Nature of Government?

The Washington Post has been filled with revelations recently about an internal audit at the NSA which revealed thousands of violations of its privacy rules.  The linked article says the …

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Egypt’s Never Ending Revolution

People often ask me what I think about the situation in Egypt, knowing that I worked for the Egyptian Press Office in Washington, D.C. through three and a half years …

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A Change of Strategy in the War on Drugs

28 grams of crack cocaine can earn you a $28,000 per year prison sentence.  A growing consensus of policy makers and activists hope to see that changed. U.S. President Richard …