Western leaders wring their hands over the civil war in Syria, blaming Russia for their own inaction. But there never was any hope of bringing Putin on board. He will support Assad to the bitter end. Read here why that was clear more than a year ago.
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The Newsfeed
Stuff happens. Some people call it news. Others see it as entertainment. And many think they’re better off not knowing about it in the first place.
I’m a journalist not for the sake of the news but because of my interest in history. I can’t go back in time, but I can try to be there when history
happens today. The Newsfeed is my first take on anything and everything.
A Separate Reality
North Korea’s threats can’t be taken at face value. The country’s leaders live in a parallel universe, united in fear and riven by paranoia.
The clock is ticking. Outward belligerence has never saved a regime doomed to collapse.
Violent Spring
Is it just 10 years since Bush Jr. launched his disastrous invasion of Iraq? It feels more like a hundred.
The lives lost and treasure squandered seem a disproportionate price for yet another lesson in human hubris and the irony of history.
Method in the Madness
North Korea’s leaders are despicable but not crazy. After witnessing the fate of Saddam Hussein, who never got the bomb, and Gaddafi, who abstained from it, developing a nuclear weapon is about the most rational thing a rogue state can do.
Remembering Mark Hummels
Mark was my classmate in journalism school. I remember taking smoking breaks with him and laughing. He was funny as hell.
Now Mark has made news as the latest victim of America’s nihilistic gun violence.
We won’t forget you, bro. Rest in peace.
Hail to the Chief
Eight years ago, I watched in despair as Bush Jr. was reelected. I felt no vindication when his presidency ended in disaster.
Obama is the antidote to W’s betrayal of America’s ideals. He can work no miracles. But he must try.
The Fear of Being Forgotten
Any critical mention in Washington serves Kremlin propaganda about America’s hostile intent. The regimes in Iran or North Korea are no different in their dependence on U.S. censure – the harsher, the better.
Click here for my latest post on CNN.com.
Christmas in Moscow
I spent last Christmas with tens of thousands of Muscovites who were protesting for a free, just and democratic Russia.
Their good will and humor have since turned into bitterness and rage.
You can relive that historic rally here.
Right to Life
When I was a boy, I was taught that every right is accompanied by responsibilities. None of the rights in the U.S. Constitution exist in a vacuum. Thankfully, there are limits to owning grenades, cannons and tanks.
It’s high time to expand the list. Freedom is not a license for anarchy.
Noble Europe
It takes a curmudgeon to deride the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the EU.
European history is a chronicle of wars motivated by territorial conquest, religious fanaticism and ethnic hatred.
Europe’s peace should be honored, cherished, emulated.