international
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Story Of The Week: Fractions Widen Between UAE and Saudi Arabia
I suggest the most interesting and consequential news story this week was the growing divide between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. I noticed that national evening news broadcasts on ABC and NBC, while giving time to fluff stories and reports because they had videos of crashes and fires, could not provide viewers the… Continue reading
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Moral Leadership Needed From The Trump White House About His War In Iran
Our nation has seen more than its fair share of policy disputes, strategic missteps, and even bizarre moments of national confusion since Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2025. Now, we are facing an alarming moment with the absence of moral leadership at the very top of this White House concerning the Iran war. Moral leadership… Continue reading
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Iran War: Expertise Replaced With Promotion of Opinion
I admit laughing when reading or hearing MAGA defend Donald Trump’s unnecessary Iran War by merely repeating the White House line that the conflict has been going on for 47 years. Then the defense bottoms out as they do not know what more to say. Since they mimic Trump, and he is the last person… Continue reading
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Those Who Sided With Viktor Orban Will Be Damned, Authoritarianism Is A Loser
I spent some time this afternoon upstairs looking for a column in a back issue of Foreign Affairs. I knew it contained the essence of what I wanted to stress in this column. That followed the most welcome news that Peter Magyar’s center-right Tisza party was projected to win Hungary’s parliamentary election, bringing an end… Continue reading
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Iran’s New Strength, Trump’s Weakness: “Please, Please. It’s Too Much Winning. We Can’t Take It Anymore”
My first favorite author was Allen Drury, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Advise and Consent. As a teenager, I ate his books up, thrilled by their political and international stories with a continuous batch of colorful characters. But nothing…I mean nothing…that Drury could make up in his brilliant writing comes close to a plot line… Continue reading
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Why USAID’s Role Matters More Than Ever As Trump’s Iran War Escalates
The severe consequences of Donald Trump’s callous disregard for sound governance are front and center. Every day in multiple ways. One of the international efforts he destroyed was the U.S. Agency for International Development, commonly referred to as USAID. It was the primary U.S. government agency leading international development and humanitarian aid, aimed at ending… Continue reading
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Humphrey History Minute: Mirza Saleh, A Persian With The Love Of Learning
If you want an uplifting, quick slice of history, here it is. I encountered this story today, and must share it with others. Continue reading
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Laughter In The Midst Of Trump’s Iran War, ‘Can You Help Me Lift The Couch?’
Donald Trump spent the weekend pleading with other countries, including China, to help him out of the mess he created in the Strait of Hormuz with his erratic and needless war with Iran. Perhaps my upbeat mood today is because of the blizzard that socked in much of our state and brought calm to many… Continue reading
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Another Legal Defeat For Trump’s Attack On Voice Of America
I firmly believe in the relentless legal process to bring order to the chaos that has resulted from Donald Trump’s second term in the Oval Office. This home, like many others across the nation, has sent money to organizations that do the work with court cases and legal procedures to ensure our democracy does not… Continue reading
Caffeinated Politics 