international
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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
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This Is What Happens When An Autocrat Is Not Checked By Congress
Congress’s abdication of its constitutional responsibilities has rarely been as conspicuous as in the recent escalation toward armed conflict with Iran. The War Powers Clause was designed as a deliberate constraint, a structural safeguard meant to prevent unilateral martial adventurism by any president. Yet the latest round of strikes—undertaken without deliberation, authorization, or even meaningful… Continue reading
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Iran Fiasco Is Proof Why VOA Matters
The killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the joint U.S.–Israeli strikes this weekend marks one of the most consequential geopolitical ruptures in decades, and it underscores—more starkly than ever—why a fully empowered Voice of America is not a luxury but a strategic necessity. The breaking of international law by Donald Trump and his administration, along… Continue reading
