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You will never see an ad here. If you want or need something, we trust you will be able to want or need it without us planting the urge or ache. You certainly do not need our help finding what your heart desires on the internet.- “When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race.”—H.G. Wells
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Category Archives: Agora
Willpower
Ever since the news of the foiled alleged liquid-explosive multiple-airliner plot in the UK, I’ve been racking my brain trying to recall where I’d read that the primary approach to terrorism should be internationally cooperative police work, not large-scale military operations, but … Continue reading
Posted in Agora
Tagged Iraq, media, Middle East, militarism, politics, security, terror/-ism
2 Comments
Ceasefire
No comment: (I thought I was done with flags, but I guess not.)
Inverted
A grieving mother flies the US flag upside-down. Anonymous neighbors take action. A farmer follows suit in support. He is charged with disorderly conduct. And he gets death threats. I wonder if such acts would become felonies if our militant … Continue reading
Peaks
Informed Comment is where one goes to keep up with events in the Middle East, courtesy of the indefatigable Prof. Juan Cole. For some time now it has consisted of a relentless barrage of bad news—an unending litany of suicide … Continue reading
Virtues
The thought once occurred to me, years ago, late at night as I was doing the dishes: “Would Henry Kissinger do the things he does, and think the things he thinks, if he did his own dishes?” What I had … Continue reading
FOIA
Happy Birthday, Freedom of Information Act! Forty years old today. Having just watched Syriana, which purports to show how the world really works, I can say I fully endorse the headline of Jimmy Carter’s commentary: We Need Fewer Secrets. And … Continue reading
Appreciation
Happy 4th of July, Americans! Let’s be as independent as we can, each of us individually. Love our country, but not just our country. Be curious, in every sense (eccentricity is good). If we don’t care about the rest of … Continue reading
Ouch
How they see us from across the pond: As Americans prepare to celebrate the 230th anniversary of their independence tomorrow, [a YouGov] poll found that only 12 per cent of Britons trust them to act wisely on the global stage. This is half the … Continue reading
Triumphalism
Stephen Cohen has written an excellent piece on America’s wrong-headed (and dangerous) approach to Russia, well worth reading in its entirety. I’ll cut to the chase and quote the end. After noting areas in which Russia is still capable of … Continue reading
Clarification
Yesterday I asked a quasi-rhetorical question: … but would this administration be smart enough to accept the invitation to depart? This obviously assumes the US has the best interests of Iraqis at heart. There are several competing assumptions: The Iraq invasion … Continue reading
