tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68998012011-08-17T21:48:23.842-04:00"I'm playing for October-November" - President Bush (questions and feedback to ericred55@hotmail.com)Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comBlogger15031100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-23520134644104336502009-03-26T14:21:00.000-04:002009-03-26T14:19:18.261-04:00

Programming Note (this post will be kept at the top of the page going forward):For those looking to keep track of my blog-related output, I also write at Obsidian Wings, American Footprints and am Senior Editor at The Progressive Realist - not to mention more sporadic posting at Newshoggers. Some, but not all, of the pieces posted at Obsidian Wings and American Footprints are cross-posted here so

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-83901326184271784482009-03-26T14:10:00.001-04:002009-03-26T14:12:40.155-04:00

Shocked, shocked I tell you: The Taliban’s widening campaign in southern Afghanistan is made possible in part by direct support from operatives in Pakistan’s military intelligence agency, despite Pakistani government promises to sever ties to militant groups fighting in Afghanistan, according to American government officials. The support consists of money, military supplies and strategic planning

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-74767031944694431342009-03-19T18:16:00.000-04:002009-03-19T18:18:27.554-04:00

In a recent post, I took issue with Andrew Exum's claim that counterinsurgency (COIN) practitioners are reluctant to endorse undertaking COIN-based missions - a skepticism that stems from their first hand knowledge of the enormous costs and decades-long timetables involved, and of the uncertainty of achieving successful outcomes despite the considerable investments. As Fester recently wrote at

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-66267186570219086462009-03-16T13:53:00.001-04:002009-03-16T13:55:33.558-04:00

Stephen Walt looks at recent developments with respect to our Pakistan/Afghanistan policies and has some prescient warnings. For one, as discussed on this site recently, what we are attempting to accomplish in terms of eradicating al-Qaeda safe havens in Pakistan might be a task beyond our ability to complete - and one that we cannot realistically compel the Pakistani government to do for us (

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-89690371719422095532009-03-13T18:26:00.002-04:002009-03-13T18:29:34.134-04:00

As discussed in Part I of this two part series, Defense Secretary Gates enunciated a new, more circumspect and evidence-based standard for judging the advisability of deploying military force in the future. The approach outlined by Gates represents a welcomed shift away from the Bush Doctrine's grounding in preventive war theory. However, that approach to new military deployments does not address

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-74184164650501937162009-03-12T15:42:00.000-04:002009-03-12T15:48:16.320-04:00

Defense Secretary Gates continues to act and speak in ways that justify Obama's decision to keep him on. His worth has been proven, thus far, by his willingness to champion some worthy goals for which Obama could use an ally like Gates who can provide bi-partisan cover and insider credentials. Those objectives would include: making needed cuts to the defense budget, withdrawing forces from Iraq

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-45058259593013771982009-03-04T15:21:00.002-05:002009-03-04T15:22:02.666-05:00

When then-President Bush was pushing through his multi-trillion dollar tax cut proposals early in his first term, concerns about the impact such cuts would have on the fiscal bottom line were waved away using primarily the following three arguments: First, there were sunset provisions built-in to the tax cut measures, so their effects on future budget deficits would be limited in duration.

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-25319178413733630322009-03-03T11:10:00.002-05:002009-03-03T11:12:31.185-05:00

The attorney featured in this article - who claims that she will refuse to see some of her clients in order to keep her earnings down to avoid being hit by Obama's increase of the marginal tax rate on earnings above the $250,000 threshold - is most likely doing those clients a favor. At least if her ability to grasp the concept of marginal tax rates is any indication of her reasoning skills

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-27498061429469092872009-03-02T17:45:00.001-05:002009-03-02T17:46:42.437-05:00

Fareed Zakaria uses the recent accommodation between the Pakistani government and militants in the Swat Valley in Pakistan as a launching point to discuss the proper posture for the United States to adopt vis-a-vis Islamist movements of various stripes. The short version: it is vital that we differentiate between al-Qaeda type groups and other Islamist groups that do not subscribe to theories of

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-61260749808181316622009-02-24T16:51:00.005-05:002009-02-24T17:26:38.915-05:00

Commenting on a blog post by Tom Ricks, Andrew Sullivan makes some statements that I agree with, and others that I want to quibble with:It seems to me that by vowing to get out of Iraq in 16 months, President Obama is not departing from the mistakes of George Bush, but repeating them. That is, Bush was persistently overoptimistic about Iraq. His original war plan assumed that the United States

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-77925825206089693412009-02-20T12:06:00.003-05:002009-02-20T12:48:59.387-05:00

One of the most curious features of the neoconservative political/philosophical movement is the near reflexive, compulsive tendency on the part of its adherents to conceal the full breadth of their positions, beliefs and ideological moorings. It's like they fear truth as a matter of course. The first most extreme example of this pattern probably came when David Brooks tried to claim that there

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-33059702434557259002009-02-18T16:59:00.000-05:002009-02-18T17:00:55.257-05:00

Regardless of whether Tim Geithner and his team reached an epiphany regarding the dubious merits of their now-abandoned plan for the next phase of bank bailouts, or whether Geithner simply realized that there was no way to sell the hoped-for plan to an increasingly hostile public wary of massive corporate giveaways, the good news is that Geithner is re-thinking his loopy approach. In a stroke of

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-34387336719420768112009-02-10T17:43:00.000-05:002009-02-10T17:44:49.908-05:00

Stephen Walt makes a compelling casethat, despite the popularity of the "two-state solution" amongst many Western (and Israeli) leaders, few of its putative proponents have done much to actually facilitate such an outcome:Today, invoking the "two-state" mantra allows moderates to sound reasonable and true to the ideals of democracy and self-determination; but it doesn't force them to actually do

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-43399908407874123472009-02-10T11:05:00.001-05:002009-02-10T11:06:22.058-05:00

I find certain arguments against the size of the proposed stimulus package to be somewhat compelling (adding that much debt on to our already teetering tower could risk tipping the whole damn edifice). I also consider arguments against the specific composition of the stimulus package to be even more persuasive (there should be fewer tax cuts - or smarter tax cuts - more long term infrastructure

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-1749281589063616602009-02-09T17:45:00.000-05:002009-02-09T17:46:58.016-05:00

Trita Parsi passes along some interesting developments in connection with Iran's upcoming elections: Iran's former President, the soft-spoken Mohammad Khatami, ended months of speculations and revealed his bid to challenge the current Iranian President - the not-so-soft-spoken Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - in the upcoming Presidential elections in June. "I declare that I will stand for the next elections

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-49834438692675387892009-02-06T11:38:00.001-05:002009-02-06T11:38:56.317-05:00

This article in the New York Post is a good example of the ways in which the Iraqi election is being spun by certain parties - from the title ("Iraq Vote a Triumph for US Ally") to the claims that the elections "rebuffed extremist parties." As with Max Boot's piece claiming that the elections were a repudiation of Iran, this article gets at least some things right. For example:The results

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-35104196147770768012009-02-02T11:31:00.001-05:002009-02-02T11:32:49.468-05:00

Joseph Stiglitz makes a compelling case for nationalizing troubled banks, rather than continuing the pattern of misdiagnosis and ill-suited (if unbelievably expensive) band aids that fail to address the underlying hemorrhaging - and, perhaps more importantly, the conflicting incentives at the top. America's recession is moving into its second year, with the situation only worsening. The hope that

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-5549347883844519422009-01-27T11:32:00.004-05:002009-01-27T13:01:10.607-05:00

I'm pleased to announce the launch of a new foreign policy site that I'm editing called The Progressive Realist. It is the brainchild of author and pundit Robert Wright - the founder of bloggingheads.tv. Here is a brief synopsis of the site's mission: The blog is meant to occupy a niche that seems thinly populated. There aren’t many full-service blogs about American foreign policy—blogs where you

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-8776592701635074072009-01-26T12:53:00.003-05:002009-01-26T13:11:01.415-05:00

For the first installment of the America's Defense Meltdown series, I thought it would be useful to review some of the history applicable to the evolution of America's military institutions as presented in the anthology itself. That history provides a useful context within which to assess the range of options going forward, and perhaps appreciate some of the anachronistic aspects of our defense

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-66787919553185143072009-01-21T15:17:00.000-05:002009-01-21T15:18:32.704-05:00

I've recently completed an anthology edited by Winslow Wheeler entitled, America's Defense Meltdown, and the selections are, at least to this reader, illuminating. Each chapter is written by a different author (though some authors pen multiple chapters) and each such sub-unit takes on a separate facet of the overall mission. In its entirety, America's Defense Meltdown is an attempt to reexamine

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-29757544643747305352009-01-20T10:13:00.000-05:002009-01-20T10:14:35.276-05:00

Though I couldn't make it to DC, my firm is at least getting into the festive spirit - there'll be free pizza in the conference room, where the flat screen will be showing coverage all day. Not exactly hobnobbing with Jay Z and Bono at the various balls, but it'll do. Also, if anyone's interested, I penned a short essay on the significance of the inauguration for a project called Change in

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-29776878605419802192009-01-14T11:52:00.001-05:002009-01-14T11:52:51.538-05:00

President Bush actually put this knuckle dragger in charge of the civil rights and voting rights divisions of the Department of Justice: To Bradley Schlozman, they were "mold spores," "commies" and "crazy libs."He was referring to the career lawyers in the Justice Department's civil rights and voting rights divisions. From 2003 to 2006, Schlozman was a Bush appointee who supervised them. Along

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-38584905752095182582009-01-07T15:37:00.000-05:002009-01-07T15:38:52.914-05:00

Marc Lynch, writing at his fancy new digs, passes along this disturbing account of a lecture he attended given by Israel's Ambassador to the United States Sallai Meridor: It was a profoundly dismaying experience. Because if Ambassador Meridor is taken at his word, then Israel has no strategy in Gaza. Asked three times by audience members, Meridor simply could not offer any plausible explanation

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-15107774702365771222009-01-05T17:47:00.000-05:002009-01-05T17:48:07.920-05:00

As has been noted in a few other locales (though none with the post-title eloquence of John Cole), John Bolton and John Yoo have recently taken to the pages of the New York Times to preemptively warn about, of all things, executive overreach by the incoming Obama administation. Specifically, the two Johns are worried that President Obama will be tempted to circumvent Constitutionally-mandated

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-88779516245543172862008-12-29T15:59:00.000-05:002008-12-29T16:01:07.797-05:00

I make a habit of turning to Daniel Levy for his balanced and well-informed take on all matters related to Israel-Palestine. He is, quite simply, one of the brightest minds in the foreign policy intelligentsia and he brings a refreshingly thoughtful analysis to a fraught topic that is hardly conducive to such discourse. So I lean heavily on Levy and the points he makes regarding Israel's recent

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-11947973203938029012008-12-24T09:54:00.001-05:002008-12-24T09:57:07.633-05:00

"Happy Hollidays" is all well and good for the foot soldiers in the War on Christmas - the canon fodder if you will. But the Special Forces types, us Atheist Seals, we opt for "Season's Greetings." "Why?" asks you, the expendable grunt wasting away in the trenches on the front line. Because, private, while Happy Holidays may in fact serve to sap the resources and manpower of Christmas, it does so

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-11048773685363739002008-12-18T15:41:00.001-05:002008-12-18T16:40:27.376-05:00

Matthew Kaminski stubs his toe on a tautology and cries out Eureka! His purported epiphany is that Barack Obama will not, by virtue of his election and tenure as President, eradicate anti-Americanism. Kaminski's penetrating insight also uncovers the little known fact that anti-Americanism existed before President Bush, and will persist after President Obama. Remarkable. The banality of this

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-60256917183887012732008-12-16T11:09:00.002-05:002008-12-16T11:48:47.877-05:00

Andrew Sullivan has an interesting series of posts on the wider implications of the bi-partisan Senate report which found that the Bush administration - including the President himself - authorized the use of torture on detainees in Guantanamo, Iraq and numerous other locations. In fact, a direct link is established between Bush's authorization of torture techniques and the particular methods

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-12078577975002109082008-12-15T17:01:00.000-05:002008-12-15T17:03:36.314-05:00

In response to the recent shoe-throwing incident in Iraq, many Iraq war supporters - and the President himself - will attempt to dismiss the thrower, Muntazer al-Zaidi, as an outlier, an exception, an "attention" seeker (to paraphrase Bush), with the rule being a generally grateful Iraqi populace. Jonah Goldberg called al-Zaidi, an "unsavory Muslim or Arab." Kathryn Jean Lopez quotes Michael

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-63366228871108111712008-12-09T14:39:00.002-05:002008-12-09T15:16:58.911-05:00

The trouble with socialism is socialism. The trouble with capitalism is capitalists. That quote is attributed to the late Austrian analyst Willi Schlamm, and its underlying truth is particularly relevant given the current economic crisis and the familiar path that has led us to it. Mr. Schlamm's argument comes down to the premise that the inherent weakness in capitalism is not the system, per se,

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-4179328151985716942008-12-05T11:52:00.000-05:002008-12-05T11:53:39.079-05:00

Anand Gopal has an informative piece on the make-up of the "Taliban" movement in Afghanistan. The piece reinforces a few concepts that should inform our future policy vis-a-vis Afghanistan: First, the Karzai government lacks a popular mandate and, in general, it is unrealistic to believe that the United States can establish a strong central government capable of enforcing its prerogatives on

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-75016393912684761072008-12-02T15:06:00.002-05:002008-12-02T15:08:52.215-05:00

As alluded to in my prior post in what is now a three part series focusing on defense spending, this post will examine the topic of Pentagon spending priorities - and the larger strategic implications that stem from such allocations. In that previous post, I excerpted the following passage from Travis Sharp's piece:The United States could take some current funding away from expensive high-tech

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-87384952056986384292008-11-26T14:23:00.001-05:002008-11-26T14:26:08.376-05:00

As discussed in a prior post, there is a showdown looming on the horizon between an Obama administration that will be faced with the stark fiscal realities of the post-Bush era, and a Pentagon maneuvering to ensure that its outsized share of the federal budget remains intact and untouched - expanded even. The Pentagon is readying its battle plan, and has begun market-testing a catchy new slogan:

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-23171633985281095732008-11-19T11:56:00.002-05:002008-11-19T13:32:19.239-05:00

At times, the competition between the Bush administration and al-Qaeda resembles a shootout at the end of a tied soccer match in which each side lines up for a series of penalty kicks...except, in the present circumstances, at their respective own goals. The Bush administration famously scored on itself with the invasion of Iraq - recounting that sordid tale at this point isn't really necessary.

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-58039373646570594202008-11-17T14:54:00.001-05:002008-11-17T14:58:33.344-05:00

With Barack Obama's convincing win, and a further consolidation of the Democratic gains made in 2006, the Republican Party is scrambling to come up with a strategy to reverse the trend. In fact, there is a veritable cottage industry of would-be visionaries springing up.Some claim that the Party must distance itself from some of the extremism embraced by the cultural warriors within its ranks.

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-16460063663558650452008-11-12T11:45:00.001-05:002008-11-12T11:48:00.715-05:00

The always insightful tandem of Michael Hanna* and Joost Hiltermann have an op-ed out on the thorny issues surrounding the status of Kirkuk. The authors rightly contend that Kirkuk has the potential to either erupt, thus destabilizing security gains by opening up a new front, or provide an impetus for the adoption of a grand bargain of sorts that could help to consolidate those same security

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-3657084428146163652008-11-06T17:50:00.000-05:002008-11-06T17:51:08.582-05:00

See how us Fake Americans celebrate presidential elections in the East Village. We of the Less Patriotic, not Pro-American persuasion: Aid and comfort to the enemy I tell ya. Aid and comfort.

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-73656377482994603622008-11-06T17:49:00.000-05:002008-11-06T17:50:35.211-05:00

In honor of Teh One's ascendance to Supreme and Transcendtal Dear Leader, I am proposing a little blogger meet up on my various bloggy venues. Mildly drunken revelry to ensue. Details below: Date: Friday, November 7thTime: 8:45pmLocation: Scratcher (on 5th Street just east of Bowery/Cooper Sq. - the bar is slightly sub-street level fyi). One of the better pints of Guiness in NYC.Just ask

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-91644279618045123202008-11-04T17:04:00.001-05:002008-11-04T17:05:52.678-05:00

I must confess that I have an unfair advantage over many of my fellow citizens come election day in that my designated polling place happens to be in the lobby of my apartment building. No distance to travel, no consulting a map, no mixups: just roll out of bed and pull the lever in my boxers. Despite my cushy voting existence, today, things didn't exactly go as planned. I ended up spending an

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-11884997109992475282008-10-31T13:48:00.001-04:002008-10-31T13:49:14.209-04:00

ABC News is reporting today that General Petraeus has been pushing for a meeting with Syria's leadership but the Bush administration has refused. Although ABC News labels this an exclusive scoop, in truth, the story has been circulating for some time. Josh Landis, for example, was on the beat months ago: The following “Exclusive” ABC story is not so exclusive. Syria Comment has been writing

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-30087695284108128922008-10-30T11:32:00.002-04:002008-10-30T11:35:03.054-04:00

Juan Cole comments on the ugly attacks unleashed by McCain/Palin on Rashid Khalidi in an attempt to, ultimately, diminish Obama's standing because he knows a Palestinian-American who participated (constructively!) in the Mideast Peace Process. It's vile, it's racist and, sadly, it's par for the course for the McCain campaign and far too many of its supporters. While this

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-60194162425456077542008-10-29T11:36:00.001-04:002008-10-29T11:39:21.306-04:00

In yesterday's post on the ongoing SOFA/strategic framework saga, I mentioned that the Iraqi cabinet had submitted a revised draft of the SOFA to its American counterparts - this, after Robert Gates had declared that the US would not accept any substantive changes. Today, Aswat al-Iraq is reporting (according to Marc Lynch) that, true to Gates' declaration, Bush administration officials have

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-42321750901737561182008-10-28T12:16:00.000-04:002008-10-28T12:16:00.125-04:00

On Sunday night, the US military conducted airstrikes in Syrian territory - ostensibly targeting hubs used to facilitate the passage of foreign fighters into Iraq, and possibly to target AQI personnel. Although initially, certain members of the Iraqi government seemed to sign off on the operation, today, the Iraqi government issued a forceful condemnation: Iraq's government denounced on Tuesday a

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-77043462983185488472008-10-27T15:34:00.003-04:002008-10-27T16:27:15.212-04:00

While I was busy pointing out the inconsistency in labeling Obama both Hitler and Chamberlain, The Editors was writing up the latest in "Obama is like [INSERT HISTORICAL SUPER VILLAIN]" chicanery. In this episode, Obama is compared to, amongst others, Jesus, Lenin, Mao, Pol Pot and...Jim Jones? New meme: Obama is nuclear holocaust Jesus:Anyone familiar with the history of communism knows enough

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-6422483566565640892008-10-27T10:53:00.002-04:002008-10-27T11:12:39.858-04:00

Neoconservatives, and even some paleo-conservatives, have displayed a compulsive tendency to view each new crisis through the lens of 1939 Nazi Germany. Every foe, no matter how middling, is the new Hitler. Every politician or pundit that advocates restraint, no matter how reasonable the counsel, is the new Neville Chamberlain. Every crisis is cataclysmic and defining. However, Barack Obama has

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-686873674741259352008-10-23T11:51:00.000-04:002008-10-23T11:54:22.699-04:00

Spencer Ackerman catches McCain in one of those awkward moments that leave the reader with one of those unfortunate choices: either McCain is ignorant as to the substance of the recent draft of the status of forces agreement for US troops in Iraq, or he's lying about what the draft actually says. From an interview with Wolf Blitzer discussing the draft SOFA: Blitzer: The Bush administration

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-75496685193027948332008-10-20T16:42:00.001-04:002008-10-20T17:12:45.633-04:00

Rich Lowry neatly summarizes the political advantages inherent in claiming the mantle of morality in foreign policy making, as Bush and his neoconservative supporters have attempted to do rather ostentatiously: Bush’s emphasis on the inherent hunger for freedom is powerful. It clothes his foreign policy in an undeniable idealism. It puts his liberal opponents in a tight spot, because it is

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-84510776275920559572008-10-16T11:45:00.002-04:002008-10-16T11:47:36.817-04:00

Joe Klein saw what I saw:Pundits tend to be a lagging indicator. This is particularly true at the end of a political pendulum swing. We've been conditioned by thirty years of certain arguments working--and John McCain made most of them last night against Barack Obama: you're going to raise our taxes, you're going to spend more money, you want to negotiate with bad guys, you're associated somehow-

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-85763243733693812772008-10-14T15:25:00.000-04:002008-10-14T15:26:16.625-04:00

Daniel Larison with a Two-Fer Tuesday special. First, on the importance of political mythmaking, and its applicabaility to the modern Republican Party: Another reason why political myths are so powerful and enduring is that they help to justify past actions that cannot really be justified and to cover over present actions that need to be forgotten. Thus Lincoln “saved the Union,” when in reality

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-87612410216328645112008-10-12T11:27:00.003-04:002008-10-12T11:37:29.994-04:00

An interesting bit of campaign-related gossip (via Newshoggers, my favorite home away from other homes):With his electoral prospects fading by the day, Senator John McCain has fallen out with his vice-presidential running mate about the direction of his White House campaign. McCain has become alarmed about the fury unleashed by Sarah Palin, the moose-hunting “pitbull in lipstick”, against Senator

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-82805147620741337792008-10-09T11:56:00.001-04:002008-10-09T11:57:13.698-04:00

This brief excerpt from Sarah Palin's speech at the RNC rather concisely encapsulates much of what is wrong with the Republican Party's approach to Constitutional protections and individual freedoms: Al-Qaida terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... [Obama's] worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it.The second phrase

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-27786002983682942582008-10-08T12:40:00.002-04:002008-10-08T12:49:40.140-04:00

One of the more curious reactions to last night's debate comes courtesty of Andrew McCarthy in a post at The Corner. McCarthy, in a fit of rage, calls his fellow Cornerites "nuts" for not properly labeling McCain's performance a "disaster." But McCarthy does not feel that McCain's poor performance was the result of his meandering oratory, his failure to address policy specifics, his irascible

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-83950250362619922792008-10-07T12:05:00.000-04:002008-10-07T12:05:00.966-04:00

Our distinguished conservative punditry give us two ways to explain the recent economic crisis. First, Dr. Helen unearths a conspiracy that, ostensibly, includes such disparate figures as Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Henry Paulson, Ben Bernanke, John Boehner, the Wall St. Journal and the MSM: Is your head spinning from all the doom and gloom being blasted from the media

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-51750998818067021722008-10-07T11:05:00.000-04:002008-10-07T11:06:26.192-04:00

I'm trying not to veer too far in the direction of hyperbole, but at a certain point the hateful rhetoric being disseminated by the McCain camp (especially Sarah Palin, doggone it!) crosses a threshold and becomes incitement to violence; a poison recklessly injected into the bloodstream of our body politic by a cynical Republican ticket in search of the next short-term political fix. Josh

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-78215351566787723642008-10-06T18:03:00.001-04:002008-10-06T18:05:00.660-04:00

The Washington Post reported on a disturbing new development on Friday of last week, but due to the poor timing of the story's release it has received less attention than it deserves (not only was it released on a Friday, but the day after the highly anticipated vice presidential debate). The WaPo article tells of a massive new propaganda effort undertaken by the Pentagon in Iraq and elsewhere,

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-69933838777357175492008-10-01T13:45:00.000-04:002008-10-01T14:21:38.521-04:00

Matt Yglesias points to a 1998 interview with John McCain in which the Senator appears to downplay the danger posed by Osama bin Laden. Said McCain, "Look, is this guy, Laden, really the bad guy that’s depicted? Most of us have never heard of him before." Not that I blame McCain much for his nonchalance. As Matt quite correctly notes, many people, Democrat and Republican alike (the Clinton

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-88746939491786088092008-10-01T10:33:00.002-04:002008-10-01T10:34:49.618-04:00

The latest jaw dropper from the Couric-Palin saga:Couric: And when it comes to establishing your worldview, I was curious, what newspapers and magazines did you regularly read before you were tapped for this to stay informed and to understand the world? Palin: I've read most of them, again with a great appreciation for the press, for the media. Couric: What, specifically? Palin: Um, all of them,

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-43543681420134134882008-09-30T13:33:00.000-04:002008-09-30T13:34:50.003-04:00

Julian Sanchez methodically obliterates the "Free Sarah Palin" meme that is all the rage in conservative circles these days (via Teh Henley). For those unaware with the tenets of the Free Sarrah movement, the theory is that she has been over-coached and over-prepared, and as a result, she stumbles through interviews sounding uncertain and spouting talking points without segue. Sanchez is having

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-64016337927675196612008-09-29T11:33:00.003-04:002008-09-29T11:41:34.724-04:00

I realize that others have pointed out that McCain's obsession with earmarks, and his quest to "make them famous," doesn't make sense when you consider earmark spending in proportion to the federal budget as a whole. But after watching the debate on Friday, it has become increasingly clear that despite the dubious math, the main thrust of John McCain's economic policy seems to be that he will

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-88013495794021224072008-09-25T16:49:00.000-04:002008-09-25T16:50:01.732-04:00

Lisa Schiffren on how Bush is free to do the right thing and make sure that none but the wealthiest see a piece of the bailout largesse: My objection to having either McCain or Obama playing a big role in this bailout is this: because they both need votes now, they have too great an incentive to pander to the lower middle classes, those with foreclosed homes, or late student loans or car loans —

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-83375409345466852732008-09-25T14:29:00.000-04:002008-09-25T14:30:18.258-04:00

Quotes of the day which are, I'm fairly certain, connected. First Daniel Larison* (via Henley) on the "ZOMG!!! PANIC!!! must act now on the bailout" canard: Haste is the state’s greatest ally, and delay is the shield of the people. As I said yesterday:A useful thing to remember in the days to come: whenever someone yells about an impending catastrophe, he is probably either trying to sell you

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-49286246861036603872008-09-23T11:55:00.000-04:002008-09-23T11:56:45.947-04:00

Last week, Amir Taheri, a columnist for Rupert Murdoch's New York Post (with a history of playing fast and loose with the facts), made a rather shocking claim as noted by Marc Lynch: Amir Taheri is getting some attention today with a remarkable piece in the New York Post alleging that Barack Obama "tried in private to persuade Iraqi leaders to delay an agreement on a draw-down of the American

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-40831765355315210732008-09-19T14:11:00.000-04:002008-09-19T14:12:21.472-04:00

Matt Duss highlights some salient aspects of the recent attack on the US embassy in Yemen: The use of two vehicle bombs — one to breach the perimeter of a compound, a second to drive inside and explode — is a tactic used by the Sunni insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq. […]He said a new, less-compromising generation of al-Qaeda leaders emerged, many of them moving into action after escaping from a

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-69013983937798159752008-09-18T14:40:00.001-04:002008-09-18T14:41:31.202-04:00

Matt Yglesias, commenting on some of the warped logic surrounding our Cuban policies:One obstacle to the adoption of a more humane and sensible Cuba policy is that the country has found itself on the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism. It’s pretty clear to anyone who thinks about it that this is a politically motivated move, designed to bolster status quo policies rather than

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-47104807460589931032008-09-17T12:12:00.003-04:002008-09-17T14:48:53.282-04:00

Like Matt Yglesias, I can't help but tear my hair out scratch my head at the suggestion by Lynn Forester de Rothschild (what a name!) that Barack Obama is too elitist for her liking, but John "Too Many Houses to Count" McCain is just regular folk. Then again, looking at Forester de Rothschild's bio, it's easy to see how McCain can strike her as an everyman: Forester is the CEO of EL Rothschild, a

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-43040426021522302222008-09-16T11:16:00.003-04:002008-09-16T12:42:56.346-04:00

Like Paul Krugman who has been beating this drum for some time, I firmly believe that Obama should make accessible health insurance the centerpiece of his domestic platform. Loud and clear. The contrasts between the Obama plan and the McCain plan could not be more stark. Kevin Drum is right on the money riffing off a Bob Herbert column: A study coming out Tuesday from scholars at Columbia,

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-74474079605033928302008-09-15T15:58:00.002-04:002008-09-15T16:32:42.543-04:00

You know you're setting a new standard for shameless dishonesty when even Fox News and Karl Rove call you out. Karl Freakin Rove! The man who took the baton from Lee Atwater and [deleted] it up a rat's [deleted]. I apologize for the vulgar imagery, but John McCain refused to do a series of town hall appearances with me, so I had no choice. It is now patently obvious that the McCain camp is

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-76525106308467881182008-09-12T12:30:00.001-04:002008-09-12T12:34:12.124-04:00

[It is my pleasure to present a guest post from Benjamin Orbach, whose book was reviewed on this site - with a follow up interview.]Jerusalem – I was in the U.S. the week that included the VP selections, the DNC convention, and the Sarah Palin media mushroom cloud. Courtesy of Delta, I had two full days to think about it all on my way back to Jerusalem and concluded that the respective VP choices

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-55471084642304819742008-09-11T16:26:00.003-04:002008-09-12T10:58:36.029-04:00

When Steve Doocy of Fox News first suggested that Sarah Palin had foreign policy experience because, crikey, Alaska borders Russia, he was roundly ridiculed. Rightfully so. The notion is beyond risible - I mean, do the governors of states that border Canada or Mexico have foreign policy expertise by dint of that juxtaposition? Nevertheless, Cindy McCain made the same laughable argument just days

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-67455867594362138702008-09-08T15:53:00.002-04:002008-09-08T16:59:00.864-04:00

One of the selling points trotted out to make Sarah Palin appealing to moderates is her supposed environmentalist bona fides (relative to other Republicans at least - an admittedly low bar). However, in addition to her denial of humanity's contribution to global warming, and reluctance to countenance the polar bear receiving protected-species status, policies such as these don't exactly serve to

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-72088850923297178472008-09-04T17:47:00.001-04:002008-09-04T17:48:49.211-04:00

Gregory Gause (a professor at the exceedingly awesome University of Vermont), has a guest post up at Marc Lynch's place that is, as they say, well worth the read. Gause describes some of the recent actions undertaken by Prime Minister Maliki and suggests that they form part of a larger strategy to consolidate power, solidifying Maliki's role as some new military strong man (like Saddam, only

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-91302403539730485822008-08-29T11:26:00.000-04:002008-08-29T11:27:00.382-04:00

So McCain announced he's picking Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. An interesting move. One thing it will offer the McCain campaign is a sense of historical importance - something they need in the face of Obama's groundbreaking run. Further, it offers something "new" from a Republican Party that is rightly viewed as musty and bankrupt of fresh ideas. It will also serve as a bid to attract the dead

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-8457967943103568852008-08-26T17:11:00.004-04:002008-08-27T17:59:15.197-04:00

Matt Yglesias discusses the tendency to misconstrue morality in intention and consquence when analyzing foreign policy options - especially relevant after the latest round of preening surrounding the conflict between Russia and Georgia (though the stench of "Bomb Burma for the Sake of the Burmese" still lingers in the air). ...I think a lot of people have a tendency to wave the flag of “morality”

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-30777553645097640292008-08-26T14:03:00.001-04:002008-08-26T14:05:02.689-04:00

There have been some pretty serious developments with respect to the Maliki government's position vis-a-vis the Sunni Awakenings/Sons of Iraq groups over the past couple of weeks. The nickel version is that the Maliki government is shifting from a mere refusal to integrate the Awakenings/SOI into the Iraqi Security Forces (or grant them civil positions in the government), to an active military

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-23340175434348712132008-08-22T14:15:00.003-04:002008-08-22T14:18:52.304-04:00

Britain's MI5 recently conducted an extensive review of hundreds of case studies in order to attempt to create a profile of would-be terrorists (via Calpundit 2.0, not to be confused with the 3.0 model). While MI5 was unable to establish a holistic profile, they were able to dispel certain myths and shoot down other would-be indicators of a propensity to engage in terrorist acts. One such

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-84282524754784573732008-08-19T16:53:00.004-04:002008-08-19T18:30:12.564-04:00

Back in May, I made mention of what was then a three-pronged plan to subvert the democratic process in Iraq being carried out by Prime Minister Maliki and his ruling coalition (the "Powers that Be," or "PTB"), with the backing of the Bush administration and US forces. A rough sketch of this plan is as follows (with more details and links available in the prior post): 1. Undertake military/police

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-70532951839681255902008-08-13T16:59:00.000-04:002008-08-13T17:00:40.044-04:00

In October 2005, I first plagiarized borrowed from publius the concept of "vectors" to describe the sought after cross-sectarian/ethnic political alliances that could be formed by the Iraqi electorate. These vectors are desirable because they would indicate that the Iraqi electorate was eschewing communal-based, factional politics that almost inevitably leads to instability or democratically

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-82017303288613586002008-08-12T14:27:00.001-04:002008-08-12T14:28:19.799-04:00

As a general rule, when there's war, check in with the War Nerd. He rarely disappoints for the simple reason that he loves his work. Perhaps a bit too much. I don't consult Brecher to find my moral bearings, for example. But you read up on wars with the War Nerds you have, and his lack of sentimentality has its advantages considering the subject matter: ...Most likely the Georgians just

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-66679570099738066812008-08-06T15:38:00.001-04:002008-08-06T16:17:42.065-04:00

Colin Thomas-Jensen at the Wonk Room reminds us that tomorrow marks the ten-year anniversary of the US embassy bombings in Kenya. Three al-Qaeda operatives, thought to have had a hand in those attacks, have been active in the Horn of Africa region ever since. During this span, the US government has worked closely with regional allies like Ethiopia and Kenya in an effort to track down the wanted

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-61464928509600619342008-08-04T16:01:00.000-04:002008-08-04T16:02:08.524-04:00

Remember, Clive Crook is a conservative-leaning economist: It is worth remembering where the blame for this neutering of fiscal policy lies: squarely with the Bush administration. At the start of this decade, the budget stood in surplus to the tune of 2.4 per cent of GDP. On unchanged policy, this was expected to grow to a surplus of 4.5 per cent of GDP by 2008. This year's actual deficit of 3

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-580751245545610402008-08-01T11:44:00.000-04:002008-08-01T11:45:21.622-04:00

Seriously, this country needs at least 8 years of Democratic leadership to even begin cleaning up the mess the GOP has made. There will be pushback of course: Wal-Mart Stores Inc said on Friday it has held meetings with U.S. store managers warning them of issues that could arise if Democrats win power and pass a law that would make it easier for workers to unionize, but stressed it was not

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-41207406112476271112008-07-31T11:13:00.001-04:002008-07-31T11:14:24.514-04:00

More like this please. When they hit you, hit them back harder: You know, I might just end up going bankrupt, but this fool is willing to put his money on the proposition that the American people have had enough exposure to the tactics of Karl Rove that they're just not buying this crap the way they did in 2000 and 2004. It also helps that exposure to 8 years of the bring-back-the-Gilded Age

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-39034356700738841302008-07-29T12:36:00.001-04:002008-07-29T12:37:53.768-04:00

Michael Totten joins the chorus of Iraq war supporters gathering confetti for the impending victory parade. Says Totten: The civil war between Sunni and Shia militias likewise is over. We know that now because we can look back in hindsight. Not one single person was killed in ethno-sectarian conflict in May or June of this year. That particular conflict had been winding down since December of

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-8933679459253771082008-07-23T18:01:00.000-04:002008-07-23T18:02:04.919-04:00

Via John Cole comes this remarkable juxtaposition that the faithless among us will surely chalk up to mere happenstance. First: While Barack Obama is speaking about international affairs in Germany before thousands of fans tomorrow, John McCain will be talking about a pressing domestic issue with an equally striking if very different backdrop. Weather permitting, McCain will helicopter from

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-51845090955875480092008-07-23T16:51:00.001-04:002008-07-23T16:52:28.940-04:00

Worth a viewing:

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-86693029439662191402008-07-22T15:33:00.002-04:002008-07-22T15:50:12.165-04:00

For years I have been seeking to dispel the notion that the Sadrists are "vassals" of Iran, whereas Maliki's Dawa Party and ISCI (both either formed by, aided by and/or housed in Iran for most of the 80s and 90s) were independent from, if not hostile to, that nation. The origin of this misinformation dates to the moment that the Bush administration gauged (incorrectly apparently) that Dawa/ISCI

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-11918177570122637482008-07-16T15:16:00.001-04:002008-07-16T15:17:57.193-04:00

Kevin Drum, as is his wont, applies an equanimous eye to the newly released Grand New Party by Ross Douthat and Reihan Salam. However, in the middle of a solid review, Drum squints a bit too hard in the effort to give credit to the authors' ideas: ...Douthat and Salam argue [that] maintenance of traditional social values has more economic value to the working class than it does to the

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-23213974324502803872008-07-09T11:07:00.002-04:002008-07-09T11:27:39.367-04:00

Although counterintuitive, it is increasingly common knowledge that the people of Iran are amongst the most sympathetic to (even "pro") America in the Middle East. For example, on 9/11, Iranian citizens held a spontaneous candlelight vigil in Madar Square in Tehran as a show of solidarity and sympathy for the United States. In fact, even George Bush is something of a popular figure for large

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-3224943924350161942008-07-02T10:39:00.001-04:002008-07-02T10:39:55.043-04:00

The hits, they just keep coming. And by hits, I mean punches to the gut of course: The military trainers who came to Guantánamo Bay in December 2002 based an entire interrogation class on a chart showing the effects of “coercive management techniques” for possible use on prisoners, including “sleep deprivation,” “prolonged constraint,” and “exposure.”What the trainers did not say, and may not

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-79890754335438791282008-06-30T13:57:00.000-04:002008-06-30T13:58:24.240-04:00

Earlier this spring, John McCain voiced his opposition to a bi-partisan bill (introduced by Jim Webb) that sought to vastly expand educational assistance, and other benefits, for our veterans and active duty military personnel. Webb's bill represented a long overdue means for this country to share in the sacrifice, ever-so-slightly, and to begin repaying our military personnel for all they have

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-66433521845365081772008-06-23T12:43:00.000-04:002008-06-23T12:44:06.032-04:00

A key facet of the argument that we (and/or Israel) should do everything in our power (read: military strikes) to prevent the Iranians from acquiring a nuclear weapon rests on the fact that Iran is, supposedly, undeterrable. That is, that Iran's leadership is driven by religious zealotry to such an extent that, once it acquired a nuclear weapon, it would be willing to risk annihilation via

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-1075249367037079462008-06-18T11:39:00.000-04:002008-06-18T11:46:00.830-04:00

When a law was passed back in February that was supposed to ease the scope and severity of earlier de-Baathification efforts in Iraq, the media dutifuly repeated Bush administration spin about the law's significance in terms of signalling a new era of national reconciliation. That celebration was premature. As with most such initiatives, the focus must remain trained on the implementation of

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-66943539586519176502008-06-05T17:14:00.001-04:002008-06-05T17:16:09.096-04:00

Patrick Cockburn claims that details of the long term deal for maintaining US troops in Iraq sought by the Bush administration (the Security Framework agreement and associated Status of Forces Agreement) have leaked to the Independent. Similar details have emerged in Arab media in recent days as well. Nevertheless, to be taken with a grain of salt and all: Under the terms of the new treaty, the

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-85977312456088344682008-06-04T11:00:00.000-04:002008-06-04T11:01:42.147-04:00

I propose that we hold a massive fundraiser. Then I, posing as a right wing Scaife type with millions in tow (I have a killer fake moustache), will approach John McCain with an offer to pay Kathryn Jean Lopez's entire salary if he will take her on as the head of his campaign team. Victory, my dear friends, would be assured: Exactly Right [Kathryn Jean Lopez]Sean Hannity just offered some advice

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-70865673282128235512008-05-28T14:51:00.001-04:002008-05-28T14:51:45.058-04:00

My promiscuity continues unabated this week and next as I'll be chipping in as a guest blogger at Political Animal in order to fill the void left by Kevin Drum's absence. Relax, he's only on vacation. He'll be back soon enough, and Political Animal will return to its previous high standards. But for now, let's trash the joint (I kid Kevin, I kid).

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-86539050960552855642008-05-23T14:11:00.001-04:002008-05-23T14:13:18.265-04:00

Reacting to the story that Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is beginning to take a more militant stand in opposition to the US occupation, Kevin Drum asks, "Why now?" I briefly mentioned some of the possible motivations in my post on the Sistani story (as did Cernig and Matt Duss), but Juan Cole offers a good summary of some of the more compelling speculation. To reiterate (as Cole himself does)

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-3040330807371082052008-05-22T17:32:00.000-04:002008-05-22T17:34:04.875-04:00

Wow. This is pretty big news (via the indefatigable Cernig): Iraq's most influential Shiite cleric has been quietly issuing religious edicts declaring that armed resistance against U.S.-led foreign troops is permissible — a potentially significant shift by a key supporter of the Washington-backed government in Baghdad. The edicts, or fatwas, by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani suggest he seeks to

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-39689533160944584572008-05-22T17:30:00.000-04:002008-05-22T17:31:38.772-04:00

Noah Pollak places the cart before the horse and yells "gotcha" from the saddle: Why is McCain allowing himself to be dragged into a debate about presidential-level diplomacy, when the more important question — and the question whose answer is more politically favorable to McCain — is whether diplomatic engagement will actually get anything accomplished? McCain should be asking Obama what

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-37046908622634310872008-05-21T15:55:00.001-04:002008-05-21T15:56:32.264-04:00

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld famously quipped, "freedom is untidy" in response to questions about the looting and chaos that erupted in Iraq post invasion. In some sense, he was right, though not in the sense that he intended - that freedom leads to lawlessness. Freedom and democracy, or at least elections, are messy in that they can yield unpredictable results in terms of ruling

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899801.post-30232556239040300652008-05-19T11:54:00.001-04:002008-05-19T14:00:01.454-04:00

Prolonged military occupations breed resentment and hostility amongst the occupied population. That is not a particularly piercing insight, but then as Fred Kaplan observed, the Bush administration "has violated so many precepts of International Relations 101 that clichés take on the air of wisdom." Speaking of which: Monday, Iraq's largest Sunni Arab party said it rejected an apology made by the

Eric Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05033270111638112087noreply@blogger.com