Introduction US President Barack Obama’s economic pitch for the 2012 campaign season appears to be reflected in his December 2011 statement that “I believe that America succeeds when everyone gets a fair shot” (Luce, 2011). Are you, like some in the Occupy movements, concerned that the wealthy corporate elite is intentionally withholding money from their employees […]
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Nuclear Weapons Postures: Why Some Nations Flaunt Nukes While Others Conceal Them
2011.12.20 
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Why does North Korea flaunt its nuclear status, while Israel hides its identity as a nuclear power? Has the United States ever been ready to fire at a moment’s notice? These are interesting questions and are important to understand in order to more accurately measure the relative power of different countries. There are three regional […]
Read moreWhy Leaders Lie
2011.11.09 3 Comments
This article is a book review of John J. Mearsheimer’s 2011 book Why Leaders Lie. “I think the inherent right of the Government to lie to save itself when faced with nuclear disaster is basic” (Mearsheimer, 2011, p. 31). This statement was made in the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis by Arthur Sylvester, assistant secretary […]
Read moreChina or India: Which Economy Will Win?
2011.09.22 0 Comments
One interesting difference between the two economies is the contrast between their dominant export sectors. Whereas China’s chief export is manufactured goods that primarily utilize low to medium-skilled labor, India’s main export is medium-skilled English-language service outsourcing. Comparatively, China’s employees have a less visible incentive to improve themselves en masse. There may simply be lower […]
Read moreJames Bond Goes…Corporate?
2011.08.24 1 Comment
This article is a book review of Eamon Javers’ book Broker, Trader, Lawyer, Spy. While the directors of intelligence agencies for Western governments top out at well under $200K annually, spies who move from the public sector to the private world can earn more than double their former bosses’ salaries. This is an example of […]
Read moreThe US Debt-Ceiling Debate
2011.07.28 1 Comment
I. Introduction: Why the Debate on the Debt Ceiling is Valuable What does the US debt-ceiling debate have in common with an ancient Dutch village? On the surface, not much; but there is one common theme between the two during the negotiation of imminent disasters. “Polder Politics” is the term used to describe the negotiations […]
Read moreWhy Does NATO Matter Today?
2011.07.27 3 Comments
“The mightiest military alliance in history is only 11 weeks into an operation against a poorly armed regime in a sparsely populated country…yet many allies are beginning to run short of munitions, requiring the US, once more, to make up the difference” (Spiegel, 2011). US Defence secretary Robert Gates stated this in June 2011 with […]
Read morePolicing the World and the Transformers
2011.07.13 2 Comments
The Benefits and Consequences of a Superpower’s Global Defense Strategy The “Transformers” is only a cartoon and more recently a highly popular big-screen movie franchise. But can the show be used as an analogy for debate over the “policing of the world” today? I personally saw an immediate connection after watching the trailer and finally […]
Read moreWhat It Means To Be an American
2011.07.01 0 Comments
This post is a bit different from some of the other articles. The idea is to get us thinking on a special national holiday about purpose and nation. Thanks for reading! Are you a “True American” or a “Modern American”? There could be many answers to what this means, but here is mine: “True” Americans […]
Read moreThe United Tribes of Afghanistan
2011.06.30 0 Comments
The current nation-building strategy in Afghanistan would be appropriate for the conditions on the ground if the Afghans were already accustomed to a single ruling faction. The Afghans and Americans have had difficulty jointly creating a central government in Afghanistan that will match the needs of the state; this should not be controversial. A few of […]
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