Posts by James Joyner

James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is a Professor of Security Studies. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Tommy Morrison, Former Heavyweight Champ, Dead at 44

Tommy Morrison, a boxing heavyweight champion from 1993 to 1995, has died at 44.

Obama Administration vs Bush Administration on Syria

Score one for Team Bush?

Drug War Using American Phone Records More Than Terror War

Prism ain’t got nothin’ on the Hemisphere Project.

David Frost Dead at 74

The pioneering journalist David Frost has died, aged 74 years.

Nelson Mandela Released from Hospital

Reports of Nelson Mandela’s death were premature.

Obama’s Hamlet Act

The president’s public dithering on Syria is drawing jeers from friend and foe alike.

Tim Tebow Released by New England Patriots

Tim Tebow has gone through three NFL teams in a little over a year. Will there be a fourth?

Air Force Bombs Maryland Tavern

The Maryland Air National Guard bombed Darlene’s Tavern. Oops.

Who’s Responsible For Syria Boondoggle?

Raymond Pritchett longs for the good old days of Tom Donilan, Hillary Clinton, and Leon Panetta.

President Obama Orders 1 Percent Pay Hike to Avoid 34 Percent Pay Hike

Federal civilian employees are set to get a 34 percent pay raise. The mean old man in the White House is taking it away.

Obama’s Confused Syria Strategy

Humanitarian wars have their own grammar but not their own logic.

How Times Have Changed: France, Not England, Joins US Coalition of Willing

Could anyone have imagined a decade ago a scenario when the United States would go to war with France by our side and England on the sidelines?

Younger Workers Don’t Use Phone

Managers want their employees to get off email and pick up the phone.

Coalition of the Willing Forming for Syria Strikes

The United States will go to war without UN or NATO approval.

Limited Strikes, Limited Utility, Unlimited Fallout

We’re almost certainly going to launch punitive strikes against Syria. They’ll almost certainly be ineffective.

United States Knew Saddam Was Using Chemical Weapons Against Iran

United States helped Saddam Hussein launch some of the worst chemical attacks in history against Iran.

Of Course You Realize This Means War

John Kerry’s speech was the crossing of the Rubicon for US military action in Syria.

President Gerald Ford Testifies on Squeaky Fromme Assassination Attempt

The Sacramento Bee has released this remarkable video of President Gerald Ford testifying about the assassination attempt by Lynnette “Squeaky” Fromme.

Monkey Cage Moving to Washington Post

The award-winning political science group blog The Monkey Cage is moving under the masthead of the Washington Post:

Starting at Command and Staff College

Today will be my first day at Marine Command and Staff College.

Syria Intervention Looks Inevitable

Western military action in the Syrian civil war now appears likely.

VA Gave Bonuses For Shoddy Claim Processing

The VA created an incentive system that rewarded fast, half-assed claim processing that denied complicated requests.

Don’t Support the Troops?

Virginia Tech English prof Steven Salaita implores us to “Stop saying ‘support the troops.'”

Whoever Wins, America Loses

In both Egypt and Syria, it’s damned if we do and damned if we don’t.

Syria: What Now?

As President Obama’s red line has been crossed more brazenly, he continues to sound reluctant to intervene in Syria while positioning forces to do just that.

Fukishima ‘Much Worse’ Than We Thought

Everyone knew the Fukushima disaster was bad. We likely underestimated how bad.

Obama’s Failed Middle East Strategy

Walter Russell Mead explains why a well intentioned, carefully crafted and consistently pursued grand strategy failed.

Court Approves NSA Interception of American Communications

Courts gave the NSA broad powers to intercept overseas communications of Americans . . . 30 years ago.

Joyner and Foust on Manning and Other Stuff

Joshua Foust and I discuss Chelsea Manning and other issues for BloggingHeadsTV.

Chelsea Manning and the Law

Bradley Manning’s announcement that she wishes to begin living life as a woman poses some interesting legal questions.

Yemen Wants Its Own Drones

A headline I never thought I’d see: “Yemen Asks U.S. For Drones To Fight Al Qaeda”

Bradley Manning Wants to Live as a Female Prisoner

Convicted felon Bradley Manning has announced that she’d like to spend her confinement as Chelsea Manning.

Army and Navy Cutting Generals and Admirals Ever So Slightly

The Army and Navy are finally doing something about brass bloat.

West Point Casualties in Post-9/11 Conflicts Historically High

West Point graduates account for nearly one in fifty deaths in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

‘Dueling Banjos’ on One Guitar

Mark Kroos plays both parts of “Dueling Banjos” on a double necked guitar

Bradley Manning Sentenced to 35 Years

Bradley Manning will be spending a long time at Leavenworth.

Air Force Can’t Find Drone Pilot Volunteers

The Air Force can’t find enough people to volunteer to fly remote controlled planes.

Al Jazeera America’s Inauspicious Debut

Al Jazeera debuted its American broadcast Tuesday. Fewer Americans have access to Al Jazeera than they did Monday.

America’s Stupid Copyright Laws: ‘I Have a Dream’ Edition

One of the iconic speeches in American history is copyrighted.

Elmore Leonard Dead at 87

Author Elmore Leonard has died at the age of 87.

Marine Steven Rhodes Eligible for NCAA Football

The NCAA has come to its senses regarding a Marine sergeant who wants to play college football.

The War of the Rebellion and the Naming of the American Civil War

The history of what to call the American Civil War.

Hearing Is So Secret That Its Subject Remains Secret

There’s a hearing at Gitmo so secret that even the people having the hearing aren’t allowed to know what it’s about.

America Has Options in Egypt

Andrew Bacevich argues, persuasively, that “absence of leverage does not preclude options” with respect to Egypt.

Of Course the NSA is Lying to You

My latest for The National Interest, “Clapper’s Bodyguard of Lies,” has posted.

Military Sexual Assault Policy: No Consent with Alcohol?

The military is cracking down on sexual assault. The pendulum may be swinging too far.

Navy Bans Early Morning Alcohol Sales

Sailors will now be required to wait until 9 am to buy booze.

America’s Inconvenient Constitution

With more than a little hyperbole, George Will declares “Obama’s unconstitutional steps worse than Nixon’s.”