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.

Don’t Get Above Your Raisin’

Most deprived subcultures resent those among them who strive too hard to escape–much less succeed.

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NBC Apologizes For Losing New Hampshire

The NBC News graphics department failed geography miserably. Here, Brian Williams and company admit the error with grace, charm, and good humor.

Monuments to Wasteful Spending in Afghanistan

The US military’s lavish new headquarters in Afghanistan has been completed just in time for our exit.

Treasury Check Treasury Check

Pentagon’s Broken Payroll System

The military’s finance and accounting system has been dysfunctional for decades and is getting worse.

Due Process When Everything Is A Crime

Glenn Reynolds has an interesting piece out today in the Columbia Law Review.

Jay Rosen Retires From Criticizing CNN

The prominent media critic will no longer bother criticizing CNN for not living up to the standards of the profession.

Rise of the Warrior Cop

The paramilitarization of American law enforcement has had deadly consequences.

Rick Perry Won’t Run For Re-Election

We won’t have Rick Perry to kick around any more.

We Don’t Have a Secretary of the Air Force

Michael Donley announced he was stepping down as Secretary of the Air force in April and did so in June. No replacement has been named.

Dempsey: Snowden Harmed Relations with Allies

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says revealing that the United States is spying on its allies has undermined their trust.

Man Arrested For Refusing to Turn Off Electronic Equipment

Richard Calderoni was arrested after acting like a jerk on an airplane.

FISA Court Does Job Congress Assigned It

Don’t blame “secret courts” for the government’s expanded spying on American citizens and allies.

Americans Getting Fatter But Still Hate Fat People

Two thirds of us are overweight but we still think fat people are pigs.

Joyner Unfair to Krugman

A decade ago. a certain New York Times columnist was more right than your humble host.

Soccer Referee Beheaded After Stabbing Player

A Brazilian soccer referee was tortured and beheaded after fatally stabbing a player.

RIAA Takedown Strategy Backfires

The recording industry has sent its 25 millionth Google takedown notice, trying to kill links that sprung up because of earlier takedown notices.

John Kerry Boating During Egypt Coup

While the military was ousting Egypt’s democratically elected president, the US Secretary of State was on his yacht.

Ginsburg Resisting Retirement Pressure

Liberal leaders want Ruth Bader Ginsburg to retire so President Obama can appoint her successor. She wants to hang around another decade.

Blackhawks Thank Bruins, Boston Residents for Sportsmanship

The owners of the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks took out a full page ad in today’s Boston Globe thanking their opponents and their home city for a classy and well-fought Finals

James Holmes to Be Harnessed to Floor During Aurora Massacre Trial

James Holmes will be shackled like animal during his murder trial for no apparent reason.

California Balances Budget While Expanding Aid to Poor

Jerry Brown’s second go-round as governor has been very, very good to the Golden State.

‘Sent From My iPhone’ Disclaimers Work

Those annoying “Sent from my iPhone” signature block disclaimers actually work.

Hutchins War Crimes Conviction Overturned; Implications for Manning

The conviction of Marine Sergeant Lawrence Hutchins III for war crimes in 2006 has been overturned.

SECDEF Hagel on DOMA Ruling

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has wasted no time issuing a full-throated statement endorsing today’s DOMA ruling

Did SCOTUS Just Legalize Gay Marriage in All 50 States?

Absent DOMA, the Full Faith and Credit Clause would seem to make gay marriage legal across the land.

Supreme Court Declares Gays a Protected Class

The 5-4 ruling was much more sweeping than needed to strike down DOMA.

Crossfire Returns with New Hosts

CNN is reviving the Crossfire shoutfest with Newt Gingrich, S.E. Cupp, Stephanie Cutter, and Van Jones as hosts.

Navy Building Carrier Drone

The Navy is building a ridiculously expensive robot spy plane.

Autobahn Sniper Shot 762 Vehicles

A German truck driver has the worst documented case of road rage in history.

Texas Abortion Bill Filibustered

A thirteen hour filibuster by Wendy Davis ran out the clock on a special session of the Texas legislature, apparently defeating an abortion bill that passed 19-10 after time expired.

Texas Voter ID Goes Into Effect, AG Cites Voting Rights Act Decision

Effective immediately, Texans will have to show photo identification to vote.

SCOTUS: ‘Can’t Rely on Past’ for Voting Rights Act

The Supreme Court today struck down the most controversial part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Transgender 1st Grader Can Use Girls’ Bathroom

A Colorado 6-year-old with a penis has successfully sued for the right to use the girls’ restroom.

Defense Contractors Making Double President’s Salary

We’re paying a lot of money for defense contractors. It’s not clear how much of this is wasteful.

Broadcast Networks Say Audience Decline Makes FCC Rules Archaic

The broadcast networks want to operate under the same FCC guidelines as the cable networks. And they should.

Glen Coffee, Former Alabama and 49er Football Star, Graduates Airborne School

When Glen Coffee abruptly retired from a promising NFL career, most wondered what he was up to. Now we know.

YahooNews: Obama Won’t Be Stopping at Birth Country on Africa Trip

The lede of a YahooNews report on President Obama’s trip to Africa: “President Barack Obama makes the first extended trip to Africa of his presidency next week—but he won’t be stopping at the country of his birth.”

Royal Navy Updates Nelson’s Toast

For two centuries, British sailors have toasted their “wives and sweethearts.” No more.

Sequestration Cynicism

Just when you thought the sequestration process couldn’t get more cynical.

Grades, Resumes, Interviews Don’t Predict Job Success

The traditional tools used by hiring managers to find employees don’t work.

The free high-resolution photo of street, bicycle, asphalt, vehicle, hat, park bench, homeless, stockholm, packing, baby carriage, drifter, norrm larstrand , taken with an DMC-FS10 01/29 2017 The picture taken with 10.0mm, f/3.8s, 1/640s, ISO 80 The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required. The free high-resolution photo of street, bicycle, asphalt, vehicle, hat, park bench, homeless, stockholm, packing, baby carriage, drifter, norrm larstrand , taken with an DMC-FS10 01/29 2017 The picture taken with 10.0mm, f/3.8s, 1/640s, ISO 80 The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required.

FAA May Relax Electronic Device Rules

The government may soon stop making you turn off your iPad for no apparent reason.

Rejection Letters of the Philosophers

A new blog, Rejection Letters of the Philosophers, “imagin[es] what the greats of history might have been faced with, had they been forced to publish or perish.”

English Kids Eat Dog Poop

Apparently, the prospect of a thousand pound fine isn’t enough to persuade Bristol’s dog owners to clean up after their pooches.

Was the American Civil War Worth It?

Yes, it ended slavery. But at a huge cost.

Navy Sexual Assault Prevention Training at Sea

This is a problem of culture and leadership that can’t wait.

Exodus International, ‘Curing’ Gays Since 1976, Closes

The leader of a ministry that has been trying to cure gays since 1976 has announced that he’s gay.

Syrian Rebels Today, Syrian Taliban Tomorrow

Radical Islamists now dominate the Syrian opposition. And you’re arming them.

Men’s Wearhouse Fires George Zimmer

George Zimmer, the founder and public face of Men’s Wearhouse since 1973, has been fired as CEO.

Who Cares About Jimmy Hoffa’s Body?

What possible value would it have almost four decades after the fact that justifies expending not inconsiderable taxpayer resources?

Drone Pilots Are Bored

Going from flying a real airplane to operating a drone in Alamagordo sucks.