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.

10 Questions Blog Commenters Should But Don’t Ask

John Scalzi knows that you want to be a better commenter because, “You’re a fine upstanding human being, not some feculent jackass with a keyboard, an internet connection and a blistering sense of personal inferiority that is indistinguishable from common sociopathy.”

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Television News Archive

The home of the Wayback Machine now has every major news program since 2009 archived.

Pirate Party Leader Fights Illegal Downloads of Her Book

A Pirate Party leader has been policing illegal downloads of her copyrighted book.

Basketball With Obama

Michael Lewis has a long feature in Vanity Fair titled “Obama’s Way,” based on six months with the president.

The Sorry State of Science Writing

Seth Mnookin laments a series of embarrassing failures in science writing in recent months but rejoices in the rich dialog that followed.

‘Most Interesting Man in the World’ Endorses Obama

The Dos Equis guy is fundraising for Obama.

Obama Walks Back Egypt ‘Not Ally’ Answer

President Obama gave an honest, nuanced answer to a complex question. So, of course, he’s taking it back.

Cairo Embassy Statement Work of Rogue PAO

A PAO named Larry Schwartz issued yesterday’s infamous statement against the explicit orders of his superiors.

Romney’s Foreign Policy

My latest for The Atlantic, “What Would Romney’s Foreign Policy Look Like?” has posted.

Freedom of Speech and Religion Collide

My latest for The National Interest, “Freedom of Speech and Religion in Egypt and Libya,” has posted.

TSA Detains Woman Over ‘Attitude’

TSA agents detained a woman for having the audacity to drink her water rather than hand it over for testing.

Mitt Romney Killed Osama bin Laden!

6% of Ohio voters think Mitt Romney deserves more credit than the commander-in-chief for killing Osama bin Laden.

Jimmy Carter Longest Serving Ex-President

Jimmy Carter’s ex-presidency has lasted the equivalent of 26 Iranian hostage crises.

Sharks With Frickin’ Legos

Spiegel has a photo gallery of novel ways to graphically illustrate the Euro crisis. My favorite:

Shannon Eastin First Female NFL Ref

Shannon Eastin has become the first woman to officiate an NFL game, thanks to the lockout of the regular referees.

Three States Challenge DOMA on Estate Taxes

The Defense of Marriage Act is under challenge through a unique angle: estate taxes.

Shepard Fairey Gets 2 Years Probation in Obama Poster Coverup

Shepard Fairey, the artist who turned a generic AP photo of Barack Obama into an iconic painting, got a hefty punishment for lying to government investigators.

When Compromise Is Impossible

The President Obama lost his cool with Speaker Boehner on debt negotiations is not nearly as important as the underlying reason a deal couldn’t be reached.

Politico: Obama Levels More Personal Attacks Than Romney

A POLITICO analysis finds that “Obama and his top campaign aides have engaged far more frequently in character attacks and personal insults than the Romney campaign.”

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Tom Brokaw Rushed to Hospital (UPDATE: He’s Fine)

Tom Brokaw was rushed to the hospital after feeling light-headed on “Morning Joe.”

A Close Election That’s Not Close

It’s Obama’s race to lose, not a coin toss.

Why We’re Screwed

The American public doesn’t think we can afford to cut any category of government spending, even imaginary ones.

Facebook’s Awesome IPO

Andrew Ross Sorkin says Facebook’s IPO was a debacle. Mark Cuban says this misunderstands the purpose of an IPO.

Commenting Policies: A Reminder

Challenge the ideas of those with whom you disagree, not their patriotism, decency, or integrity.

John Nagl Next Haverford Headmaster

John Nagl, who became famous as a leading counterinsurgency theorist and practitioner, is taking on a new challenge: grooming young boys for life.

Obama’s Rove

The front page of Sunday’s NYT profiled Valerie Jarrett, the power behind the throne at the Obama White House.

Obama Loves Eastwood

President Obama says he’s a huge Clint Eastwood fan and wasn’t offended by his performance at the RNC.

George Takei Lived to See The Day

“Growing up in California, it was illegal for Asians to marry whites. How times have changed. I married a white DUDE.”

Paul Ryan’s Marathon Fish Story

In a radio interview last week, Paul Ryan claimed to have run a sub-3 hour marathon. He did no such thing.

Veterans Aren’t Victims

My latest for The Atlantic, “Stop Feeling Sorry for American Veterans, has posted.

Clint Eastwood Channels James Stockdale

After three days of buildup to a “mystery speaker,” the closing night of the Republican convention featured a rambling performance by Clint Eastwood and an empty chair.

Romney’s Bain Lie

The real story of Bain Capital is impressive. Mitt Romney chose instead to present an origin story that’s utter horseshit.

Running Out Of Angry White Guys

Lindsey Graham: “We’re not generating enough angry white guys to stay in business for the long term.”

How America Dominates the World: Manipulations, Sex, and Money

Chamake Mauriene reveals America’s secret to world domination in Pravda.

Paul Ryan’s GM Plant: Fact Checking the Fact Checks

Paul Ryan pointed to a shuttered GM plant in his hometown as proof of Obama’s failed policies. The truth will make your head hurt.

Why Veterans Can’t Fit In On Campus

An Atlantic story on veterans returning to college is both poignant and miscast.

Conservatives Outnumber Liberals in 49 of 50 States

Mississippi is more conservative than Massachusetts is liberal.

Misleading Chart of the Day

A graph on public debt making the rounds is being used to misdirect rather than clarify.

A Pacific Time Convention in an Eastern Time Election

I question the timing of the Republican Convention.

Drunken Bigfoot Hoax Goes Horribly Wrong

A 44-year-old Montana man went into traffic dressed as Bigfoot. It did not end well.

Romney Mine Visit Cost Miners a Day of Pay

Mitt Romney visited an Ohio coal mine to promote jobs in the industry, unwittingly showing why a job in the industry sucks.

Election Night Might Be Over Early

Brookings Institute scholar William Galston says election night might end early this year even if the race remains tight.

Fort Fort Stewart Terror Plot Uncovered

Four idiot privates from Fort Stewart planned to take over the base, kill the president, and take over the government.

Arlen Spcter Hospitalized with ‘Serious Illness’

Former US Senator Arlen Specter is reportedly hospitalized with “a serious illness.”

Romney Rules Change

Mitt Romney’s forces won a rules change that will allow future nominees to have more say over their conventions. While this strikes me as a no-brainer, some conservative activists are up in arms.

Rioting Penn State Cadet Shocked to Be Kicked Out of ROTC Program

Justin Strine spent part of the summer in jail for violent mayhem but doesn’t understand why he’s unfit to be an Army officer.

No, The Race Is Not Tied

Unless something changes, Obama remains the odds-on favorite to win.

Fixing America’s Stupid Immigration Policy

Jon Huntsman calls for an end to “unforced errors in immigration policy.”

NYT Public Editor Charges Liberal Bias

NYT executive editor Jill Abramson is shocked that her outgoing public editor thinks her paper “virtually bleeds” a “kind of political and cultural progressivism.”