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.
Robert Redford addresses media at the opening press conference of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Robert Redford addresses media at the opening press conference of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

Robert Redford, 1936-2025

The actor and director is gone at 89.

Charlie Kirk speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Charlie Kirk speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Crackdown on Thought Crimes

Cancel culture on steroids.

American Unexceptionalism

We’re not alone in dysfunctional politics.

Pentagon Hunting Down Employees Who Celebrated Charlie Kirk’s Death

A little bit more than the law would allow.

20/02/2019 Gravação do Pronunciamento do Presidente da República Jair Bolsonaro 20/02/2019 Gravação do Pronunciamento do Presidente da República Jair Bolsonaro

Bolsonaro Convicted, Trump Vows Revenge

Birds of a feather and all that.

An American flag, unfurled at dawn, hangs over the Pentagon on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Washington, D.C., Sept. 11, 2019 An American flag, unfurled at dawn, hangs over the Pentagon on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Washington, D.C., Sept. 11, 2019

9/11 @ 24

Memories are fading, as they are wont to do.

Charlie Kirk speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Charlie Kirk speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Charlie Kirk’s Murder

A shocking, but not surprising, event. I fear it’s a harbinger rather than an outlier.

The Elephant is the traditional symbol for the Republican party. The Donkey is the traditional symbol for the Democratic party. The Elephant is the traditional symbol for the Republican party. The Donkey is the traditional symbol for the Democratic party.

Standing Up to Trump

Can Democrats do anything?

Israel Orders Gaza City Evacuated

The inevitable has finally arrived.

SCOTUS Allows LA Immigration Raids

The Shadow Docket strikes again.

Trump Reverses Biden Crackdown on Tax Shelters

Another win for big donors.

Israel Bombs Hamas Leaders in Quatar

BREAKING NEWS

Sunday’s Forum

War Department Redux

A potentially costly rebrand and strange bedfellows.

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Department of WAR

A historically inaccurate bit of symbolic silliness.

Ronny Jackson’s Rank Restored

The former White House physican (and current Congressman)’s demotion for misconduct has been reversed.

Wednesday’s Forum

Trump’s National Security Non-Process

A very different way to run a railroad.

Trump Revokes Harris’ Secret Service Extension

Former VPs get only six months of protection?!

Democratic Holdovers in an Undemocratic System

Town hall meetings are a relic of a different age.

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When Polls Don’t Matter

Wildly unpopular policies in hyperpolarized times.

Electoral College Math Likely to Get Harder for Democrats

The gradual population shift from blue states to red continues.

The free high-resolution photo of hand, man, string, guy, microphone, mouth, talk, product, eye, can, speak, teeth, say, tin, yell, tin can, communicate , taken with an DSLR-A700 03/05 2017 The picture taken with 50.0mm, f/5.0s, 1/20s, ISO 100 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 hand, man, string, guy, microphone, mouth, talk, product, eye, can, speak, teeth, say, tin, yell, tin can, communicate , taken with an DSLR-A700 03/05 2017 The picture taken with 50.0mm, f/5.0s, 1/20s, ISO 100 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.

Faculty Lounge Language Redux

Are Democrats triggering voters by pushing the Overton Window on language, thereby subverting norms and creating barriers to participation?

Who Should Regulate the Internet?

Local control over a global enterprise makes no sense.

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Sunday Tabs

Proud Boys Have Nothing to Complain About These Days

What was “extreme” a decade ago is now policy.

Virginia National Guard Airmen assigned to the 192nd Security Forces Squadron, 192nd Mission Support Group, 192nd Wing help to secure the grounds near the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 13, 2021, in Washington, D.C. National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from several states have traveled to Washington to provide support to federal and district authorities leading up to the 59th Presidential Inauguration. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Bryan Myhr) Virginia National Guard Airmen assigned to the 192nd Security Forces Squadron, 192nd Mission Support Group, 192nd Wing help to secure the grounds near the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 13, 2021, in Washington, D.C. National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from several states have traveled to Washington to provide support to federal and district authorities leading up to the 59th Presidential Inauguration. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Bryan Myhr)

Three States Send National Guard to DC

Politicizing the military is legal, but dangerous.

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.

DC Homeless Encampments Cleared

The cruelty is the point?

caricature of Vladimir Putin caricature of Vladimir Putin

Putin Summit Yields Nothing

The artless deal.

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Trump Center Honors

A weird, unnecessary intervention.

Genocide, War Crimes, and Gaza

There are no satisfying answers.

President Donald Trump thanks the crowd after remarks at the Salute to America Celebration, Thursday, July 3, 2025, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa. President Donald Trump thanks the crowd after remarks at the Salute to America Celebration, Thursday, July 3, 2025, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa.

Bloodshed, Bedlam, Squalor and Worse

Authoritarianism is popular.

A Very Good Week For Putin

The Russian autocrat may be on the verge of getting what he wants.

Two Americas, Redux

Are Red and Blue states even part of the same country anymore?

(12 Nov. 1966) --- Astronaut James A. Lovell is photographed inside his Gemini spacecraft during the Gemini-12 mission. Astronaut Edwin Aldrin is seen in the background and to the left (12 Nov. 1966) --- Astronaut James A. Lovell is photographed inside his Gemini spacecraft during the Gemini-12 mission. Astronaut Edwin Aldrin is seen in the background and to the left

Jim Lovell, 1928-2025

The pioneering astronaut is gone at 97.

President Donald Trump hosts a bilateral dinner for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Monday, July 7, 2025, in the Blue Room. President Donald Trump hosts a bilateral dinner for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Monday, July 7, 2025, in the Blue Room.

Israel To Retake Gaza City

The seemingly inevitable next step.

Federal Grants Must ‘Demonstrably Advance President’s Policy Priorities’

Politicizing scientific inquiry is a bad idea.

Hiroshima Bombing’s 80th Anniversary

The last survivors want us to remember the horrors of nuclear war.

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Ohio River Raised for Veep Kayaking Trip

The optics are not good.

Thursday’s Forum

Donald Trump als Pinocchio bei Pressekonferenz mit langer Nase politik, politiker, nase, lang, reporter, presse, journalist, medien, comedy, auftritt, karikatur, mikrofon, usa, märchen, trump, cnn, show, politics, journalism, media, microphone, stage, satire, fox, performance, lüge, lie, press, humor, nose, komödie, konferenz, conference, puppenspiel, pressekonferenz, politician, caricature, fairytale, long, jester, satirebild, fakenews, zölle, ovaloffice, satirekunst, revealed, pinocchio, bbc, pressebild, pressevertreter, presseclown, lügenbild, pressekarikatur, narr, pressegesicht, pinocchiotrump, aufgedeckt, pressewitz, presseevent, pressconference, pressimage, pressclown, lieimage, satirephoto, pressface, puppetry, satiricalart, pressevent, pressjoke Donald Trump als Pinocchio bei Pressekonferenz mit langer Nase politik, politiker, nase, lang, reporter, presse, journalist, medien, comedy, auftritt, karikatur, mikrofon, usa, märchen, trump, cnn, show, politics, journalism, media, microphone, stage, satire, fox, performance, lüge, lie, press, humor, nose, komödie, konferenz, conference, puppenspiel, pressekonferenz, politician, caricature, fairytale, long, jester, satirebild, fakenews, zölle, ovaloffice, satirekunst, revealed, pinocchio, bbc, pressebild, pressevertreter, presseclown, lügenbild, pressekarikatur, narr, pressegesicht, pinocchiotrump, aufgedeckt, pressewitz, presseevent, pressconference, pressimage, pressclown, lieimage, satirephoto, pressface, puppetry, satiricalart, pressevent, pressjoke

Fact Checking in an Era of Bullshit

One of the big ones has given up.

The free high-resolution photo of person, photography, money, child, business, singing, euro, merit, businessman, finance, wealth, profit, performing arts, stock exchange, revenue, investments, speculate, stock broker, speculation, share price, capital market , taken with an NIKON D3200 02/10 2017 The picture taken with 250.0mm, f/7.1s, 10/400s, ISO 400 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 person, photography, money, child, business, singing, euro, merit, businessman, finance, wealth, profit, performing arts, stock exchange, revenue, investments, speculate, stock broker, speculation, share price, capital market , taken with an NIKON D3200 02/10 2017 The picture taken with 250.0mm, f/7.1s, 10/400s, ISO 400 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.

Being A Millionaire Ain’t What It Used to Be

Times have changed!

President Donald Trump thanks the crowd after remarks at the Salute to America Celebration, Thursday, July 3, 2025, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa. President Donald Trump thanks the crowd after remarks at the Salute to America Celebration, Thursday, July 3, 2025, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa.

Trump’s Job Approval

It’s down, but relatively steady.

Tom Lehrer, 1928-2025

The mathematician best known for his satirical songs is gone at 97.

The free high-resolution photo of machine learning, book, algorithm, artificial intelligence, robot, robotics, machine, brain, technology, data, information, automation, idea, digital, system, education, intelligent, reading, innovation, learn, analysis, knowledge, cyborg, toy, gesture, font, electric blue, lego, mecha, fictional character, illustration, art, action figure, figurine, animation, graphics @Mohamed Hassan , taken with an unknown camera 06/01 2023 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. The free high-resolution photo of machine learning, book, algorithm, artificial intelligence, robot, robotics, machine, brain, technology, data, information, automation, idea, digital, system, education, intelligent, reading, innovation, learn, analysis, knowledge, cyborg, toy, gesture, font, electric blue, lego, mecha, fictional character, illustration, art, action figure, figurine, animation, graphics @Mohamed Hassan , taken with an unknown camera 06/01 2023 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0.

A Bullish View of AI That’s Not So Bullish

It’s likely to be great for the economy, but not for most of the people in it.

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France Recognizes Palestine

Responding to tragedy with farce.

Locking Up The Homeless

A simple solution to a complex problem.

Columbia’s $200 Million ‘Deal’ with Trump Administration

A breaking of the social contract.

Ozzy Osbourne, 1948-2025

The heavy metal legend has passed at 76.