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.

Millennials Don’t Know Much About The Holocaust

A plurality of Americans aged 18 to 34 have no idea how many people were killed, what Auschwitz was, or how Hitler came to power.

Feds Make 32 Percent Less than Private Sector Counterparts (Or 17 Percent More)

Dueling data on civil service compensation belie the adage that you can’t choose your own facts.

Ryan Departure Leaves Yet Another House Seat Up for Democrats

In addition to opening up the Speakership, there’s a legitimate possibility that Wisconsin-11 flips to the other party.

The Limits of Comedy

Controversies involving Jimmy Kimmel and “The Simpsons” highlight a perennial question.

‘Black Panther’ Breaks Bogus Box Office Benchmark

The Marvel superhero film passed ‘Titanic’ in US ticket sales. Unless we adjust for inflation. Which we absolutely should.

OTB’s Engage Feed

You many have noticed the array of images and links under the footer of post pages. Here’s what it is.

Someone Retaliated Against Syria for Latest Chemical Attack

A response to one of the most deadly chemical attacks in the Syrian civil war has come, probably from Israel. What’s next?

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Women Competing With Porn?

Maureen Dowd blames the Internet for women having sex with men they find unattractive.

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Kevin Williamson Doesn’t Want Women Murdered and Doesn’t Belong at The Atlantic

Argumentation without the intent to persuade is masturbation, not journalism.

Late Night OTB – Gareth Rhodes

Another early-morning edition of Late Night OTB.

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Kevin Williamson and the Limits of Polite Discourse

The Atlantic fired one of their few conservative voices for saying women who have abortions should be hanged. Was this beyond the pale?

Noor Salman Was Acquitted in the Orlando Massacre; She Wasn’t Innocent

The FBI committed gross malfeasance in building a case against the widow of Omar Mateen. She nonetheless bears significant blame for 53 deaths.

‘Woke’ Civil War at the New York Times?

Old-fashioned notions of journalistic neutrality are chafing young reporters in the Age of Trump.

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Air Force Recognizes Colonel’s Right to Discriminate Against Spouses of Gay Airmen

Leland Bohannon objects to same-sex marriage on religious grounds. What rights should he have to act on that belief?

Confirmation Bias, Hidden Agendas, and the Challenges of Conversation

A blog post and resulting Twitter exchange point to a larger problem in our political dialog.

YouTube Shooter Nasim Aghdam Was Crazy

The woman who wounded three people at the video company before killing herself posted insane rants all over social media.

Central American Migrant Caravan Headed This Way

More than 1200 refugees, mostly from Honduras, are trying to come to the United States. What should we do about it?

Teen Who Informed on MS-13 Arrested, Awaiting Deportation

He cooperated with the FBI. He was arrested by ICE.

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State Department Quite Appropriately Updates Website to Reflect Tillerson Departure

Their website has been scrubbed! Tillerson has all but vanished! The sky is falling!

Teacher Says ‘America Has Never Been Great for Minorities’

Johnetta Benton was caught on tape in a 15-minute rant against President Trump’s campaign slogan. She ain’t wrong.

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.

Late Night OTB – End of My Journey

Not an Easter song, exactly, but certainly evocative of some of the holiday’s major themes.

LeBron James Breaks Yet Another Record

Last night, he finished in double digits for his 867th consecutive game. There are 71 players in the Hall of Fame who didn’t play in that many games.

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Are Marriage Proposals Stupid?

The grand gesture may put undue pressure on women in making an important life decision.

Black Marjory Stoneman Douglas Students Feel Less Safe with More Cops

Yet another object lesson in why active efforts at inclusiveness are vital.

Late Night OTB – Rules of the Bar

Were my lifestyle different, I suppose I could pass off 3:30 on a Saturday morning as “late night” but, alas, it’s just really early.

The Internet is Forever. Should it Be?

The ‘permanent record’ of yesteryear is now real. Should there be limitations?

Hillary Clinton ‘They Never Told Men Who Lost to Go Away’

The woman who lost the 2016 election is apparently not going to go away.

Pope Francis Says There is No Hell

The Vatican has stopped short of calling the reports “Fake news.”

Trump Fires VA Secretary, Replacing Him with Navy Admiral

Descriptions of Robby Jackson as “Trump’s personal physician” mischaracterize his qualifications for the job.

Trump Lawyer Dangled Pardon to Flynn and Manafort

John Dowd allegedly raised the possibility while the Mueller investigation was closing in on the two presidential advisors.

Yes, Non-Citizens are Represented in Congress

If you recall your grade school civics, you already knew this.

Trump Wants Military to Pay for Border Wall

Fourteen months into his presidency, he has no idea how the federal budget works.

John Paul Stevens: Repeal the Second Amendment

A proposal that has no chance of passing may harm the movement he’s seeking to help.

Census to Ask Citizenship Question for First Time in Seven Decades

Critics warn this move would lead to a drastic undercount of Hispanic voters, impacting Congressional districting, federal programs, and more.

Nick Kristof and the Perils of Parachute Journalism

A well-meaning journalist brushes off critiques by experts in the field. He owes it to his readers to keep learning.

NRA’s Post-Parkland Tone Deafness

Personal attacks on teenagers whose friends were murdered is a strategy sure to backfire.

Late Night OTB – Rhiannon Giddens

An artist discovered via discussion in the comments section.

Bolton Plans to Oust Remaining Sane People from NSC

The incoming National Security Advisor reportedly wants to purge those who aren’t sycophants.

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Trump Order Bans Transgender People Except Under Unspecified ‘Limited Circumstances’

The President issued an incredibly confusing order that contradicts the advice of his generals and is probably illegal.

It Turns Out ‘Eating Right’ Isn’t Complicated

There are no magic foods. Cleanses are unnecessary and probably unhealthy. But we’re still eating a diet high in crap we know we shouldn’t eat.

Late Night OTB – Paul Thorn

More whimsical than most of my selections but we could use that right about now.

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.

No, It’s Not the Time to Buy a 4K TV

Fred Kaplan fails to make the case for buying an ultra-high definition TV right now.

YouTube Bans Videos That ‘Promote’ Gun Sales

Is Google acting as a good citizen here? Or abusing its market dominance?

Comedian Byron Allen Buys the Weather Channel

The guy from Real People? He’s rich.

McMaster Firing Abrupt, Upended Plans to Clean House

Top White House staffers were preparing to fire several troublesome figures at once when the President suddenly upended the plan.

McMaster Out, Bolton In

Uh oh.

Anfernee Simons Bucks One-and-Done, Heads for NBA

A top basketball prospect is skipping the farcical year in college before turning pro.

Charges Against Erdogan Security Detail Dropped

Turkish security personnel who assaulted peaceful protestors in America’s capital will go free.

Mueller Investigating Gulf State Influence, Too

Americans actings as agents for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been working hard to manipulate the President.

Pottermore Fires Most of its Staff

The JK Rowling-owned fan site is having trouble competing with fan-owned sites.