Outside the Beltway

Now that America’s political leadership have probably averted a self-inflicted global economic calamity, it’s time to assess the winners and losers.

A recent poll provides some insight into congressional behavior.

Charles Krauthammer claims we are in the midst of a great debate. I am not so sure.

A European anti-Muslim blogger observes, ‘It is clear that Anders Behring Breivik is one of us.'”

Does the 10th Amendment contain the answer to the same-sex marriage debate? Not really.

Illegal immigration from Mexico is down substantially, and it has nothing to do with all those anti-immigration laws.

Another major campaign finance case from the Supreme Court.

President Obama came close to endorsing same-sex marriage last night, but stopped short yet again

For the first time since the end of World War II, the GOP is wrestling with two diametrically opposed visions of foreign affairs.

Is it reasonable to state that countries with less guns are more likely to become tyrannical than countries with more guns?

Contrary to what Senator McCain, seeking realism in military policy does not make one an isolationist.

States are racing to put obstacles in front of voters in the name of fraud prevention.

The vast majority of the seats in the Virginia legislature will not even be contested this November.

Trevor Phillips, chairman of the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission, says fundamentalist Christians are a far bigger problem than Muslims. And, no, he’s not anti-religion.

Ousting evil dictators is harder than it looks.

Sandy Levinson suggests that there is a key lesson from the Founders that we ignore.

The US spends a lot on defense relative to, well, the rest of the world.

Turkey has had elections, and the ruling AKP has retained a majority in parliament. The next major issue appears to be constitutional reform.

It appears that the Syrian military is starting to fracture. Exactly how widespread this is remains to be seen.

To paraphrase Rumsfeld: you go to the ballot box with the candidate you have, not the candidate you want, or would like to have.

More on the whole “republic not a democracy” discussion.

Palin has some odd things to say about US history.

President Obama doubled down in his speech before this year’s AIPAC conference. Why he did so only he understands.

Once again, an American President thinks he can bring peace to the Middle East.

Elias Isquith proclaims my Atlantic essay “How Perpetual War Became U.S. Ideology” to be “a total disaster.”

Santorum has an interesting theory about the decline of great powers.

A major law firm has withdrawn from defending DOMA in Court, and a public controversy has erupted.

The NYT says it’s time for U. S. advisers and military air traffic controllers on the ground in Libya.

Yes, please secure your home networks. But also: perhaps the police need to reevaluate their tactics.

Francis Fukuyama: “In the developed world, we take the existence of government so much for granted that we sometimes forget how difficult it was to create.”

Two new polls show that the public supports the budget deal, but has no idea what to do to solve our long term problems.

Public disclosure of campaign contributions makes it easier for incumbents to pressure backers of their opponent.

Modern life requires us to put a high degree of trust in those to whom we delegate responsibility

Politicians in office have a nasty habit of behaving completely differently than they promise on the campaign trail.

The “Obama Doctrine,” such as it is, seems to boil down to moral self-certainty combined with a glaring ignorance of reality. That’s a dangerous combination.

The antiwar movement has been strangely silent despite the fact that U.S. foreign policy hasn’t really changed that much since Barack Obama became President.

Egyptian voters have approved amendments to Egypt’s constitution.

U.S. officials are making clear that the current mission in Libya may not lead to the end of Muammar Gaddafi’s rule. If that’s the case, then why are we there in the first place?

There are many opportunities to go to war. Here’s a guide for choosing between them.