Outside the Beltway

Pondering lack of US interest in our friends to the south.

The pandemic is having serious effects in the region, and they will persist for some time.

There are different, and not equally good, reasons to talk about labels.

The National Security Advisor to Presidents Ford and GHW Bush has died.

Our response to Covid-19 has been exceptional in all the wrong ways.

The President didn’t want to hear about bad behavior from Moscow, so he wasn’t told.

One of these things is not like the others.

The evolution of America’s racial language continues.

A reckoning for 2500 Kosovar Serb civilians who were slaughtered is at hand.

Clips of recent police behavior reminded me far too much of scenes from authoritarian Latin America.

The architect of the plan admits he was wrong.

Two new studies bring more questions than answers.

Some global comparisons.

In recent weeks the US has ramped-up pressure on Maduro.

Orban has used Covid-19 to kill whatever vestiges of democracy remained.

The PM and the Health Minister have both tested positve.

We are governed by the petty and myopic.

The 71-year-old heir to the British throne has tested positive and is in self-isolation.

Despite our poor showing against COVID-19, we have the best infrastructure in place.

He was the king of crossover hits long before Garth Brooks.

There’s very little upside.

There are two theories, neither of them good.

As if the country needed more turmoil.

Conferences, sporting events, and even school has been canceled to avoid spreading the pandemic.

There’s nothing to see here, folks.

President Erdogan is playing a dangerous game.

Looking back to a story from 2018.

Because you needed one more thing to worry about.

Speaking of xenophobia.

We are truly exceptional in how we choose the president.

Several trends are pointing in a new direction.

From the Freedom House “Freedom in the World 2019” report.

The chief diplomat of the United States isn’t very diplomatic (nor informative).

Claims by the President and Defense Department about the Iranian response to the Soleimani raid were untrue.

More on presidential nonsense with a brief diversion into blogging philosophy.

A bold new plan for security in the Middle East.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has decided against running for Senator Kansas, decision that could force the GOP to defend an otherwise safe seat.

In response to the American assassination of a top General, Iran has announced the end of yet more restrictions imposed by the 2015 nuclear deal.

The assassination of a top Iranian official on a visit to Baghdad is having the expected negative impact on our relationship with Iraq and the fight against ISIS.

Despite Pompeo’s assurances, we are already seeing consequences for the Suleimani killing.

An American drone strike has taken out the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, a move likely to significantly increase tensions across the Middle East.

Amid protests over American airstrikes, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has become a target.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu easily survived a challenge for leadership of the Likud Party.

Notwithstanding Russia’s weak position vis a vis the west, It’s Putin who seems to be winning.

Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a challenge for the leadership of the party he’s headed for more than a decade.

Having failed to form governments after two successive elections, Israel is headed for a third election inside of a year.

New polling shows that the American public does not support the President and his trade war.

Questions linger after a shooting leaves three people and the shooter dead in an incident at one of the nation’s largest Naval facilities.

President Trump said this morning that he’s fine with letting his trade war with the rest of the world continue all the way to the 2020 election.