Outside the Beltway

“She asked for it” is no longer an acceptable argument in rape cases. So, why is a preacher in Florida burning a book being condemned by American political and military leaders for a days-long murder spree in Afghanistan?

The only people responsible for the murders in Afghanistan are the people who committed them, but the demagogues like Terry Jones deserve condemnation as well.

A discussion on Terry Jones’ moral culpability for the crazed reaction in Afghanistan to his Koran burning stunt.

If we allow the possible reaction of the most dogmatic, evil people who might hear the message to govern our expression, we don’t have freedom at all.

Todays’ horrific attack on the UN complex in Mazar-i Sharif may well the the Tet Offensive of Afghanistan: a relatively minor event that permanently changed the American public’s view of the war.

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

President Obama has pledged no slaughter and no ground troops for Libya. He may well be forced to pick one.

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.

Ten days after sending American forces into kinetic military action in Libya, President Obama addressed the nation to explain “what we’ve done, what we plan to do, and why this matters to us.”

President Obama’s grand coalition against Libya is a lot less than meets the eye.

Tom Ricks doesn’t understand why we need an exit strategy in Libya.

Humorous take on America’s wars.

The public, and Congress, are skeptical of the mission in Libya, and the reason for that is because the President has failed to tell us exactly why we’re there and what we’ll be doing.

Operation Odyssey Dawn has resurrected the eternal battle over what limits there are, and should be, on the President’s ability to use military force without Congressional authorization.

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.

Obama is visiting Brazil and Chile while American fighting men join the coalition against Libya.

Another survey shows that Americans don’t know much about their own history, but does it really matter?

So much for not getting invaded…

How many Americans are really even paying attention to the actions in Libya?

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.

So far, the Republican House’s effort to cut back Federal spending isn’t very impressive.

America is about to enter a third war in the Muslim world with no clear idea of the end game.

Public support for the war in Afghanistan continues to plummet, but will that hurt the President when 2012 rolls around?

While there are doubtless flaws with the journalistic values and culture of the New Media, we too often contrast today with a Golden Age of Media that never existed.

All of the plausible Republican contenders for 2012 have significant downsides.

The top ranks of the military are whiter and decidedly more male than the country as a whole. Should that change?

Intervening to “help” the Libyan revolt is very tempting, but it’s a temptation we ought to resist.

The Supreme Court rules that “offensiveness” does not trump the First Amendment. And they’re right.

The most likely cuts in federal spending are likely to actually increase the deficit over time.

LTC Michael Holmes, the fellow who accused LTG William Caldwell of ordering him to perform psychological operations on Members of Congress, is not trained in psyops.

Nine years into a war that seems to be without end, it’s time to declare victory and go home.

Did a unit in Afghanistan engage in an IO operation against U. S. senators?

Tweeting feels like IM’ing but it’s more like blogging.

We need to remember who actually sets the budget and, further, who is ultimtately responsible for the behavior of politicians.