OTB at 20

A look back at two decades of blogging.

Matt Yglesias’ Return to His Roots

The one-time Juiceboxer is still annoying the mainstream media.

Flag Ukraine Silhouette Ruins Soldier War Flag Ukraine Silhouette Ruins Soldier War

Turkey Sending Banned Munitions to Ukraine

A controversial artillery round is being used effectively against Russian forces.

US Intelligence Fomenting Overseas Protests?

A 34-year CIA officer’s thoughts.

Trump’s Run Exasperates GOP Elite, Thrills Dems

Some of the early reactions to the inevitable announcement tell the tale.

Pelosi Attack a Turning Point?

What will it take to end the cycle of violence?

Ash Carter, 1954-2022

A brilliant national security leader is gone too soon.

Regime Change in Russia?

Can the unsustainable be sustained?

It’s Good to Be King

Apparently, Charles III is quite well off.

The U.S. Role in Ukraine’s Success

It’s much bigger than it appears.

David Kay, 1940-2022

A man made famous for discovering Iraq’s WMD program was virtually nonexistent is gone at 82.

Dems in Midterms: You’re Saying There’s a Chance?

A 2020 blowout has long been presumed. But maybe it won’t happen.

U.S. Kills Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda Founder and Leader

A precision drone strike on a balcony in Kabul took out a longtime nemesis.

Biden Continuing Trump Foreign Policy?

Normalcy is not a bad thing.

Biden and bin Salman

An embarrassing photo demonstrates the perils of leading the free world.

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Doves Split Over Ukraine

Foreign policy makes strange bedfellows.

Unity My Ass

Are you going to believe this index or your own lyin’ eyes?

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on lowering the cost for American families Friday, April 22, 2022, at Green River College in Auburn, Washington. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz) President Joe Biden delivers remarks on lowering the cost for American families Friday, April 22, 2022, at Green River College in Auburn, Washington. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

Biden Less Popular Than Worst President Ever

He’s underwater and not going to take it anymore.

President Joe Biden participates in a virtual call with the NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance Mission team members Thursday, March 4, 2021, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. President Joe Biden participates in a virtual call with the NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance Mission team members Thursday, March 4, 2021, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

Biden Often Rejects Unanimous NSC Advice

An interesting statement from his National Security Advisor.

NATO Has Been Training Ukrainian Forces for Years

A fascinating report from the WSJ.

Palin Attempting Political Comeback

She is running to finish out Don Young’s term in Congress.

US Capitol Rotunda US Capitol Rotunda

Marine Force Design Has Been Debated

The service is taking a big risk but not without much discussion.

Zelensky’s Plea for Help

Ukraine’s leader wants more help than he’s going to get.

Iranian Missiles Hit Near US Consulate in Iraq

No casualties, American or otherwise, have been reported.

Flag Ukraine Silhouette Ruins Soldier War Flag Ukraine Silhouette Ruins Soldier War

Putin’s Offramp?

It’s hard to see how this crisis ends.

Ukraine Invasion Sending History in a New Direction?

The ferocity of the global reaction to Putin’s invasion is stunning.

It’s Not Time To Eulogize The Old Order

Pundits like Thomas Friedman struggle with premature prognostication.

West Accelerates Pressure on Russia

NATO has stepped up in a pleasantly surprising way to resist the Ukraine invasion.

Russia Really Invades Ukraine

Putin’s forces are in Kyiv.

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Who Decides What’s Disinformation?

What if the “fake news” is really fake news?

Secrecy and Democracy

How do we know when our government is telling us the truth?

Butterfly Center Closed Over Fears of Conspiracy Nuts

A ginned up controversy regarding a border nature reserve has escalated.

Ukraine: Advantage Putin? Advantage NATO?

Expert opinion on the standoff differs sharply.

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.

Nick Kristof Ineligible to Run for Oregon Governor

Apparently, New York and Oregon are not the same place.

Biden’s January 6 Anniversary Speech

A necessary but likely irrelevant gesture.

Capitol Riot: One Year Later

A roundup of reflection on a somber anniversary.

Is Autocracy Really Winning?

A depressing magazine piece argues it is.

The Narrative of the ‘MSM Narrative’

Journalism is terrible except when compared to the alternatives.

RVA Pro Gun Rally 2020-11 Streets of Richmond, VA RVA Pro Gun Rally 2020-11 Streets of Richmond, VA

Trump, the GOP, and Stochastic Terrorism

A conversation in two parts.

Max Cleland, 1942-2021

The Vietnam War hero and one-term Georgia Senator has died at 79.

Colin Powell, 1937-2021

The trailblazing soldier-statesman has died at 84.

Stu Scheller’s Sideshow

The convicted criminal has taken his shenanigans to court.

The Psychology of Internet Fame

Our brains are wired to seek approval but may not be equipped to handle our modern existence.

Milley and Woodward Revisited

A follow-up to yesterday’s analysis.

OTB 2003 Revisited

A blast from the past.

Our Victory in Iraq

The wonders of hindsight.

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The Forever War Isn’t Over By a Long Shot

We may be out of Afghanistan but the ‘war on terror’ is likely to continue indefinitely.

Moulton and Meijer Make Unauthorized Afghanistan Trip

Grandstanding in the midst of chaos is a bad look.

Trump and Pompeo Set Afghanistan Fiasco in Motion

They’ve got a lot of gall blaming Biden for this mess.

Joseph Galloway, 1941-2021

A legendary journalist is gone.