Category: America

For your consideration

 Good letter, but the worst of it is the massive loss of Iraqi life, the mass exodus of Iraq’s best-educated and experienced citizens, the unending lack of basic civil infrastructure throughout Iraq, and (worst of all for us Americans who don’t really care about anyone but lily-white Anglo-Christians) the establishment of a “terrorism incubator” that will hatch …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2007/06/01/for-your-consideration/

Shift happens

 An unreasonable euphoria over the recent political shift was, I suppose, inevitable.  I’m sure the entire world breathed a little easier when we voted to hobble our emperor’s unchecked crusader impulses.  However, Nero still fiddles.  I see little abatement of Bush’s hubris in the face of the reemergence of an opposition party.  In fact, there …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2007/05/23/shift-happens/

Expert testimony

 Dear Friends: (1) General Charles Krulak is a former Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, and his fellow Marine General Joseph Hoar was Commander of CENTCOM (1991-94) and Chief of Staff of the USMC during the 1991 first Gulf War. ALst week, these two old leathernecks co-authored a powerful op-ed piece that appeared in the …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2007/05/18/expert-testimony/

How bad is it?

 If you’re wondering what Prince George has wrought in the hinterland, far from his royal throne, read the following guest editorial that appeared in our local paper last Saturday.  It was written by a federal government employee, the current superintendent of Hot Springs National Park (http://www.nps.gov/hosp/). I’m still mulling over a response, but I already …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2007/05/17/how-bad-is-it/

Pistachios and other nuts

 July 12, 2010 update:  This Haaretz article, titled “On one thing they agree: ‘Allahu akhbar’,” was the beginning of a years-long email conversation with Janna.   Sometimes heated but always interesting… http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/on-one-thing-they-agree-allahu-akhbar-1.219670 or http://bit.ly/9UfSj6 or http://tinyurl.com/3ayjus7 The article was about the interaction of Jewish and Muslim worshippers at an ancient shrine regarded as Joshua’s grave, located in the heart of the Palestinian village of Kifl …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2007/05/05/pistachios-and-other-nuts/

Mercenaries?

 Dear Mr. Spencer: I am tardy in responding to your interesting comments about the historical role of Gurkha units in the British Indian Army. In referring to the Gurkha as “mercenaries”, I most assuredly did not intend to impugn their honor or integrity in the slightest — or, in particular, the steadfast loyalty that they …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2007/05/04/750/

Barbarians at the gate?

 According to today’s Washington Post, Baghdad’s Shiites are increasingly using explosively formed projectiles, averaging the size of a coffee can.  “The growing use of the projectiles is a major concern for American commanders because the weapons are powerful enough to punch through the heaviest U.S. armored vehicles, including the Abrams tank.” I’ve always wondered what …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2007/05/04/barbarians-at-the-gate/