The National Interest July 22, 2009 President Obama took the oath of office six months ago. He did so after a long campaign in which he continuously promised “change” and to “restore America’s standing in the world.” Thus far, however, optics are all that keep his administration’s foreign policy from being a continuation of George…
Author: James Joyner
The New Individualist March 2008 TNI‘s Interview with Jed Babbin, by James Joyner Jed Babbin is an attorney and international affairs expert who served as a deputy undersecretary of defense during the administration of George H.W. Bush. A commentator and prolific author, he has written a new book, In the Words of Our Enemies, published by…
The National Interest February 29, 2008 Unless we immediately begin a coordinated effort to refocus NATO’s military and civil strategy in Afghanistan, there will be grave consequences for both the region and the alliance. That’s the consensus opinion as reflected in the Jan./Feb. 2008 issue of The National Interest (Ilana Bet-El and Rupert Smith, “The Bell Tolls…
TCS Daily August 21, 2007 Media Matters economist Duncan Black set off a mini-firestorm among lefty bloggers three weeks ago when he asked, after a few choice expletives, “Why is there a foreign policy community?” The premise of that question is that, since so many of the experts, even on the left, argued passionately for intervening…
TCS Daily June 26, 2007 Editor’s note: TCS contributor James Joyner recently interviewed John Robb of the Global Guerrillas blog on his new book Brave New War: The Next Stage of Terrorism and the End of Globalization. Robb paints a picture of a resilient enemy that morphs into something new just as we develop ways to protect…
Washington Examiner May 23, 2007 James Joyner: Throughout the book, you point out how easy it would be for relatively small groups with minimal funding to create power blackouts, disrupt our oil distribution networks, or even stage 9/11-style attacks on a routine basis. Why do you suppose that hasn’t already happened? For that matter, we…
Washington Examiner May 22, 2007 REVIEW: John Robb, Brave New War: The Next Stage of Terrorism and the End of Globalization (New York: Wiley, 2007). John Robb has spent his career studying terrorism, computer systems, and risk management. He has brought these experiences to bear in this vital study of global terrorism. The view is…
James Joyner and John Burgess TCS Daily May 21, 2007 Army Lieutenant General Douglas E. Lute has been nominated by President Bush to serve as “war tsar” with the unenviable task of coordinating “often disjointed military and civilian operations” for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Aside from the abundant skepticism expressed by military analysts such as Phil Carter about whether…
James Joyner and Jeff Mascott The Politico May 9, 2007 As recently as two years ago, many bloggers considered receiving an e-mail from a congressman a thrill. Unfortunately, it soon got out of hand and the novelty, to say the least, is gone. One House committee e-mailed 48 press releases in January alone. The staff…
The New Individualist April 2007 “Perhaps there is no great point in recalling all the tragic and idiotic blunders, all the false optimism, all the unrealism of the first phases of the war, but it is not possible to appreciate fully the heroism of the Security Forces unless the stupidities of some of those in…