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Trump likes incompetence and chaos

Marco Rubio and Michael Waltz, the projected Secretary of State and National Security Advisor respectively, are fig leaves. Trump proposed them first to hide the ugly reality that followed. Lowering the bar His aim is to name people who will make him seem normal. This is difficult. He is a rapist and convicted felon who improperly stored classified material and imperiled US security. As…

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Trump's first foreign policy failure

I find it hard to cheer the widening of any war. But President Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to strike deeper inside Russia is an exception. It has become necessary in response to Moscow’s persistence in pursuing its invasion despite colossal losses. I am not really cheering the move. It’s more like recognizing its grim necessity. The gains are small but the losses are big The Russians…

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Group rights encourage tyranny

My inbox floweth over. I’ve received two long letters arguing that the European Court of Human Rights should affirm its recent Kovačević v. Bosnia and Herzegovina decision. One comes mainly from the Bosnian diaspora in the US and Europe: Open letter from BH diaspora fINAL (1)Download The other comes from the Democratization Policy Council: DPC-Intervention_ECHR_Kovacevic-vs.-BiHDownload The…

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Trump's cabinet of horrors

What wasn’t clear yesterday is today. Donald Trump’s national security and foreign policy appointments will be more like his extremist immigration nominees than like yesterday’s headliners. Marco Rubio at State and Michael Waltz as National Security Advisor are the only arguably sane appointments. They are the adults in the room, which means they won’t last. The others are right-wing crackpots.…

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Immigration is clear, national security not

Trump’s appointments so far merit a first look. What do they suggest about the direction of the next Administration? Deportation is for real The appointments of Steven Miller as deputy chief of staff, Tom Homan as “border czar” (a White House appointment?), and Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary send a clear message. They suggest that Trump is doubling down on deportation of…

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Americans, welcome to the 4th Reich!

J. F. Carter, US Army (ret LTC) 1968-1992, United Nations (ret D-1) 1992-2009, and European Union (ret D-1) 2009-2011, writes: I hope I am wrong. But if Trump and his acolytes implement even 1/3 of the promises and projects he has set forth in Project 2025 and otherwise supported, the USA, as we knew it, will become a dying ember. He will sacrifice our honor, pride and principles on his…

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Wrong and wrong, maybe wrong again?

I can’t think of anyone who deserves this less. I could of course be wrong again. But that’s the gloomy picture I am seeing on the day after an election gone wrong. I was 100% wrong about the outcome of this election. I expected Harris to win the battleground states. She lost them. I expected her to win the popular vote by a wide margin. It’s not yet clear, but it appears she lost it. I should…

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The horse race Harris will win

Who would vote for more of this? Yesterday’s final Atlanta rally for Kamala Harris was as expected: enthusiastic, loud, and crowded. We couldn’t get to the section designated for voter protection workers. But we had a decent spot that we lost when Ms S fainted. If you are out in the sun for a couple of hours, drink water! The impression she makes I don’t know who the celebrities were who…

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Mushroom clouds over the Middle East

Former IAEA inspector Pantelis Ikonomou writes: After Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear deterrence became the strongest parameter in projecting geopolitical power.  Nuclear weapons could eventually be decisive in the Middle East. Israel and Iran are now in direct confrontation Safeguarding state security and regional dominance are the fundamental aims of the main protagonists, Israel and Iran.…

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Georgia in contrast: red and blue

I spent yesterday afternoon monitoring opening and scanning of paper absentee, overseas, and military ballots in Hall County, Georgia. Hall is just north of Fulton (Atlanta), where I spent the last two weeks as a roving (outside) poll watcher. Hall is a deep red county, whereas Fulton is deep blue. The process is good I did not get to talk with many voters in Hall. The process I observed there…

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What happens if Trump wins?

Maybe a President Trump can join the would-be autocrats club in January In many parts of the world, the answer is obvious. Trump has said he would strike a deal with Putin on Ukraine. That means surrender of at least Ukrainian territory Russia already controls. In the Middle East, Trump backs Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu 100%. That means Palestinians will be restricted to even smaller areas…

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Complaint department, North Macedonia

I received today this letter from Ali Ahmeti, the President of the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI). It is the leading Albanian opposition party in North Macedonia. The letter’s aim is to generate action by the US and EU: I am writing to you today with deep concern about recent political and constitutional developments in North Macedonia that threaten the historic achievements of the Ohrid…

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All good, until it's not, in Atlanta

I am now past my second week of outside poll watching in Atlanta (Fulton County). Minus three days off for a jaunt to Boston to give a talk at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. By my count, I’ve now spot-checked 21 of the 34 early voting centers in the county. I’ve been to a couple more than once. No wait no mess I’m delighted to report that I have continued to find nothing to complain…

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Four more bad reasons to vote Trump

I somehow managed yesterday in citing ten reasons to vote for Trump to skip an obvious one: immigration. It merited mention, not least because it a very bad reason to be voting for Trump. We need the labor The United States needs more immigrants, not fewer. The tight labor market is driving up wages and productivity. That is welcome after many years that they lagged the increase in returns to…

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Ten reasons to vote for Trump, nine refuted

Meidas+ has saved me the trouble. It lists 200 reasons not to vote for Donald Trump. I suppose it wouldn’t be all that hard to get to 300. It is hard for me to understand why any patriotic American–or even a non-patriotic one–would vote him. Ten reasons to vote for Trump So let’s consider the options: You are a diehard Republican who has never voted for a Democrat. Trump will be better for…

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Join us at Harvard online or in person!

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It will end when Israel wants it to

Israel continues to enjoy military successes in both Gaza and Lebanon, but its adversaries fight on. The death of Yahya Sinwar leaves Hamas without clear leadership. The death of Hassan Nasallah likewise left Hezbollah without clear leadership. But both Islamist movements continue to attack. Their cadres seek “martyrdom.” The options Americans, official and unofficial, are urging Israel to take…