A Chilling Effect

Don't Get the Word Out, Contentions, December 4, 2009. "It’s commonly believed that, compared with other countries, the U.S. enjoys an exceptional measure of freedom of the press and, closely allied to it, exceptionally liberal libel laws. The comparison with Britain is particularly marked, and the Index on Censorship and English PEN have launched a libel-reform campaign that describes British libel law as “a global disgrace” and refers glowingly to American freedoms."

Where's the Corruption in British Politics?

British Corruption, Contentions, November 24, 2009. "Britain has fallen a notch in Transparency International’s 2009 Corruptions Perceptions Index. It now ranks 17th out of the 180 countries surveyed. Transparency said that the decline 'reflects the damage to its international standing caused by the MPs’ expenses scandal and the weakness of its efforts to prosecute foreign bribery.' "

On Strykers, Humvees, and Helicopters

Don't Blame the Tools, Contentions, November 20, 2009. "Stuart Koehl has an excellent piece up at the Weekly Standard on a Washington Post article that characterized the Army’s Stryker combat vehicle as a “kevlar coffin.” Koehl’s not an unmitigated supporter of the Stryker, but his main point is that criticism of the Stryker’s ability to protect infantry in Afghanistan is misinformed in ways both obvious and subtle."

Britain, Pakistan, Terror, and Assimilation

The Pakistan-Britain Terror Connection: Lessons and Warnings for the United States, Heritage Foundation Backgrounder #2337, November 6, 2009, co-authored with Lisa Curtis. "The Pakistan-Britain terror connection poses a serious threat to Great Britain and its allies, including the United States. Breaking the personnel, financial, and ideological links will require fighting terrorism on three fronts: Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Britain. In Afghanistan, the U.S., the U.K., and their allies need to continue to fight the Taliban and al-Qaeda. They should also hold Pakistan accountable for its failure to act decisively against terrorism. In Britain, the government needs to enforce the tightened immigration and asylum practices, refuse to cooperate with radical Islamism, and promote citizenship and economic opportunity to help immigrants assimilate into British society."

A New UN Arms Control Resolution, (Almost) As Bad As Before

U.S. Policy on Conventional Arms Control Departs Reality, Heritage Foundation Foundry, November 4, 2009. "On October 30, the United States voted with the majority in the General Assembly to support U.N.-sponsored negotiations to regulate the conventional arms trade. The vote was 153-1, with the pariah state of Zimbabwe the lone hold out. More significantly, some of the world’s more ethically challenged arms traders – the states of China, Russia, Iran, Syria, India, Pakistan, and Cuba – abstained in the vote."

The Diplomacy of Solipcism

Time for Action, Not Words, Mr. President, Yorkshire Post, November 4, 2009. "What, in the year since he was elected, has Barack Obama actually done? Making speeches doesn't count. It's certainly part of the President's job to make them, and he's not disappointed. According to CBS News, in mid-July – and less than six months after his inauguration – he gave his 200th speech, and, if anything, the pace has only accelerated since then. But it's a cardinal error to mistake giving speeches for getting things done." This op-ed was written in my personal capacity.

On Surveillance and Border Control

More on Britain's 'Police State', Contentions, October 28, 2009. "Anthony Sacramone, working from a New York Times report, is tolerably severe about the rise of domestic surveillance in Britain. As always, the Times is late to the party. The House of Lords Constitution Committee issued a lengthy report on this subject in January, following on five years of discussion about the rise of the “surveillance society” in Britain."

Example #5: Why the U.N.'s Arms Trade Treaty Is a Bad Idea

Another Day, Another Arms-Trade Scandal, Another Excuse for a Treaty, Contentions, October 28, 2009. "The story by now should be wearily familiar. Last week France was caught supplying arms to the dictatorial regime in Guinea, which then used them to brutally suppress protesters. This time, it’s Britain. Amnesty International UK asserts that Guinea also used a Mamba armored personnel-carrier that it bought from a South African subsidiary of a UK-based company. Amnesty International UK’s arms programme director, Oliver Sprague, followed with the predictable call . . . ."

The Gray Procurement Report and Labour Defense Cuts

Armed Forces May Count the Cost of Cutbacks on Defence, Yorkshire Post, October 28, 2009. "The publication of Bernard Gray's much-leaked report on defence procurement gives all the parties a vital chance to commit to spending plans and sensible reforms that will protect the future of Britain's armed forces."

Data on Islamist Terrorist Plots in Great Britain

Islamist Terrorist Plots in Great Britain: Uncovering the Global Network, Heritage Foundation Backgrounder #2329, with Morgan Roach, October 26, 2009. "Individuals who traveled in Pakistan and received terrorist training there or in Afghanistan are a central part of the challenge of Islamist terrorism in Britain. Because al-Qaeda’s strategy relies partly on using European nationals to carry out attacks against the United States, the rise of Islamist terrorism in Britain and Europe poses a serious danger to the U.S. and its allies in Europe and around the world."

Example #4: Why the U.N.'s Arms Trade Treaty Is a Bad Idea

The Sweet, Sweet Mirage of Consensus, Contentions, October 21, 2009. "Late last week, the Obama administration did what I feared it would do: It endorsed the UN’s Arms Trade Treaty negotiations. The goal is to craft a treaty negotiated and ready for signature by 2012 that would impose standards on the entire conventional arms trade. The projected treaty’s scope is vast."

Another Bad Arms Control Decision

The Administration Gets It Wrong on Arms Control, Again, Heritage Foundation Foundry, October 16, 2009. "On Wednesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the U.S. would seek a “strong international standard” in the control of the conventional arms trade by “seizing the opportunity presented by the Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty at the United Nations.” But the participation comes with a caveat: the U.S. will actively support negotiations only if the conference “operates under the rule of consensus decision-making needed to ensure that all countries can be held to standards that will actually improve the global situation.” "

Why Consensus Won't Help the Arms Trade Treaty

The Obama Administration Makes the Wrong Call on the U.N.'s Arms Trade Treaty, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2653, October 15, 2009. "On October 14, 2009, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced that the United States would seek a “strong international standard” in the control of the conventional arms trade by “seizing the opportunity presented by the Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty at the United Nations.” Her announcement contained an important caveat: The U.S. will only actively support negotiations if the conference “operates under the rule of consensus decision-making needed to ensure that all countries can be held to standards that will actually improve the global situation.” This caveat has been attacked by NGOs supporting the treaty process. The Administration’s decision to participate on the basis of consensus is wrong."

A Libyan Redux?

Was Qaddafi Paid Off?, Contentions, October 13, 2009. "No, I’m not talking about the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, though some very stinging questions have been raised about just how, exactly, the release was related to BP’s negotiation with Libya about an oil exploration deal. I’m talking about the 1970s."

What's Wrong in Helmand

The ISW on the War in Helmand, Contentions, October 9, 2009. "The Institute for the Study of War has released an outstanding report by Jeffrey Dressler on “Securing Helmand: Understanding and Responding to the Enemy.” The report surveys the province, the enemy, the Taliban’s campaign plan, the British experience in Helmand, and the recent ISAF operations in it. It also contains some excellent maps. There is too much in the report to summarize: anyone interested in the war should read it in full. But it makes three points that are of particular interest to those, like myself, who have followed Britain’s contribution to the war."

Divinity School Gone Wild

Sometimes, A Watermelon is Just a Watermelon. Not So At Yale, Contentions, October 9, 2009. "The following message, which I reproduce in its entirety, was forwarded to me in my capacity as a Yale alum by a friend at Yale’s Divinity School. I am assured that it is not a parody. Any other comment is superfluous."

Why A British Debate's A Bad Idea

British Politics Will Be the Big Loser if Leaders go Head to Head in TV Debate, Yorkshire Post, October 5, 2009. "David Cameron wants to have a debate. Nick Clegg wants one, too. Gordon Brown did not, but has now changed his mind. This only makes him look weak. Every time Number 10 mentions the issue, it recalls the indecision of the 2007 General Election that never was. Brown's reluctance is rational. He does not have the kind of record as Prime Minister that any politician would want to defend in an unscripted debate. He has taken his party through a staggering local election defeat, suffered resignation after resignation, and wasted billions of pounds of public money. After 12 years in power, Labour has run out of excuses. Participating in a debate is no way to find a new one. But yet, there is something in the media's enthusiasm for a debate that does not sit well." This op-ed was written in my personal capacity.

If At First You Don't Succeed, Vote, Vote Again

Vote Until You Get It Right: Ireland and the E.U., Redux, New Ledger, October 1, 2009. "The European Union Constitution, now gussied up as the Lisbon Treaty, is a remarkable document. Napoleon famously remarked that constitutions should be short and obscure. On that count, the Constitution scores one out of two: it is not short, but it is definitely obscure. What Napoleon curiously failed to appreciate was that length, if carried on for long enough, has an obscurity all its own. At 246 pages in its original form, and a svelte 248 pages as the Lisbon Treaty, the Constitution achieves a comprehensive triumph over comprehensibility."

Should We Want the Games?

Obama's Olympic Audience, Heritage Foundation Foundry, October 1, 2009. "Today, President Obama flies to Copenhagen to lobby the International Olympic Committee to award the 2016 Summer Games to Chicago. So we know that President Obama wants the Olympics. But do the Olympics want the United States?"

The IOC on 9/11

The IOC on 9/11, Contentions, September 30, 2009. "Does President Obama’s trip to Copenhagen tomorrow to lobby for Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics mean that victory is in the bag for the Windy City? Ramesh Ponnuru, for one, believes so, and quite a few others have echoed his thought that the president would hardly dare to go—especially after he said on September 14 that he was too busy to make the trip—and risk looking foolish if Chicago lost. They may be right, but my take is a little different."

Margaret Thatcher and "A Real Detente"

How Margaret Thatcher Helped to End the Cold War, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2631, September 28, 2009. "When Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979, many in the West had come to believe that the Cold War could not and should not be won, that anti-Communism was morally wrong, and that the future lay in détente between the superpowers and the evolution of democracy into ever-deepening state socialism. By the time she left office, the Berlin Wall had fallen and Eastern Europe was liberated. A year later, the Soviet Union crumbled into the dustbin of history. Democracy and freedom were on the advance."

Example #3: Why the U.N.'s Arms Trade Treaty Is a Bad Idea

Why the U.N.’s Arms Trade Treaty Won’t Work, September 18, 2009. "The U.N. wants to negotiate an Arms Trade Treaty. The Heritage Foundation recently published a lengthy study of this proposal. It found that the Treaty, if brought into being as currently projected, will be used not to restrict the access that dictators and terrorists have to conventional arms, but to reduce the ability of democracies like Israel to defend their people against terrorism. This week brought further evidence of the U.N.’s impending failure."

Dr. Liam Fox MP and the UK's NSS

Dr. Liam Fox MP on Afghanistan, Contentions, September 18, 2009. "Liam Fox, the Tory Shadow Defense Secretary, spoke at the Heritage Foundation yesterday. His admirably concise remarks on the “The War in Afghanistan: Why Britain, America and NATO Must Fight to Win” will be available online shortly. They’re well worth your time if you’re interested in Afghanistan, or what the Conservatives are likely to do if they come to power in May, as all the polls indicate they will. The main takeaways are clear, and welcome."

The EU's Constitution, and the American One

Constitutions, Good and Bad, Contentions, September 18, 2009. "The U.S. Constitution was signed 222 years ago yesterday. But for all the reverence with which the Constitution is treated, Constitution Day isn’t one of the higher-visibility federal holidays. Perhaps that’s because, for most Americans, holidays are days on which you don’t have to go to work. Or perhaps it’s because, until 2004, the day was known—to the few who had heard of it—as Citizenship Day."

Why Obama's Losing the Argument

Obama is Losing the Argument Because He’s Being Himself, Yorkshire Post, September 15, 2009. This article was published in my personal capacity. "Barack Obama has hit the skids. Most of his programmes remain stalled in Congress, and what little he has achieved has turned out to be unpopular. Abroad, his supposedly immense influence has not brought moderation to Iran, peace to Afghanistan, or sanity to the Scottish Executive." This op-ed was written in my personal capacity.

Yale: Living Up To My Expectations Since 1991

What the Yale World Fellows Did on 9/11, Contentions, September 11, 2009. "Yale has a World Fellows Program. When launched, it was talked about on campus as a kind of mid-career equivalent of the Rhodes Scholarship: bring the rising thinkers and doers of the world to Yale for a semester (people with careers, unlike newly minted undergraduates, usually can’t afford to take more than four months off), expose them to American higher education and all its wonders, recruit them into the Yale cadre, and toss them back into the lake to fructify and rise to run the world."

Follow the Money

Who Funds European NGOs?, Heritage Foundation Foundry, September 8, 2009. "The answer is simple: the EU does. The TaxPayers’ Alliance, a British group that is genuinely independent of government, points to two recent EU missives that by coincidence arrived in the same package. The first, from the European Economic and Social Committee, was a report on “The external dimension of the EU’s energy policy.” Among much else – such as, no surprise, a greater role for the EU – it recommends “that the social partners as well as environmental organizations and other civil society representatives should be heard and actively involved in defining the external energy strategy. Their capacities to support international dialogue and negotiations should be fully exploited.” All of that is a long-winded way of saying that the EU should use like-minded European NGOs to advance its energy aims at home and abroad, including hectoring the U.S. to sign on to climate change treaties."

The Latest NHS Leak

A False Idol, Heritage Foundation Foundry, September 7, 2009. "The National Health Service is like a deity in Britain. Or so we are told. Irish actor and director, Graham Linehan – a very funny man – has taken to defending the NHS by saying that American criticisms of it are “like if you criticize your parents. You can do it - but if anyone else criticized them you’d murder them.” That’s not going to keep life expectancies up. The Economist, for its part, offers up the plea “God save the NHS.” So much for the Queen, apparently. There is something distinctly off-putting in this worshipful attitude. The NHS is not the English Bill of Rights, or the First Amendment. It is not a statement of eternal truths. It is a bureaucratic organization intended to serve a particular purpose. If it does not serve that purpose well, then it should be changed. The outraged responses to American – and British – criticisms of the NHS have a calculated political purpose: to reject the very thought that the government should not be responsible for running the entire health care system.

The YUP Scandal, Continued

An Update on Yale, Contentions, September 4, 2009. "Last month, the story broke that Yale University Press was censoring one of its own books—by Jytte Klausen on the Danish cartoon controversy—out of fear that if it published the cartoons in question, it would, in the words of John Donatich, the press’s director, put “blood on my hands.” In other words, there would be riots and murders by outraged Islamists. Since then, there have been several developments that are worth following up on. Martin Kramer has done sterling detective work assembling circumstantial—but plausible—evidence that Yale’s decision had at least as much to do with its desire to win a big donation from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal as it did with cravenness."

Sanity from England

A Revolution Dawns in Doncaster, Heritage Foundation Foundry, September 4, 2009. "The newly-elected Mayor of the English town of Doncaster, Peter Davies, has a very curious idea: the purpose of government is not to propagandize its citizens, not to feather its own nest, and not to raise taxes to fund the non-jobs that are advertised in the liberal Guardian every week. It is to administer public business effectively and efficiently. That may sound obvious, but in Britain – as in many other places – it amounts to a revolution."

Example #2: Why the U.N.'s Arms Trade Treaty Is A Bad Idea

Iran, North Korea, and the U.N.’s Projected Arms Trade Treaty, Contentions, September 4, 2009. "Last week, a colleague and I published a substantial paper on the faults inherent in the U.N.’s efforts to negotiate an arms trade treaty. These faults are many and serious, but they come down, fundamentally, to the fact that too few states enforce their existing laws, or live up to their existing responsibilities, on the import and export of arms. A treaty will do nothing to remedy this disinterest, incapacity, or – in far too many cases – malfeasance. Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal, and other papers, reported a case that illustrates these faults. In August, the UAE seized a shipment of military hardware from North Korea aboard a vessel bound for Iran. This is, needless to say, a violation of the U.N. Security Council ban on military exports from North Korea, but that did nothing to stop Iran from seeking to import them."

Example #1: Why the U.N.'s Arms Trade Treaty is a Bad Idea

The U.N.'s Arms Trade Treaty and Sanctions On Iran, Heritage Foundation Foundry, August 28, 2009. "Earlier this week, the Heritage Foundation published a lengthy study of the U.N.’s proposed Arms Trade Treaty. The study details numerous problems inherent in this proposal, which is now being considered by a New York-based working group. The campaign behind the treaty is based on faulty premises, and the treaty, if brought into being as currently projected, will facilitate, not curb, the illegal arms trade, while at the same time posing a danger to the Second Amendment, to the ability of the U.S. to resist tyranny around the world, and to U.S. export controls. In a fine article posted on Real Clear World, Michael Jacobson, a senior fellow in The Washington Institute’s Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence and a former senior advisor in the Treasury Department’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, explains part of what is at stake."

After A Stab in the Back, A Slap in the Face

A Slap in the Face to Poland?,, Heritage Foundation Foundry, August 28, 2009. "As we reported yesterday morning, it now seems all but certain that the Obama Administration has abandoned our anti-missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. This is a terrible decision that reduces NATO’s security, encourages Iran to proceed full speed ahead with its nuclear program, kowtows to Russian pressure, and stabs our Polish and Czech allies in the back, after they made the difficult decision to support us. And now the administration appears to have added insult to injury. World War II began on September 1, 1939, when Germany attacked Poland. That was seventy years ago."

What Might John Stuart Mill Say About Engagement?

J.S. Mill and Burma, Contentions, August 27, 2009. "Van Jackson, founder and executive editor of Asia Chronicle, has written a column titled 'Principles impede progress for Burma,' attacking those—like a colleague of mine here at the Heritage Foundation—who have the temerity to argue that U.S. policy toward Burma should be based on principles. Jackson, by contrast, prefers the meaningless criterion of effectiveness devoid of any actual objectives. In his pursuit of steely-eyed utilitarianism, Jackson makes the amusing claim that 'British philosopher John Stuart Mill would turn over in his grave at the idea of allowing such a failed policy to continue.' Jackson appears to know just enough about Mill to be dangerous, i.e., that Mill was a utilitarian. True indeed—at least until Mill suffered from a nervous breakdown at the age of 20 and turned to the poetry of the Romantics as a relief from the dust-dry pursuit of utility. Partisans of policy without principle might take a lesson from that."

A Lengthy Update on Britain's Procurement 'Crisis'

Assessing Britain's Procurement Problems, Heritage Foundation Foundry, August 27, 2009. "Last week, we noted that a set of slides summing up an internal report from Britain’s Ministry of Defense on defense procurement that had been leaked to the BBC did not place its serious charges into context. The full report has now been leaked to the Sunday Times, which will presumably publish it in due course. Only then will it be possible to assess the report’s merits and demerits. But even now, the parts that have been produced raise important questions."

Barone on Obama's Faulty Liberalism

The "Lyrical Left", Contentions, August 26, 2009. "Michael Barone has an article in today’s Washington Examiner that is—like all he writes—thought-provoking and worthy of a read. Titled 'Obama’s lyrical Left struggles with liberalism,' it argues that Obama is a member of the 'lyrical Left'—basically, a dove. But it wasn’t a dovish foreign policy that made the state big, argues Barone: it was the undovish liberals like Wilson and FDR who fought wars, because wars grow the state. As Barone concludes, 'A big-government president, Obama is learning, needs to be a war president first.' Well, maybe."

The Case Against the U.N.'s Arms Trade Treaty

The U.N.’s Arms Trade Treaty: A Dangerous Multilateral Mistake in the Making, co-written with Steven Groves, Heritage Foundation Backgrounder #2309, August 21, 2009. "The treaty contemplated by the U.N.’s October 2008 arms trade resolution would be a license to almost all states, no matter how irresponsible, to buy and sell arms. It would endanger U.S. arms export control policy, clash with the Constitution, offer a dangerous justification for dictatorial rule, and make it illegal under international law for the U.S. to support freedom fighters abroad."

The Problem With A Core Curriculum

When ACTA Speaks . . ., Contentions, August 21, 2009. "I hope that everyone listens, though there’s not much chance of that. On Wednesday, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni released a new study—”What Will They Learn?”—accompanied by a very spiffy site of the same name. The study, timed to hit the market as the annual U.S. News and World Report rankings appear, grades colleges and universities not by easily manipulated and subjective criteria but by doing what is most damaging to academia: taking it at its word."

A Tiny Illustration of the Problem with State Ownership

Obama Goes NASCAR, Heritage Foundation Foundry, August 21, 2009. "As part of his on-going effort to reduce carbon emissions – or perhaps in an effort to charm a conservative-leaning audience that’s skeptical of his health care plans – President Obama yesterday honored Jimmie Johnson, the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, and extolled the virtues of this 'uniquely American sport.' It’s not a sport he appears to have much liking for: his jokes were labored and he butchered the name of one of the honorees. Presidents have to do a lot of this sort of thing, of course, and it is hard to blame the President for so evidently finding the job a chore. But he didn’t have to take the next step."

The Health of the System

Britain's Sacred Cow: The NHS and Daniel Hannan, New Ledger, August 21, 2009. "Daniel Hannan is in trouble. The young Tory European MP, who became a YouTube sensation earlier this year for his denunciation of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown as the “devalued prime minister of a devalued government,” has made what can in politics be a serious error: he has challenged orthodoxy in a way that is both substantive and interesting. Boring substantive challenges can be seen off, and soaring rhetoric that says nothing is the stuff of politics, but having a point and knowing how to make it will always raise bellows from the defenders of the gored sacred cow."

Are Islamists Putting Britain First?

Is Britain Target No. 1?, Contentions, August 20, 2009. "Newspapers around the world are reporting that an Islamist Internet site affiliated with supporters of Abdullah al-Faisal—Jamaican-born Trevor William Forest, who was deported from Britain in 2007 after serving a jail sentence for soliciting the murder of Jews, Americans, and Hindus—is promising 'spectacular attacks' in Britain, to be launched by 'home-grown terrorists.'"

What the Latest British Defense Scandal Means

Procuring Problems in Britain's Defenses, Heritage Foundation Foundry, August 18, 2009. "A set of slides summing up an internal report from Britain’s Ministry of Defense on defense procurement have found their way to the BBC. The slides make for damning reading, and though the Ministry denies they are authentic, they accord with Britain’s experiences over the past decade. In a nutshell, the slides conclude that the Ministry “does not really know the price of any kit and project management does not exist in the Department.” The result is pervasive over-optimism about procurement, regular and costly reprofiling of major programs, and a procurement budget that will only come into balance in 2028 – assuming nothing else is ordered in the interim."

Why Islamists Intimidate

Self Censorship Watch, Contentions, August 18, 2009. "I’m not afraid of Islamists. As long as we in the liberal West don’t browbeat ourselves into submission, and as long as we take sensible measures to defend ourselves from the threat of mass terrorism—especially from WMDs—there is no reason for free, modern, and enterprising societies to fear losing to medieval Islamism. What makes me nervous is that there are too few leaders today willing to follow Reagan’s example from the Cold War in saying this, and that there are too many 'opinion leaders' and officials who are eager to split the difference between good and evil."

No Bulldogs in Britain

Brown’s Red Tape is Separating Britain From Its Friends, Yorkshire Post, August 12, 2009. "Yale University is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the United States, and is among its most Anglophile. Its Yale Centre for British Art holds the finest such collection outside Britain's borders. Its Political Union is modelled on those of Oxford and Cambridge. And 'Bulldogs in Britain', which brings Yale students to Britain for a summer internship, is among its most popular programmes. Or rather, it was among Yale's most popular programmes. This spring, Yale was forced to suspend 'Bulldogs in Britain'. The reason? Britain's new visa regulations, which came into force in 2008, made it impossible for citizens of most nations outside the EU to take entry-level jobs or internships in Britain."

What's On Syllabi at Yale?

Re: Mearsheimer at Yale, Contentions, July 30, 2009. "My friend Adam Hirst takes Prof. Bruce Russett of Yale moderately to task for assigning readings from Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer, including their 2006 magnum opus on 'The Israel Lobby,' in a course on 'Classics of World Politics' and a week on 'Contemporary Realism.' I won’t pretend to speak for Prof. Russett on this subject. But I will offer a personal perspective."

Hague on Britain's Strategic Options

Will Britain Chose 'Strategic Shrinkage?', Heritage Foundation Foundry, July 24, 2009. "As Britain embarks on its first defense review since 1998, both press and official comments continue to hint that spending cuts are in the offing. The argument, to the extent there is one, is that since the U.S. does it all, and can pay for it all, Britain does not need to over-insure in expensive capabilities, especially those relevant to land war. This is a curious argument to make at precisely the moment when the U.S., under President Obama, is embarking on a procurement holiday. Equally wrong-headed is the increasingly popular argument that Britain no longer needs its strategic deterrent: an alliance of tightwads, nuclear weapon haters, and advocates for defense spending realignment threatens to disarm Britain unilaterally."

Can Ministers Think?

A Painful Admission of Incapability, Contentions, July 23, 2009. "Jacqui Smith was Britain’s Home Secretary from late June 2007 through early June 2009. She was ultimately forced to resign when, as part of the ongoing scandal of parliamentary-expense claims, it was discovered that her husband had requested reimbursement for pornographic movies. Quite enough has been said about this episode, which reflected poorly not on Ms. Smith, but on her husband and the expense system. But yesterday, the BBC reported that she has given a thoroughly depressing interview to Total Politics magazine. She admits that she had 'never run a major organization' before taking over the Home Office, and that if she did a good job it was 'more by luck than by any kind of development of [my] skills.' "

The IMF and OECD on Britain's Finances

Britain's Financial Quagmire, Heritage Foundation Foundry, July 21, 2009. "The International Monetary Fund has just published its annual “Staff Report” on Britain’s economy. It makes for grim reading. The IMF projects that Britain’s national debt will grow from 43% of GDP in 2007/08 to 73% of GDP in 2009/10. Its budget deficit in 2007/08 was 2.4% of GDP. By 2009/10, it will be 12.8%. And even those projections, though more pessimistic than the government’s widely-panned forecasts, may be too optimistic: the most recent public borrowing figures show that the pace of borrowing is accelerating as revenues fall. All due to the recession, you say? Not so, say both the government and the IMF . . . ."

When Did Britain and the US Diverge?

Barone on the Anglo-American Divergence, Contentions, July 21, 2009. "Michael Barone has a column today at Real Clear Politics that’s summed up by its title: “Britain and United States Go In Different Directions.” His thesis is cogent, and to an extent correct: the Obama Administration is trying to drag the U.S. to the left (he might well have said that the Administration is trying to Europeanize it), whereas in Britain, the next government looks likely to be Conservative, and to be more interested in shrinking the state (or at least restraining its growth) than expanding it. This divergence is limited only by the fact that it’s not easy to change the direction of politics: whatever the situation, no matter what the crisis, the status quo has inertia on its side. Arguing with Michael Barone about U.S. politics is a losing proposition. But he does miss an important piece of the British context . . . ."

A Troubling Meme on the Special Relationship

Sir Michael Howard on the Special Relationship, Contentions, July 18, 2009. "In the latest Times Literary Supplement, Sir Michael Howard, in the course of a largely admiring review of two recent works on Winston Churchill, makes a claim that made me pause. According to Sir Michael, 'The myth of the “special relationship” that Churchill invented and that so many of his admirers on both sides of the Atlantic continue to propagate is briskly demolished. . . . Throughout the war the United States consulted her own interests, as any state is bound to do: and these did not extend to helping Britain either to remain solvent or to retain any part of her empire once the war was over.' I am, I suppose, one of those propagating admirers."

Two Things Britain and the US Need to Do on Defense

Recognizing, and Averting, A Threat to the Special Relationship, Heritage Foundation Foundry, July 17, 2009. "Yesterday, the UK National Defence Association released the latest in a series of reports on Britain’s armed forces. Titled 'A Compelling Necessity,' it makes the case for an increase in British defense spending, in spite of the economic downturn, in order to restore and preserve Britain’s defenses. Of particular importance is the statement by economist Irwin Stelzer, who correctly notes in report’s foreword that, while the U.S. and Britain face the same threats – international terrorism and a nuclear-armed North Korea and Iran, among others – Britain needs to shore up its forces if the Special Relationship is to endure."

Why Judge Sotomayor's Disclaimer Doesn't Mean What It Seems

Judge Sotomayor on Foreign and International Law, Contentions, July 16, 2009. "Yesterday, in response to a question from Sen. Coburn (R-OK) asking whether there is no authority for a Supreme Court justice to utilize foreign law in terms of making decisions based on the Constitution or statutes, Judge Sotomayor gave what appeared to be an unambiguous answer."

My Favorite Book

Booklist: David Potter’s Impending Crisis, New Ledger, July 16, 2009. "I keep, mentally, a short list of revelatory works. These are not simply great books. They are books that, because they contain or refute a world view, reveal (or, at least, revealed to me) a new way of thinking about large subjects. The list does not contain any of the obvious works: anyone who is not influenced by Thucydides, Gibbon, Burke, or Smith is simply not very smart, and classics like these are included on any list of worthwhile reads by right. My list fluctuates slightly towards its tail, depending on the times and my concerns. Lower down in the list are B.G. Burkett’s Stolen Valor, which will demolish everything you think you know about Vietnam; Correlli Barnett’s Collapse of British Power, a remarkably angry work of cultural history and imperial strategy; Christopher Andrew’s Sword and the Shield, the story of the KGB and of the greatest intelligence coup of the Cold War; and J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, a conservative epic of grand strategy. At the top of the list sits, securely, David M. Potter’s The Impending Crisis, 1848-1861."

Mexico, Guns, and the U.S.

Delegate Norton Calls on Mexico to Be “Very, Very Angry” With U.S., Heritage Foundation Foundry, July 16, 2009. "In a recent meeting of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) told Lanny Breuer, Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division within the Justice Department, that it was 'extremely embarrassing that Mexico has been as kind to us.' According to Delegate Norton, the U.S. bears primary responsibility for the armed lawlessness of Mexico’s drug cartels. From the Mexican perspective, Delegate Norton argued the U.S. is 'essentially shipping down arms to kill my people'. If she were Mexican, she 'would have been very, very angry at the Big Kahuna in the north.' "

Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity

Happy Bastille Day!, Contentions, July 14, 2009. "There are two traditional ways to mark Bastille Day. First, parades. This year’s festivities were noteworthy for the inclusion of 400 Indian troops, to celebrate, as AFP put it, France’s “strategic relationship with the world’s biggest democracy.” Personally, I thought Clive of India pretty much put an end to Franco-Indian ties, but it turns out that AFP is referring to India’s appetite for France’s nuclear reactors and world-beating military technology (insert joke here). Why is it that European “strategic relationships” are mostly about money? The other way to celebrate is by burning cars and attacking the police."

What I'll Be Working On For The Next Year

Britain's Defense Review, Heritage Foundation Foundry, July 13, 2009. "On Tuesday, the British Government announced that it is beginning a process that will lead to a Defense Review in 2010. The review will take place in two parts. First, a Green Paper will assess the purposes and conduct of British defense policy. Then, after the general election, a broader defense review, with cost estimates, will be published. There is no question: Britain needs a defense review. It has not had one since 1998. And though that review has been supplemented several times post-9/11, it was never as coherent a statement of defense doctrine as legend has made it out to be. But there are many questions to be asked about this announcement, both on form and substance."

US-UK Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty

The U.S.-U.K. Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty Merits Early Consideration, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2542, July 13, 2009. "The U.S.-U.K. Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty will permit the U.S. to trade most defense articles with Great Britain without an export license or other written authorization."

The UN Teaches A Lesson In Sudan

When Disarmament Equals Death, Contentions, July 11, 2009. "David B. Kopel, the Research Director of the Independence Institute, and two of his colleagues related a fascinating and depressing story about the disarmament process in Sudan. In 2005, the U.S. brokered the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which is supposed to devolve most power in southern Sudan to an autonomous government. Part of this process was the disarmament of civilians, and of militias that were not to be incorporated into the Sudan People’s Liberation Army."

Wow, She Really Said That

What Did Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg Mean?, Contentions, July 11, 2009. "From her upcoming Sunday interview with the New York Times: 'Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe [v. Wade] was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of. So that Roe was going to be then set up for Medicaid funding for abortion.' "

On Academic Freedom

Freedom Without Responsibility, Contentions, July 11, 2009. "The facts of the case are not in dispute. On January 19, 2009, UCSB Sociology Professor William Robinson, then engaged in teaching a course on globalization, 'sent an email to students comparing the Israeli occupation of Gaza with the Nazi-controlled Warsaw Ghetto during World War II.' The email contained 42 photos, which Robinson, who specializes in Latin America, had pulled off of the internet, and, among other commentary, the following passage: 'Gaza is Israel’s Warsaw . . .' "

Why I'm Cynical About Big Government

G8: Summits, Cynicism, and the Activist State, New Ledger, July 10, 2009. "The Group of Eight summit that closes on Friday is being hosted by Italy in L’Aquila. The summit was to have been held in La Maddalena, on Sardinia, but the venue was shifted after an earthquake hit L’Aquila in April as a “show of solidarity” with the victims. The move sums up the politics of gesture that these all too frequent summits embody. This one comes only two months after the G-20 meeting in London, and two months before the next G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, which will be the third such assembly in a year. One summit is an adventure; two are routine. After that, it’s publicity by hyperactivity, and activity as a substitute for achievement."

No One Notices When Brown Comes To Town

Brown Presides Over A Diminished Britain, Yorkshire Post, July 9, 2009. "Gordon Brown joined other world leaders in Italy this week for the annual G8 summit. The problem, from his perspective, is that no-one notices when Gordon comes to town." This op-ed was written in my personal capacity.

Will Britain Shoot Down the F-35?

Is The British Purchase of the F-35 at Risk?, Heritage Foundation Foundry, July 8, 2009. "The British Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has published a “Strategic Security Review.” The IPPR is not just any think tank: in the 1990s, its work formed the basis for many of the domestic programs that New Labour undertook when it came into power in 1997. It has since lost a little of its former eminence, and has never been a leading voice in defense and security affairs, but it is still one of the largest, best funded, and best connected think tanks in Britain. Among the conclusions of the “Review,” which was composed by a commission that included co-chairman Lord George Robertson, a former NATO Secretary General and British Secretary of State for Defense, is the finding that Britain should consider the “complete cancellation of some equipment programs.” Specifically at risk are the new Type 45 air defense destroyer, the Astute class of hunter-killer submarines, Britain’s two new aircraft carriers, and the F-35 fighter, commonly known as the Joint Strike Fighter."

First Venezuela, Then Honduras

The Honduran Re-Run, Contentions, July 7, 2009. "Jamie Kirchick, Rich Richman, and J.G. Thayer have offered persuasive comments on the Honduran crisis, which is rapidly turning into a kind of political Rorschach test. If you are the Christian Science Monitor, you sigh that “The fact a military coup occurred apparently against U.S. wishes suggests how American dominance in the region has waned,” a verdict that nicely condemns Zelaya’s ouster as a coup, insinuates that the U.S. may secretly have been involved in it, and uses the occasion to applaud the decline and fall of the American empire. If, like the Obama Administration, you want to ‘engage’ America’s enemies into placidity, Honduras offers an opportunity to stand alongside Hugo Chavez and the Castros in defense of what is implausibly called democracy."

Contradictory Aims at the G-8 Summit

Summit Meets, World Yawns, Contentions, July 6, 2009. "This week, on July 8-10, Italy will host the G8 Summit in L’Aquila. Italian planning for the Summit has emphasized what it asserts is the need to make the G8 “more representative and more efficient” by involving China, India, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, and Egypt, and to “to bring the institutions closer to people by focusing on their real problems, with the financial and economic crisis toping the list” by developing a “new global governance” structure. Italy has also stated that it plans to “[step] up the drive for consensus ahead of the UN conference on the climate in Copenhagen,” to promote “dialogues between producers and consumers [of energy] with the objective of reaching a stable prize [sic, for price] scheme,” and to oppose “food protectionism.” These goals are all delightfully contradictory."

Washington's First Farewell Address

Happy in the Confirmation of Our Independence and Sovereignty, Heritage Foundation Foundry, July 3, 2009. "On December 23, 1783, General George Washington resigned his commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Army to Congress, which met then in the State House in Annapolis. . . . And his words were great ones, worthy of appreciation then, and of remembrance now."

The Five Myths of US Defense Spending

Demystifying Defense: Exposing Myths About US Military Expenditures, Harvard International Review, Spring 2009, Vol. 31, No. 1. "The most serious impediments to a serious discussion of defense spending are the myths that surround it. Until these myths are cleared away, no rational debate regarding what the US and its allies around the world should do to secure their interests is possible. The most urgent need, therefore, is for politicians and the public to know how much the US and other powers spend, to place these expenditures and their trends in historical context, to weigh the dangers of both excessive and insufficient defense spending, to understand why the US and the world's democracies maintain armed forces, and why the US spends so much relative to its potential adversaries. Absent this knowledge, the political process that shapes defense spending in democracies will not work effectively, and their defense will suffer. In short, for today's democracies, defense spending is not an economic problem. A people who lack the will to pay will eventually find they are a target for those who have the will to fight."

How About Just Getting Out Of The Way?

Transatlantic Travel Stupidities, Contentions, July 1, 2009. "There’s something about travel that seems to bring out the worst in both the American and British governments. Exhibit A is American: the Travel Promotion Act of 2009. Introduced by Senators Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and John Ensign (R-NV), the Act would impose a $10 fee on visitors coming from visa waiver countries."

Is the Left Serious About Science?

Faith-Based Science, Indeed, Contentions, July 1, 2009. "My colleague at Heritage, Mike Gonzalez, points out a fascinating report available through the Competitive Enterprise Institute. It consists of the leaked work of EPA veteran Dr. Alan Carlin, and makes a serious argument that 'We have become increasingly concerned that EPA and many other agencies and countries have paid too little attention to the science of global warming…. the EPA is largely relying on scientific findings that are, by early 2009, largely 3 years or more out of date.' Dr. Carlin’s paper is substantial and deserves to be read in its entirety. But his takeaway is clear: the best explanations for global temperature fluctuations are changes in the amount of energy emitted by the sun, and, especially, oscillations in the temperatures of the oceans. The explanatory power of CO2 levels is much weaker, and, over the past decade, almost non-existent. . . ."

In Britain, Guess Who's Guilty of Racism?

Jewish Schools in Britain at Risk, Contentions, July 1, 2009. Last week, three British judges ruled that JFS, formerly the Jews’ Free School, in north-west London, racially discriminated against an applicant. The school is state-funded. The school sought to discriminate in favor of Jewish applicants certified by the Chief Rabbi — a procedure formerly thought to be legal, as long as the school was oversubscribed and the discrimination was not based on ethnicity. The judges found that, contrary to a decision by a lower court, what had been “characterised as religious grounds were in fact racial grounds, despite their theological motivation.” In short, the judges held, Jews are an ethnicity, and therefore are not eligible to maintain state-supported schools discriminating in favor of Jewish students, no matter whether they are oversubscribed or not, because such discrimination would be inherently racist."

Why The Unions Don't Like PFI

Labour's Hidden Debt -- And How Not to Fix It, Contentions, June 30, 2009. "If the government wants to spend money on a program — presuming it’s unwilling to simply roll the printing presses — it must choose between two ways of acquiring the needed funds. It can borrow the money, or it can raise it through taxation. Neither source is ideal. The disadvantage of raising taxes is obvious. The disadvantage of borrowing stems from markets taking notice, and — if you do it often and irresponsibly enough — punishing you for it. In Britain, Labour found a third way: i.e., writing very long-term contracts to private firms responsible for building and maintaining capital assets, in return for annual payments."

In Britain, Defense Cuts Impend (Again)

How Not to Cut Spending: More Defense Cuts in Britain Loom, Heritage Foundation Foundry, June 30, 2009. "Not so quietly, a new conventional wisdom has taken hold in Britain: defense spending must be cut. Last month, the Economist, in writing about “the end of the New Labour orthodoxy on public spending” – the orthodoxy being that the public sector “should consume an ever-increasing share of national wealth” – stated in passing that only the Liberal Democrats had grasped the need to axe major programs, like Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent. This month, David Halpern, former Chief Analyst in Tony Blair’s Strategy Unit, writes in Prospect magazine that, instead of spending less on 'obesity, climate change or social exclusion,' British ministers should 'use tough decisions as a way of expressing their values—by switching cash out of fighter planes into stimulating our fledgling electric car industry, for example.'"

Cutbacks at Harvard

Harvard Cuts Back, Contentions, June 30, 2009. "Last year at about this time, Harvard’s endowment was $35 billion. In the first four months of the fiscal year, through October 2008, it lost $8 billion. Observers believe the losses may actually total $18 billion. Harvard relies on income from its endowment to cover about 35% of its budget. Late last week, a memo from Harvard President Drew G. Faust put two and two together. The result: 275 layoffs. Harvard had already skipped raises for 9,000 faculty and non-union staff and shed 500 employees through a voluntary early retirement program. It wasn’t enough. The reaction from union organizers at Harvard was predictable. . . ."

Financial Myopia from Finland

Why Europe Fears 'Tax Competition,' Heritage Foundation Foundry, June 29, 2009. "Back in April, after the G20 Summit, we at Heritage warned that the Summit’s attack on tax havens was, at best, an irrelevancy. At worst, it was “the start of a broader campaign to find new sources of money to tax and stigmatize as international wrongdoers states that, as an expression of their national sovereignty, have chosen to have lower taxes.” The idea that states that have lower taxes are committing a crime could not be more wrong. These states are using their political freedom to promote economic freedom. They are benefactors, not malefactors."

Engagement, That Magic Word

Morning Bell: Hot Dog Engagement, Heritage Foundation Foundry, June 29, 2009. "If one word can sum up the Obama Administration’s foreign policy, it’s “engagement.” From Cuba, to Iran and the Middle East, to Russia, engagement is the White House’s magic word, an incantation that it uses to justify everything it does. Engagement’s the improved, touchy-feely way of announcing that you plan to rely on diplomacy, and it’s all the more attractive to liberals as a result."

What's An Ambassadorial Post Worth?

Ambassadorial Posts to Covet – And One to Avoid, Contentions, June 26, 2009.

Koh Denies -- And It Works

At the President’s Suggestion – And Now, At His Command, Contentions, June 25, 2009.

Britain's Role in Spreading Islamism

Britain's Islamist Pipeline, Contentions, June 25, 2009.

Harold Koh on Feminist Justice

A ‘Distinctly “Feminist Procedure” ’, Contentions, June 23, 2009.

Public Sector Productivity in Britain

Spend More, Waste More, Heritage Foundation Foundry, June 23, 2009.

Bipartisan Support for Defense Trade Cooperation Treaties

Senatorial Backing for U.S.-U.K. Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty, Heritage Foundation Foundry, June 23, 2009.

Britain, Europe, and Obama

An Especially Fraught Relationship as Obama Backs Europe's Federal Future, Yorkshire Post, June 15, 2009.

The Obama-Berlusconi Summit

The Obama-Berlusconi White House Meeting: Advancing U.S.-Italian Cooperation, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2483, June 12, 2009.

Encouraging News on US-UK Defense Ties

The Obama Administration Supports the U.S.-U.K. Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty, Heritage Foundation Foundry, June 10, 2009.

Better Than I Expected

The Obama Administration's Treaty Priorities, Contentions, June 10, 2009.

On Britain's Elections (More After)

Labour's Loss: Britain's New Conservative Moment, New Ledger, June 10, 2009.

On Britain's Elections (After)

The Labour Party and the EU Take a Beating in Britain's Elections, Heritage Foundation Foundry, June 8, 2009.

On Britain's Elections (During)

Britain Polls, Brown Sinks, Heritage Foundation Foundry, June 5, 2009.

UKIP, the Expenses Scandal, and the Elections

Two Surprises in Britain's Elections, Contentions, June 5, 2009.

On Britain's Elections (Before)

What To Watch As Britain Goes To The Polls, New Ledger, May 30, 2009.

President Reagan's Statue in London

Honoring President Ronald Reagan in London, Heritage Foundation Foundry, May 29, 2009.

Will Europe Take GITMO Detainees?

Another Take on Europe and the Detainees, Contentions, May 29, 2009.

Brown's and Obama's Economics

Brown-onomics?, Contentions, May 29, 2009.

More on Obama and Dresden

When Obama Goes to Dresden, Contentions, May 29, 2009.

Visiting Dresden An Unwise Choice

President Obama’s Visit to Germany: Mythologies of Dresden Must Be Rejected, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2460, May 28, 2009.

The Private Finance Initiative and Britain's Defenses

Contracting Out in Defense: Lessons from the British Experience for the U.S. and Great Britain, Heritage Foundation Backgrounder #2278, May 28, 2009.

American Exceptionalism - Yes, It's True

American Exceptionalism and Its Enemies, The New Ledger, May 25, 2009.

Iran, So Helpful . . . .

Want Help Understanding Islam? Iran Stands Ready, Contentions, May 20, 2009.

When Lawyers Run The World

The European Convention on Human Rights Handcuffs Britain's Armed Forces, Heritage Foundation Foundry, May 19, 2009.

For God, For Country, and for Community Service?

Yale’s Jackson Institute and ‘Public Service’, Contentions, May 18, 2009.

Is Britain Part of the 'Anglo-Saxon' Model?

The Anglo-Saxon Model in a Hole, Contentions, May 16, 2009.

Why Banks Are Necessary

Re: Reality's Version of a Free Market, Contentions, May 16, 2009.

Government Pay Up, Private Pay Down

In Britain, Government Pays Out While Private Pay Shrinks, Heritage Foundation Foundry, May 14, 2009.

Who's Responsible for Credit Card Solicitations in Higher Education?

Higher Education, Inc., and the Credit Card Bill, Contentions, May 14, 2009.

Who's Responsible for Educational Failure in Britain?

Eugenics and Class in Brit Schools, Contentions, May 13, 2009. This was not the title I submitted for this piece, and I do not endorse the title it was published under.

Academia's Protests (Again) Against Conservatives

Get Out, He Explained, Contentions, May 12, 2009.

It Was the Government Wot (Mostly) Done It

The IEA on the Financial Crash, Heritage Foundation Foundry, May 12, 2009.

Now Lend-Lease Was Wrong?

Koh's Goal for the Legal Trade in Arms: Ban It, Heritage Foundation Foundry, May 11, 2009.

Was Edmund Burke A Conservative?

Edmund Burke and Grinnell College, Contentions, May 7, 2009.

How Much Does Local Government Matter in Britain?

Britain, the U.S., and the End of Local Government, Heritage Foundation Foundry, May 7, 2009.

On Halford Mackinder

Back to Mackinder. Really?, Contentions, May 1, 2009.

Yale Wants 'Fundamental' Questioning of Values

Yale Surveys Its Seniors, Contentions, April 30, 2009.

Is Our Countries Learning?

Britain's Armed Forces After the Budget, Contentions, April 29, 2009.

On Harold Koh's Pre-Confirmation Answers

Harold Koh’s Terminological Inexactitude, Contentions, April 29, 2009.

The Downward Defense Spiral in the UK Continues

Gordon Brown Launches Another Assault on Britain's Defenses, Heritage Foundation Foundry, April 29, 2009.

Assessing Obama's Foreign Policy Doctrines After 100 Days

100 Days: Three Doctrines in Search of a President, New Ledger, April 29, 2009.

Following Harold Koh's Transnationalist Logic

And Then What, Dean Koh?, Heritage Foundation Foundry, April 28, 2009.

On Obama's 100 Days

A long hundred days for anyone seeking substance from Obama, Yorkshire Post, April 28, 2009.

Confirmation Questions for Koh

State Department Legal Adviser Nominee Harold Koh: Questions on the Role of International Law in the U.S. Legal System, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2414, April 27, 2009.

Harold Koh and the Enforcement of Human Rights Treaties, Part 2

Harold Koh and the End of Human Rights, Redux, New Ledger, April 26, 2009.

Harold Koh and the Enforcement of Human Rights Treaties

Harold Koh and the End of Human Rights, New Ledger, April 23, 2009.

Koh on Freedom of Speech

What Happens When the First Amendment Meets Criminalization of Speech?, Heritage Foundation Foundry, April 22, 2009.

Koh on Durban: We Should Have Gone

Harold Koh on the Durban Process, Contentions, April 21, 2009.

The Careless Inter-American Convention

What Careless Diplomacy Looks Like, Contentions, April 21, 2009.

Harold Koh and International Norms

Harold Koh on International Norms and 'Skeptical' Nation-States, Heritage Foundation Foundry, April 21, 2009.

On the Death of Prof. Samuel Beer

Sam Beer, RIP, Contentions, April 20, 2009.

Harold Koh and Arms Control in the Americas

Harold Koh's Misguided Praise for the Inter-American Convention, Heritage Foundation Foundry, April 20, 2009.

On Harold Koh's Transnationalism

A World Drowning in Laws: Harold Koh's Transnationalism, New Ledger, April 17, 2009.

How Yale Supports 'Independent' Political Activity

Yale Passes the Plate for ‘Service’ Donations Among Students, Contentions, April 17, 2009.

On the Inter-American Arms Convention

Should the US Be the Bloodhound of Tyrants?, Heritage Foundation Foundry, April 17, 2009.

Wrapping Up the G-20 Summit

The G-20 Summit: Mistakes and Missed Opportunities, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2392, April 10, 2009.

Middle Eastern and Chinese Money in British Universities

Who Pays the Bills at British Universities?, Contentions, April 3, 2009.

An Initial Response to the G-20 Agreement

Bad News (Mostly) From Britain, Heritage Foundation Foundry, April 2, 2009.

The G-20 Summit Starts

The Circus Comes to Town, Heritage Foundation Foundry, April 2, 2009.

Propaganda Week at Yale

A Week of Propaganda, I Mean Service, at Yale, Contentions, April 1, 2009.

A Gathering of Illusions at the G-20

Summit of Illusions: Obama Heads to G-20, New Ledger, April 1, 2009.

Are the Three Circles Fading?

The Past, Present, and Possible Futures of the Anglo–American Alliance, Heritage Foundation Lecture #1116, March 31, 2009. This is a revised version of my remarks at the AEI panel on March 17, 2009.

The Meaning of France's Temper Tantrum

A Primer on the Implications of the G-20 Summit, Heritage Foundation Foundry, March 31, 2009.

CSPAN3 Video of Heritage Panel Preview of the G-20

The Implications of the G-20 Summit for the Political Sovereignty and Economic Freedom of the United States, Heritage Foundation, March 30, 2009.

What Europe Did Wrong

The Implications of the European Contribution to the Global Financial Crisis for the G-20 Summit, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2369, co-authored with Daniella Markheim, March 30, 2009.

Obama Goes to Europe

Obama poised to show Europe why it's dangerous to get what you want, Yorkshire Post, March 30, 2009.

European Theory and Reality on the Financial Crisis

Do As They Say, Not As They Want To Do, Heritage Foundation Foundry, March 30, 2009.

Imagine What He Could Do If He Tried

And Now, It's France's Turn, Heritage Foundation Foundry, March 25, 2009.

What We Expect We Expect From the G-20 Summit

The G-20 Summit Expectations Game, Heritage Foundation Foundry, March 25, 2009.

On Child Poverty, and Social Poverty

The Horror Behind the Horror Stories, Contentions, March 25, 2009.

It's Burn A Banker Day!

Will Only Radicals Get A Look-In at the G-20 Summit, Heritage Foundation Foundry, March 24, 2009.

Imagine What They Might Find If They Really Looked

Thank Goodness for the Obama Administration's Thorough Vetting Procedures, Contentions, March 23, 2009.

About Those DVDs . . . .

An Elementary Failure of Courtesy, Heritage Foundation Foundry, March 23, 2009.

The G-20 Summit: Potential Threats to U.S. Interests

The G-20 Summit: Potential Threats to U.S. Interests, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2352, co-authored with J.D. Foster, March 20, 2009.

What the British Armed Forces Need, in 3 Steps

Another Crisis . . . And Another Misjudgment as Britain Fails, Yorkshire Post, March 20, 2009.

And Now the Chinese Pile On

A Russian-Chinese Axis at the G-20?, Heritage Foundation Foundry, March 20, 2009.

If You Liked the Stimulus, You'll Love the Entitlements

Global Financial Crisis=Minnow. Entitlements Crisis=Whale, Heritage Foundation Foundry, March 20, 2009.

The (Really) Painful Side of the NHS

In Britain's NHS, A Death A Day Because the Doctor's Away, Heritage Foundation Foundry, March 20, 2009.

Do Islamists Hate Tennis?

Tennis, Anyone?, Contentions, March 20, 2009.

The Backstory of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

When Good Organizations Go Bad: The Case of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Contentions, March 19, 2009.

Why Is This Liberal?

Do You Smoke?: Twelve Easy Steps to Figuring Out, Heritage Foundation Foundry, March 19, 2009.

Winston's Right Hand Man

Patrick Kinna, RIP, Contentions, March 19, 2009.

In Putin's Russia, Crisis Watches You!

What Russia Wants from the G-20: The End of the Dollar, Heritage Foundation Foundry, March 19, 2009.

Nothing for Something

The Outlines of the G-20 Deal Emerge, and They're Not Good, Heritage Foundation Foundry, March 19, 2009.

Not Quite FDR

The Only Thing We Have to Fear Are Words Themselves, Heritage Foundation Foundry, March 19, 2009.

The Sad Fate of Liberal Internationalism

Why the United States Should Not Join the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2348, March 18, 2009.

My Panel Presentation on Anglo-American Relations at AEI

Anchor Allies Adrift: Can the United States Depend on Japan and Great Britain?, panel presentation with Dr. Michael Auslin (AEI), with comments by Tom Donnelly (AEI), hosted by Paul Wolfowitz (AEI), March 17, 2009.

Advice From Gordon Brown, Captain of the Titanic

Physician, Heal Thyself, Heritage Foundation Foundry, March 5, 2009.

A Lesson from Britain's Anti-Slavery Campaign from Gordon Brown

Brown's Telling Gift to Obama, Heritage Foundation Foundry, March 5, 2009.

The Lesson Gordon Brown Should Take From GATT

Brown's Bad History, Contentions, March 5, 2009.

My Financial Times Interview on Gordon Brown

US wary of British calls for global regulation, interview of Bromund in Financial Times, March 4, 2009.

Gordon Brown's Address to Joint Meeting of Congress

Live Blogging Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Address to the Joint Meeting of Congress, Heritage Foundation Foundry, March 4, 2009.

Now It's Time for Europe to Quit Durban

The United Kingdom Must Lead Europe’s Withdrawal from the U.N.’s Durban Review Conference, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2324, March 4, 2009.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

A Clip and Save Summary of Contemporary Liberalism, Contentions, March 2, 2009.

A Lesson from Britain on Computerized Health Care

The Crushing Costs of Addressing the Crushing Cost of Health Care, Heritage Foundation Foundry, March 2, 2009.

What Obama and Brown Should Do On Defense

Barack Obama and Gordon Brown Must Strengthen U.S.–U.K. Defense Cooperation, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2315, February 27, 2009.

Obama on Higher Education, Part 2

Re: Everyone, Back to School!, Contentions, February 26, 2009.

Chapter on Blair and Iraq in Casey, ed.

“A Just War: Tony Blair and the End of Saddam’s Iraq,” in Terrence Casey, ed., The Blair Legacy: Politics, Policy, Governance, and Foreign Affairs (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009). Available in PDF form on request.

Obama on Higher Education

Subsidizing Media Studies Degrees Will Not Help the Economy, Heritage Foundation Foundry, February 26, 2009.

The Wisdom of Basil Fawlty

Don't Mention the Jihadists, Contentions, February 25, 2009.

Live-Blogging The President's Address

No Love for Our Allies, Heritage Foundation Foundry, February 24, 2009.

Government's Not the Solution

Europe's Answer to the Financial Crisis?: Bigger Government, Heritage Foundation Foundry, February 24, 2009.

Another Week, Another $2 Trillion in Debt for Britain

Britain's Public Debt: Up By 1.4 Trillion Pounds This Week, Heritage Foundation Foundry, February 20, 2009.

Britain Inflates the Global Government Debt Bubble

Britain's Failing Credit, Heritage Foundation Foundry, February 19, 2009.

Pitchers, Catchers, and Economists Report

The Sports Stadium Lesson: Government Spending Doesn't Stimulate, Heritage Foundation Foundry, February 19, 2009.

The MoD's Bad Deal with the Treasury

The Brown Government Should Stop Mortgaging the Future of Britain’s Defenses, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2298, February 18, 2009.

Churchill's Uncomfortable Truths

Don't Ditch Winston, Heritage Foundation Foundry, February 18, 2009.

Lincoln's Lessons for Today's America

Lincoln’s Wish: Perpetual Peace and Friendship Between the U.S. and Britain, Heritage Foundation Foundry, February 12, 2009.

Smart Power

Dumb Power, Heritage Foundation Foundry, February 10, 2009.

Maybe It's the Wrong Kind of Snow

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like the 1970s, Heritage Foundation Foundry, February 6, 2009.

Why Get A Real Job?

Nice Work, If You Can Get It, Heritage Foundation Foundry, February 5, 2009.

The Economist's Article on Britain's Armed Forces

The First Duty of Any State, Heritage Foundation Foundry, February 3, 2009.

The Stealth Nationalization of Britain's Economy

The Stealth Nationalization of Britain's Economy Must Be Reversed, February 2, 2009, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2260, February 2, 2009.

Soviet Britain

Britain's Road to Serfdom, Heritage Foundation Foundry, January 30, 2009.

The US Grand Strategy of Free Trade Under Threat

UK Auto Bailout, Heritage Foundation Foundry, January 30, 2009.

The Anglosphere Recognized

President Bush is Right to Recognize the Value--and Values--of the Anglosphere, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2230, January 19, 2009.

Bush: The Post-War President

The virtue of Bush's presidency – he never forgot 9/11 atrocity, January 16, 2009, Yorkshire Post.

Against (Bad) Treaties

We don't need treaties, we need to tackle the dictators, January 12, 2009, Yorkshire Post. This article drew a reply from John Duncan, UK Ambassador for Arms Control and Disarmament, and a counter from me, for which see the bottom of the original article.