Wednesday, December 22, 2010

A Very Bad Christmas Card

A Bad Christmas Card, and in Retrospect, Even Worse, Contentions, December 22, 2010. "I don’t spend a lot of time hanging out on Liberal Democrat message boards. But a friend has pointed out a wonderful post – I hesitate to say it’s really in the spirit of the season, for reasons that will soon be obvious – by Stephen Tall on LibDemVoice, reproducing a Christmas card contained in the Conservative Party Archive and sent in 1938 by R.J. Rosie, a prominent physician, to Percy Cohen, a Jewish Conservative and then a member of the Conservative Research Department."

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Four Points to Critics on CIFTA

Responding to Cmments on CIFTA, Heritage Foundation Foundry, December 21, 2010. "Several comments have taken issue with my post on the recent Washington Post article on the supposed prevalence of gun smuggling from the U.S. to Mexico. I’m glad to respond to their concerns."

Monday, December 20, 2010

Too Many Academics?

Peace Studies and the Historical Profession, Contentions, December 20, 2010. "I don’t say this very often – heck, I’m not sure I’ve ever said it – but the latest issue of Perspectives on History, the American Historical Association’s monthly newsmagazine, contains an interesting article. In fact, it contains two of them, both of which gain additional interest when coupled with recent events in Britain and a piece in the latest Economist on “The Disposable Academic.” The only question is whether the Economist is describing reality or offering a preference."

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Oil for Food Kickbacks Wasted Again

Scotland Recovers, and Plans to Waste, Oil for Food Kickbacks, Contentions, December 19, 2010. "A Glasgow-based engineering firm, Weir Group, has been fined 3 million pounds, and had 13.9 million pounds of illegal profits confiscated, after it admitted paying kickbacks to Saddam Hussein’s regime. The Group, the BBC reports, made payments of 3.1 million pounds to the regime, plus another 1.4 million pounds to “an agent in Iraq” (regrettably not named in the judgment) in order to secure a contract worth approximately 35 million pounds. The Group, now under new management, fully acknowledged and apologized for its wrongdoing."

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Defense Is Not Just About Defense Spending

The Defense Budget Is Not Just About Numbers, ConservativeHome, December 16, 2010. "There has been quite a bit of public debate about whether the defense budget should be cut along with the rest of the government as we get our deficit under control. This debate usually begins at the wrong end of the argument. The U.S. spends money on its armed forces in order to fulfill the Constitutionally-mandated requirement to provide for the common defense, and because, like all democracies, it has interests it seeks to advance. These interests are not simply material: because the U.S. was founded on the belief that the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are universal, our interests are defined, in part, by our values. Before critics blindly take a hacksaw to the defense budget, they should explain exactly how they propose to defend America’s citizens, interests, and values by spending less, or spell out precisely which of those responsibilities they plan to abandon."

Monday, December 13, 2010

The Flawed Ottawa Convention

The Ottawa Mine Ban Convention: Unacceptable on Substance and Process, Heritage Foundation Backgrounder #2496, December 13, 2010. "By announcing a review of U.S. landmine policy, the Obama Administration has reopened the possibility that the U.S. could become a party to the fatally flawed Ottawa Convention, which bans the use of all anti-personnel landmines. Such a ban applied to the U.S. would seriously degrade the ability of the U.S. to defend itself and its allies, particularly in Korea. Furthermore, the very process by which the convention was created is objectionable because it undermines responsible diplomacy and the sovereignty of the United States and other nation-states. The U.S. should shun the Ottawa Convention and the associated process, and instead pursue reasonable arms control through serious diplomacy."

More WaPo Exaggerations on CIFTA

Yet Again, Media Exaggerates Scale of Gun Smuggling from U.S. Into Mexico, Foundry, December 13, 2010, "The Washington Post today ran a lengthy front-page story headlined “As Mexico drug violence runs rampant, U.S. guns tied to crime south of border.” The title pretty much sums it up: the Post states that an “unprecedented number of American guns [are flowing] to the murderous drug cartels across the border” and that this is fueling the violent battle between drug runners and the Mexican government."

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

My Take on Wikileaks

Forget About Leaks, The Real Problem is Slipshod Diplomacy, Yorkshire Post, December 8, 2010. "If you work in the government, and you disagree with a policy, you have only two honorable choices: follow the policy and keep your mouth shut, or resign and speak out. Over the past decade, U.S. officials – and in particular the State Department and the intelligence services – have cultivated a third way, an ethic of irresponsible leaking."

Monday, December 6, 2010

CIFTA, Again

CIFTA: More Than A Bad Treaty, National Security Policy Proceedings, vol. 3, Fall 2010. "My subject today is the CIFTA Convention, which has been negotiated under the auspices of the Organization of American States (OAS). CIFTA, in turn, is a Spanish abbreviation for the “Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials.” CIFTA is a bad treaty, but it is not simply a bad treaty. It raises three broader issues about the process and purpose of U.S. diplomacy that we should all be concerned about."

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

The US Election in British Eyes

In Britain, Shock and Awe at the Election Wave, Foxnews.com, November 10, 2010. "The British follow our politics far more closely than we follow theirs. That’s because what the U.S. does matters to everyone. Still, reading British coverage of American elections occasionally reminds me of the old joke that our two countries are divided by a common language."

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Four Ways to Think About the Tea Party

Tea and Sympathy for America's Disillusioned Voters, Yorkshire Post, November 4, 2010. "The White House's conspiracy-mongering is not surprising, but it is depressing. This country is too big, too diverse, to be deeply swayed by a conspiracy, on the right or the left. President Obama did not win in 2008 because of a left-wing conspiracy: he won because he ran a good campaign, because John McCain ran a mediocre one, and because people were tired of George W. Bush. Rather than indulge in the sickness of inventing conspiracies, it is more helpful to seek to understand why the Tea Party sprang to prominence."

Monday, November 1, 2010

Many (Sensibly) Not All That Enthusiastic About CIFTA

The CIFTA Enthusiasm Gap, Heritage Foundation Foundry, November 1, 2010. "In a “no news is news” story, The Washington Post reports that, in spite of nominal support from President Obama in April 2009, neither Senate Democrats nor the White House is enthusiastic about seeking ratification of the CIFTA treaty. That is good news."

Friday, October 29, 2010

Zombie Treaties!

This Halloween, Undead (Treaties) Haunt the Halls of the Senate, Heritage Foundation Foundry, October 29, 2010. "No, the undead aren’t Senators worried about the outcome of next Tuesday’s election. Nor are they the bodies of the departed, reanimated to feast upon the living. Citizens in the U.S. Capitol aren’t in any danger —well, no more danger than usual, anyhow—of having their brains sucked out and devoured. Rather, the undead in this case are treaties signed by Presidents past, treaties that are dead but yet still alive. Call them zombie treaties."

Yet More Unreality on Arms Trade Treaty

In Unreal Session. U.N. Promises to Press Ahead with Arms Trade Treaty, Heritage Foundation Foundry, October 29, 2010. "The Obama Administration believes that its demand for consensus-based negotiations will protect it against such an outcome. But in the end, its demand for consensus will be used against it, as the U.S. is the state that is most likely to object to any consensus that results from the negotiations. The crunch will come when the negotiations cross a U.S. red line. Given the pace at which the U.N. and its supporters are driving the ATT along, that will happen soon enough."

An American View of Britain's Spending Cuts

"From America, the Cuts Do Not Look Too Drastic," Yorkshire Post, October 29, 2010. Not available on the Yorkshire Post site due to technical issues. "In short, every Labour government since 1945 has run afoul of the skepticism of the markets. But yet, according to the left, there is never a good time to spend less. When the economy is up, it’s time to spread the wealth by spending more on the social services. When the economy is down, cutting spending will drive the nation into a depression and inflict untold horrors upon the poor. If that’s true, then the poor really must have been suffering under Labour, because Osborne’s plan is to reduce spending to the level it was at in 2007. In anything other than the shortest of terms, that will not be enough. Like the U.S., Britain has an aging population, and its entitlement programs are massively indebted. Saving billions of pounds now will not pay for trillions of pounds worth of benefits in the coming decades."

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Accounting for Defense Cost Inflation

How Much Will Defense Spending Shrink in Britain?, Heritage Foundation Foundry, October 28, 2010. "Defense cost inflation is not easy to measure, let alone calculate in advance. But the fact is that the British government admits its existence, but does not appear to include it in its calculation of the declining purchasing power of the money it plans to spend on defense through 2014–15. That means that, by that date, Britain will be buying even less defense than it says it plans to. That is not a good thing for Britain, for the U.S., for NATO, or even for the cause of accurate accounting on defense spending."

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

UK Cuts, Should Have Cut More

The U.K. Budget Cuts: Lessons for the United States, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #3043, with Nile Gardiner and J.D. Foster, October 26, 2010. "The British cuts will be closely watched by policymakers in the United States, who are keen to address the bloated budget deficit on this side of the Atlantic. And with good reason: Public spending in the U.S. has ballooned in recent years, and America is heading for a rude awakening of Greek-style proportions unless it reverses course—and rapidly. But for several reasons, the U.K. cuts cannot simply be used as a blanket role model for the U.S. to follow."

Friday, October 22, 2010

British Defense Cuts Are Too Deep

Spending Cuts in British Defense Review: Less Than Expected, But Still Damaging, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #3039, October 22, 2010. "On October 19, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced the results of Britain’s Strategic Defense and Security Review. This review, the first since 1998, has resulted in substantial reductions in Britain’s defense spending that will have dangerous long-term consequences."

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Defense Review Represents Continuity, Not Change

Hitler's Nemesis Still Carries a Big Stick, Blooomberg.com, October 21, 2010. "The British defense review, announced this week, has given critics an opportunity to misjudge the U.K. again, and many have made the most of it. But even if the cuts are carried out in full, Britain will still be a major military power. The review isn’t flawless, but it represents continuity, not change."

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Osborne Needs to Focus on Growth, Not Just Cuts

A Lesson and a Warning from Britain, Foxnews.com, October 20, 2010. "Today, George Osborne, Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer – the man responsible for Britain’s budget –announced the results of a high-profile spending review. He promised cuts, and he delivered. The question is whether the cuts will be deep enough, and Osborne’s other policies wise enough, to restore Britain to financial stability."

Monday, October 4, 2010

Security and Growth in the U.S. and Europe

Europe Needs Security. Europe Needs Growth. So Do We., Foreign Policy Digest, October 2010. "In one sense, the challenge facing Europe, and the United States, is the need for political leaders to present a coherent and sustained case for a stable and adequate defense budget. But both the U.S. and Europe face a more vital and more fundamental challenge."

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Labour Got What It Wanted In US-UK Extradition Treaty

Don’t Blame US for This ‘Wretched’ Treaty Saga, Yorkshire Post, September 29, 2010. "The simple fact is that Labour thought extradition from Britain was too hard. It acted, domestically and internationally, to make it easier, both for the EU and for many countries, including the United States. The Left thought this was a brilliant idea. Now everyone is shocked that extradition from Britain is easier. But that was the point of the exercise. Only one thing has not changed: the US still gets most of the blame."

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The U.S.-U.K. Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty Moves Forward

Senate Action on U.S.-U.K. Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty Represents Important Progress, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #3029, September 28, 2010. "The committee’s favorable report on the two treaties with the U.K. and Australia, and on the Defense Trade Cooperation Treaties Implementation Act, is a step forward, and a victory for the commonsense belief that the U.S. should treat Britain and Australia as the close allies that they are."

Monday, September 27, 2010

John Howard to Deliver Thatcher Freedom Lecture

Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard to Deliver Thatcher Freedom Lecture, Heritage Foundation Foundry, September 24, 2010. "On Tuesday, September 28, at 4 pm, the former Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon. John Howard, will deliver the seventh Margaret Thatcher Freedom Lecture at The Heritage Foundation, under the auspices of the Margaret Thatcher Center, on The Anglosphere and the Advance of Freedom."

Friday, September 24, 2010

What Brings Nuclear Disarmament?

Democracy, Not the U.N., Brings Nuclear Disarmament, Heritage Foundation Foundry, September 23, 2010. "If the President wants to move towards reducing the undoubted dangers that nuclear weapons pose to the security of the U.S. and its allies, the place to start is not the United States, or Britain or France or Israel—it is with understanding where, and why, nonproliferation has worked in the past."

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Obama's Decline and the Elite

Obama's Political Elite Leaves the Voters Behind, Yorkshire Post, September 1, 2010. "The graph of President Barack Obama’s popularity is stark. In January 2009, 70 per cent of the American people approved of the job he was doing. Only 20 per cent disapproved. Now, 50 per cent disapprove. Only 45 per cent approve. That is not just what conservative pollsters find. It is what they all find."

Monday, August 30, 2010

The U.S.-U.K. Extradition Treaty

The U.S.-U.K. Extradition Treaty: In the Interest of Both Nations, Heritage Foundation Backgrounder #2456, August 30, 2010. "Extradition treaties serve an essential function in cases that cross international borders. When the United States delayed ratification of the 2003 extradition treaty between the United States and Great Britain, the delay was heavily criticized in Britain. More recently, the ratified treaty has come under intense criticism in Britain. But the perceived problems are not inherent in the treaty or the fault of the U.S.; they stem from the fact that the past Labour government deliberately set out to make it easier, both bilaterally and through use of the European arrest warrants (EAWs), for foreign nations to extradite individuals from Britain. At the same time, Britain’s acceptance of EU judicial supremacy and the consequent erosion of British sovereignty mean that it is now harder to extradite a terrorist than it is to extradite individuals accused of less serious offenses. The new British government should defend British liberties and put an end to privileges for accused terrorists by asserting its sovereignty and creating a “reasonable basis” minimum standard for all extraditions—a standard that, though incompatible with the EAWs, is compatible with the 2003 treaty."

Friday, August 27, 2010

Churchill on Fitness and Leadership

On Winston Churchill and Former Gov. Blagojevich, Contentions, August 27, 2010. "On Fox News Sunday, a slightly incredulous Chris Wallace asked former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich if he was serious when he compared himself to Winston Churchill in his ability to come back from political oblivion. Blagojevich replied “You’re right, I’m not serious. I don’t smoke cigars or scotch, and I think I can run faster than him.” As Sir Winston died in 1965, it would be most surprising if the Governor was not fleeter of foot. But Churchill would have smiled at Blagojevich’s observations on smoking, drinking, and running."

Thursday, August 26, 2010

George Washington, First Principles, and Foreign Policy

Yes, the Founding Fathers Have Foreign Policy First Principles, Heritage Foundation Foundry, August 26, 2010. "James Downie, standing in for Jonathan Chait at The New Republic, believes that The Heritage Foundation’s view of the relationship between first principles and foreign policy is wrong, and contrary to George Washington’s vision. Inevitably, he seeks to prove his point by quoting Washington’s Farewell Address. His case would be even less persuasive if he’d read a little more, or a little more thoroughly."

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

The Rule of the People and Foreign Policy

First Princples and Foreign Policy, Heritage Foundation Foundry, Augsut 24, 2010. "One common way of thinking about foreign policy is that it exists in its own world, separate from domestic policy or the first principles on which a nation is founded. According to this view , the job of the foreign policy expert is to deal dispassionately with the world as it is, making no distinction between democracies and dictatorships, and shaping policy solely by cold-hearted consideration of the national interest. The Heritage Foundation has never accepted this way of thinking."

Monday, August 23, 2010

Adminstration Still Backs CIFTA and ATT

Confused Administration Keeps Pushing Conventional Arms Treaties, Heritage Foundation Foundry, August 23, 2010. "The State Department has posted a speech by Ann K. Ganzer, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Threat Reduction, Export Controls, and Negotiations. Delivered on August 4 at the South American Conference on Interdiction and Regional Security of Small Arms & Light Weapons, Ganzer’s speech sheds valuable light on the Administration’s intentions on several treaties, including the U.N.’s Arms Trade Treaty, and reveals serious contradictions and flaws in the Administration’s position."

Friday, July 23, 2010

The Arms Trade Treaty PrepCom Concludes

As Arms Trade Treaty Meeting Concludes, U.S. Frustrations Grow, Heritage Foundation Foundry, July 23, 2010. "The Preparatory Committee for the U.N.’s Arms Trade Treaty is nearing the end of its second and final week of meetings. The Preparatory Committee is not engaged in negotiating a treaty, but in defining what should be included in the treaty when it is negotiated. As a result, many of the statements by the participating states are very general. But enough has been said to show that the Obama Administration’s decision to participate only on the basis of “consensus”—which it justified as a way to ensure that the final treaty is satisfactory—was ill-advised."

Koh on the Declaration of Independence, Then and Now

A Sidelight on the ICJ’s Kosovo Decision, Commentary, July 23, 2010. "Yesterday, the International Court of Justice, in a nonbinding opinion that resulted from a referral from the UN General Assembly at Serbia’s behest, ruled that Kosovo’s breakaway from Serbia was not illegal because “general international law contains no applicable prohibition on declarations of independence.” Well, that’s a relief. On its merits, the opinion was correct. But this is exactly the kind of fundamentally political question that cannot be settled by the courts – especially not an international court."

Thursday, July 22, 2010

When Cameron Came to DC

PM Shines But Should Have Spoken Out On Fiscal Divide, Yorkshire Post, July 22, 2010. "AT least David Cameron's visit wasn't a fiasco. When Gordon Brown came to Washington last year, it was all too obvious that the US administration in general, and Barack Obama in particular, regarded him as a negligible figure."

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

What Cameron Should Say (Or Have Said)

Britain’s David Cameron Must Tell Obama the Truth, Foxnews.com, July 20, 2010. "In a relationship, troubles never come one at a time. The Anglo-American Special Relationship is no different. Obama’s early discourtesies – the ejection of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office, the gift of incompatible DVDs to Gordon Brown, who is partially blind – were minor in themselves. But they were a token of the president’s belief that Britain is just like any other European country – easily wooed, and hence of no real account."

UN's 'Programme of Action' on Small Arms

As the U.N.’s Arms Trade Treaty Process Begins, U.N.’s “Programme of Action” on Small Arms Shows Its Dangers, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2969, July 20, 2010. "In 2001, the United Nations created the “Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat, and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects” (PoA). The PoA is not a treaty. Rather, it is a mechanism for encouraging voluntary cooperation. The fourth biennial meeting on the PoA took place June 14–18, 2010. In 2008, the U.N. Secretary-General stated that the PoA’s results as of that date were not “substantive.” As a voluntary mechanism, the PoA posed few dangers and offered the hope of modest gains in cooperation to address illicit arms trafficking. The 2010 biennial meeting demonstrated that these hopes are unlikely to be fulfilled. The better facets of the PoA are being weakened, while its worst aspects are receiving additional emphasis. The United States should not yet withdraw from the PoA, but it should watch the PoA with care and be ready to withdraw if its unacceptable drift continues. This drift should be a warning to the U.S. as it embarks on the treaty process for the U.N.’s Arms Trade Treaty."

Friday, July 16, 2010

Cameron's Visit and the US-UK Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty

David Cameron Must Press for U.S. Ratification of the U.S.–U.K. Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty, Heritage Foundation Foundry, July 16, 2010. "The U.S.–U.K. Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty, which was signed in 2007 and ratified by Britain in 2008, has the support of the Obama Administration. But the Administration has not worked hard enough to allay the concerns that have so far prevented the U.S. Senate from ratifying the treaty. During Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to the United States, he should press President Obama to demonstrate his commitment to advancing the Anglo–American Special Relationship and improving the efficiency of defense procurement in both countries by announcing his intention to work with the Senate to secure the rapid ratification of this treaty."

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

U.N. Arms Trade Treaty Preparatory Committee Convenes

Danger Ahead: The U.N. Begins Work on the Arms Trade Treaty, Heritage Foundation Foundry, July 13, 2010. "Beginning this week, and running through July 23, the United Nations will hold back-to-back meetings of the Preparatory Committee for the Arms Trade Treaty. The Preparatory Committee will discuss the content of the treaty, in advance of a meeting of the Conference in 2012 to finalize the treaty and open it for ratification."

Thursday, July 8, 2010

The 2010 Preparatory Committee for the Arms Trade Treaty

The 2010 Preparatory Committee for the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty: Five Dangers the U.S. Must Avoid, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2953, July 8, 2010. "On July 12–23, the United Nations will hold back-to-back meetings of the Preparatory Committee for the Arms Trade Treaty. This process poses five serious dangers that the U.S. should avoid. If the U.S. does not do so, any arms trade treaty that comes into existence will pose a threat to U.S. liberties, to American interests, and to effective and serious diplomacy."

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Dr. Liam Fox and the US-UK Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty

Unfinished Business: The U.S.-U.K. Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty, Heritage Foundation Foundry, July 6, 2010. "In an important speech at the Heritage Foundation on Wednesday that demonstrated the new British government’s commitment to standing shoulder to shoulder with the U.S., Dr. Liam Fox, the British Secretary of State for Defense, issued a blunt warning that the U.S., Britain, and its allies in Afghanistan need to 'hold our nerve' and 'see the job through.'"

Sunday, July 4, 2010

On the 4th of July

President Reagan, Our British Friends, and the 4th of July, Heritage Foundation Foundry, July 4, 2010. "In 2001, Kiron Skinner, Annelise Anderson, and Martin Anderson edited a superb book that all friends of freedom, and of President Ronald Reagan, should read. Titled Reagan in His Own Hand: The Writings of Ronald Reagan that Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America, it published a selection of Reagan’s daily radio broadcasts between 1975 and 1979."

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Osborne's Doing Better Than Obama

Osborne Has A Long Way To Go, But At Least He’s Started, Yorkshire Post, June 30, 2010. "According to the Left, there is never a good day to cut government spending. When the economy and tax revenues are growing, the Left wants to spend more because it can. When the economy is stagnant and tax revenues are shrinking, the Left argues it has no choice but to spend more, in order to cushion the blow. The result is that progressive governments transfer money from savers to spenders, from the productive economy to the unproductive state, and from the unborn to the living. For progressive governments, the economy is a goose that will keep on laying golden eggs, no matter what they do to it."

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Advise and Consider on New START

Morning Bell: No Rush to Judgment on New START, Heritage Foundation Foundry, June 24, 2010. "Last week, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) expressed concern over the U.S.-Russian Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) now before the Senate. The senator particularly questioned the treaty’s limits on America’s “ability to advance our missile defense” and its “failure to deter proliferation and future attacks on our nation and allies.” Given the consequences that New START poses for U.S. national security and the calls for its swift passage, Inhofe is right to ask questions – and the entire Senate is obligated to do so, as well."

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

The Implications of Honorary Sovereignty

The Need for New International Institutions, The New Ledger, June 23, 2010. "A major challenge for conservatives, and indeed for everyone who believes in fundamental human rights, is to move away from de facto universal membership and towards a world with new international institutions. There is simply no way to derecognize abusive states – or to work effectively on a basis of genuine respect for sovereignty – unless we create new institutions to do it, ones that have standards for membership. That does not imply that all the existing institutions should disappear. But it does imply that, over time, they should lose their centrality."

On Defence Procurement

"Is Reform Enough? Assessing the Gap Between Challenges and Response in Defence Acquisition Reform", RUSI Defence Systems, June 2010, Vol. 13, No. 1. "The current enthusiasm for defence acquisition reform in the US and, especially, the UK cannot be understood outside the broader challenges facing the defence establishment in both nations. Indeed, while it is obviously important that the defence acquisition process be efficient, the hopes currently entertained for increased efficiency are out of proportion with the likely gains. In other words, there is a substantial gap between the broader challenges and the response in the realm of acquisition reform. The hopes persist because they promise to diminish the pain of the gap, and because they offer a way to justify strategic choices that would be less appealing if presented on their own terms."

Friday, June 18, 2010

If At First You Don't Succeed . . . .

The Most Active Recovery Act Season Yet!, Heritage Foundation Foundry, June 18, 2010. "As Mike Allen of Politico reports, Vice President Joe Biden has kicked off what the Obama Administration calls its “Recovery Summer.” According to senior adviser David Axelrod, “This summer will be the most active Recovery Act season yet.” It sounds like Axelrod has never heard the popular saying about what to do when you’re in a hole: stop digging."

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Introduction to Book on Obama Nuclear Agenda

Dangerous Road: The Nuclear Policies of the Obama Administration, Center for Security Policy, June 17, 2010. "On 8 April, 2010, President Obama and Russian President Medvedev signed the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or "New START," lowering the limit on deployed strategic nuclear weapons by either nation. The following week, President Obama hosted the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C., the stated purpose of which was to address "the threat of nuclear materials in the hands of terrorists or criminals." Against this backdrop, three panels of distinguished experts on nuclear policy convened in Washington, D.C. to offer critical assessment of President Obama's nuclear agenda-and whether it is compatible with maintaining an American nuclear arsenal that can credibly, reliably, and effectively address today's threats. The panels were organized under the auspices of the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, the Center for Security Policy and its New Deterrent Working Group."

Monday, June 14, 2010

Kick Them Out

Honorary Sovereignty and International De-Recognition, Contentions, June 14, 2010. "In his recent piece in the New York Times, “To Save Africa, Reject Its Nations,” Pierre Englebert, professor of African politics at Pomona College, advances an important — fundamental, even — idea: i.e., that sovereignty, understood as a privilege accorded to a state by virtue of international recognition, is based on the satisfactory performance by that state of certain basic duties."

The EU and the Tapas Bar

Defense of the EU Lacks Substance, Heritage Foundation Foundry, June 14, 2010. "In the latest issue of the Economist, a correspondent – Dewi Williams, a senior lecturer in European law at Staffordshire University – writes in to complain about the unfairness of the British dislike of the European Union. Williams argues that the reason why the EU is unpopular in Britain is because the EU hasn’t done enough to promote itself, and the benefits of EU membership."

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Action in US-UK Relations Happens Off the Field

Take Your Eye Off the Ball, Foxnews.com, June 12, 2010. "In one respect, the World Cup match between England and the United States is a study in symbolism. For Americans, it symbolizes, first, the fact of our exceptionalism. Unlike the rest of the world, we just don’t care very much about soccer. The fact that the U.S.’s first match is against England has brought out the second bit of symbolism: the U.S. media’s belief that England is the one nation against which American patriotism may legitimately be directed."

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Does Big Government Work?

Obama Waves the Big Stick But Can’t Stop the Oil Leaking, Yorkshire Post, June 10, 2010. "If the oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico is ever going to be shut off, the US government is not going to do it. BP will. Of course, they made the mess, so they should clean it up. But it’s not simply BP’s responsibility to plug the leak. They’re the only ones who physically can do it."

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Churchill At His Best

'I Am Ashamed of You for Writing Such a Letter', Contentions, June 3, 2010. "Time for a bit of encouraging news. Christie’s has just finished the first part of a sale of Churchill memorabilia collected by Malcolm S. Forbes Jr. Among the items sold was an exchange between Churchill and Eliot Crawshay-Williams, who had in the early 20th century been one of Churchill’s assistant private secretaries."

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Labour's Biggest Failure and Cameron's Challenge

Why Cameron Needs That Something Special to Get Britain Back On Its Feet, Yorkshire Post, June 1, 2010. "David Cameron has a big job ahead of him. This week, the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development said it again: with the exception of Ireland, the outlook for Britain's public finances is the worst in the industrialised world."

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Three Problems with the 2010 NSS

RE: The National Security Strategy of 2010. Or 2006. Whatever, Contentions, May 30, 2010. "If Max is with his former boss in being underwhelmed by the 2010 NSS, then I’m with Max. His comparison to Bush’s 2002 NSS is the first one that came to my mind: like it or loathe it, that NSS took the risk of actually saying something clear, bold, and controversial. Of course, Bush paid the price for that, which is why Obama — as every future administration will do — ensured that he fulfilled the legal requirement to produce an NSS in the most boring, committee-driven, toss-a-bone-to-everyone way."

Friday, May 28, 2010

What to Cut, and Not Cut, in the UK

Stop Focusing on Unreal Issues in UK Defense, Heritage Foundation Foundry, May 28, 2010. "DefenseNews, an influential U.S. publication, is running an editorial headlined “Britain’s Defense Choices: What To Cut.” The piece is an object lesson in how not to think about Britain’s defense problems going forward."

Example #7: Why the U.N.'s Arms Trade Treaty Is a Bad Idea

In Pursuit of Arms Trade Treaty, Slogans Substitute for Sanity, Heritage Foundation Foundry, May 28, 2010. "Amnesty International has a new slogan designed to drum up support for the U.N.’s Arms Trade Treaty: it’s calling on its supporters to demand a “bullet-proof” treaty. That’s cute. Unfortunately, what’s cute is not necessarily good policy, as Amnesty’s slogan illustrates all too clearly."

What the Euro Crisis Means for State Legitimacy

The Euro and Euro-Legitimacy, Contentions, May 28, 2010. "Ambrose Evans-Pritchard in the Telegraph and Francis Cianfrocca in the New Ledger have must-read analyses of the Euro crisis. Evans-Pritchard’s essay resists easy summary, but it makes the broad and depressing point that, in Europe, the left has offered a more persuasive analysis of the crisis than the center-right."

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Beinart, Pollak, and Liberal Nationalism

Re: Peter Beinart and the Destruction of Liberal Zionism, Contentions, May 27, 2010. "Noah Pollak’s superb piece on Beinart prompts, first, my regret that I left Yale just before he arrived, so I can’t claim to have taught him anything. But it, along with Benjamin Kerstein’s essay on “Liberalism and Zionism,” prompts a further reflection. Both Noah and Ben argue that Beinart exemplifies the vacuity of liberalism. As Noah puts it, “Because the history of the peace process repudiates so many of liberalism’s most cherished premises, liberalism is increasingly repudiating Israel. . . . In this way, the failure of the liberal vision is transformed from being a verdict on liberalism to being a verdict on Israel.” True. But it is both more and less than that."

The British Parallel to Gates' Proposals

British Example Shows Danger Facing American Forces, Heritage Foundation America at Risk Memo #10-05, May 26, 2010. "In a recent speech at the Eisenhower Library in Kansas, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated that “Given America’s difficult economic circumstances and parlous fiscal condition, military spending on things large and small can and should expect closer, harsher scrutiny.” Secretary Gates is right to point to the dangers of America’s soaring budget deficits, but his implication that the U.S. defense budget contributes significantly to the problem is incorrect. The measures that he and the Administration propose are the same ones that have already been tried, and failed, in Britain. The British example shows the danger facing the U.S. forces."

Friday, May 21, 2010

Once Again, Misleading Claims About Guns on the Border

President Calderon's Misleading Claim, Heritage Foundation Foundry, May 21, 2010. "In his speech before a Joint Session of Congress yesterday, President Felipe Calderon of Mexico made a bold claim."

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Calderon's Visit and CIFTA

What We Shouldn't Be Doing to 'Help' Mexico, Foxnews.com, May 20, 2010. "Mexican President Felipe Calderón is in Washington for a two day state visit from May 19-20. He and President Obama have a lot to talk about, ranging from reaffirming a shared commitment to the North American Free Trade Agreement to the vital need for both countries to emphasize competitiveness, technological innovation, and creative entrepreneurship. In Mexico, these policies will increase growth and employment and reduce the economic pressures that drive illegal immigration across the U.S. border."

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

President Calderon's Visit and the OAS Convention

President Calderón’s Visit Should Not Lead to Support for the OAS’s Firearms Convention, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2905, May 19, 2010. "On May 19, Mexican President Felipe Calderón will arrive in Washington for a two-day state visit, during which he is likely to urge U.S. ratification of the Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacture of and Trafficking in Firearms (commonly known by its Spanish acronym, CIFTA). The convention is purportedly necessary to stem the flow of firearms legally purchased in the U.S. and then illegally exported to Mexico."

On Trade Offs and Liberalism

The Politics of False Promise: New Labour and Barack Obama, New Ledger, May 19, 2010. "The lesson of New Labour’s fall has been lost in the United States. It should not be, for New Labour’s fate will also be Barack Obama’s. Unlike Tony Blair, Obama won high office at a time of foreign and domestic crisis. But he has doubled down by applying New Labour’s political and governing strategies nonetheless."

Britain's Skint. Are We Next?

"I’m Afraid to Tell You There’s No Money Left," Heritage Foundation Foundry, May 19, 2010. "When Britain’s new Chief Secretary to the Treasury, David Laws, walked into his office last week, he found a letter from his predecessor, Liam Byrne. Laws assumed it contained useful advice. But when he opened the envelope, he found that the letter – which he characterized as “honest but slightly less helpful” than he had expected – had only a single line . . ."

The OAS's Firearms Convention

The OAS Firearms Convention Is Incompatible with American Liberties, Heritage Foundation Backgrounder #2412, May 19, 2010. "President Barack Obama has called on the Senate to ratify CIFTA, the Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacture of and Trafficking in Firearms, but the convention poses serious prudential risks to liberties guaranteed by the First and Second Amendments. The convention appears to be an end run around domestic obstacles to gun control. Furthermore, ratification of the convention would undermine U.S. sovereignty by legally binding it to fulfill obligations that some current signatories already disregard. The U.S. would be best served by continuing existing programs, cooperating with other countries on a bilateral basis, and making and enforcing its own laws to combat the traffic in illicit arms."

Friday, May 14, 2010

When New Labour's Luck Ran Out

New Labour Was Lucky, Then the Luck Ran Out, Foxnews.com, May 14, 2010. "The only problem with relying on luck is that, sooner or later, it runs out. And that, looking back, sums up much of New Labour’s time in power."

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

On Weak British Election Analysis in Foreign Affairs

What the British Elections Were All About, New Ledger, May 12, 2010. "It’s not fair to say that Mark Blyth and Jonathan Hopkin’s piece in Foreign Affairs on “Labour Pains: Why the British General Election is a Referendum on Its Past,” is the worst piece of commentary I’ve read on the subject."

Monday, May 10, 2010

Lessons from Churchill to Cameron on May 10

In Britain, Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Man?, FoxNews.com, May 10, 2010. "May is a momentous month in British political history. By virtue of the respite it offers from Britain’s legendarily gloomy weather, it has witnessed more than its fair share of elections. And by virtue of the fact that good campaigning weather is also good fighting weather, May marks the most historic handover of power in modern British political history. Today is the seventieth anniversary of the beginning of France’s defeat at the hands of the German Army, of Winston Churchill’s entry into Number 10 Downing Street, and of Britain’s salvation."

Ten Recommendations to Britain on Defense

Ten Recommendations for the Next British Secretary of State for Defense, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2893, May 10, 2010. "The May 6 election in Britain has produced an inconclusive result. But no matter what the political color of the government, the next British Secretary of State for Defense will face challenges graver than any that have confronted the Ministry of Defense since 1940."

On May 10, From Churchill to Cameron

Churchill's Anniversary Offers Insights on Coalition Government in Britain, Heritage Foundation Foundry, May 10, 2010. "No matter what happens, the result is likely to be a coalition government. But the British experience of coalition governments has not been a happy one. And this is a particularly appropriate day to reflect on that fact, because it was seventy years ago today – May 10, 1940 – that the last successful coalition government in Britain was formed."

Friday, May 7, 2010

Preliminary Reactions to the UK Election

So, What’s the British Outcome Mean?, Contentions, May 7, 2010. "Jokes abound. One colleague tells me it’s a Mick Jagger election: no one got any satisfaction. I’m reminded of Zhou Enlai’s response when asked about the significance of the French Revolution: it’s too soon to tell. But at the risk of being proved wrong by political developments over the next few hours, and analysis of the results over the next few years, let me offer a take. First, one really heartening fact: as Martin Bright points out, it was a bad night for Islamists and fascists."

What America Thinks (If Anything) About Britain's Election

America Shies Away from Britain’s Woes, Yorkshire Post, May 7, 2010. "By and large, Americans are not much interested in foreign elections. Britain has always been the exception that proves the rule. That's partly because Britons and Americans speak the same language – or so Americans believe. But, of course, the Canadians and the Australians speak English, and their elections pass by quietly in the U.S."

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Does Free Trade Promote Democracy? Yes But.

Free Trade, But Not Only Free Trade, New Ledger, May 6, 2010. "Let me begin by agreeing, in part, with Greg Scoblete’s response on Real Clear World to my piece on humanitarian intervention and sovereignty in TNL last week. I’m happy to add freer trade to my list of ways that, depending on the circumstances, we may be able promote democratic change in foreign tyrannies or autocracies. Indeed, as I’ve pointed out elsewhere, a free and open economy is not just good at generating economic growth: it’s also a broader social and political good."

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

British Politics Need to Return to Traditions, Not Break Them

Something Must Be Done, Contentions, May 4, 2010. "A.A. Gill’s much-forwarded piece in the Times on Britain’s election is a delightfully readable mixture of wrong-headedness, error, and sputtering confusion, with some sensible ideas and superb acidity mixed in. There is a case to be made that the House of Commons is too big — though reducing it would only mean larger constituencies, and thus an even more tenuous connection between MPs and those constituencies. And there is an even better case to be made that, as the expenses scandal revealed, the Commons has been far too concerned with feathering its own nest. On the other hand, some of his ideas are revealing in their errors."

Reply to Max Boot on UK Defense Budget

Re: Not Your Father's Tories, Contentions, May 4, 2010. "Max Boot is worried about the future of Britain’s armed forces under the Conservatives, should they be so lucky as to win the election on Thursday. He’s right to worry, but this isn’t a Conservative problem. It’s a British problem."

Friday, April 30, 2010

Reply to Larison

Charles Lindbergh, Call Your Office, New Ledger, April 30, 2010. "Earlier this week, I published a piece [1] in TNL on “Sovereignty and Humanitarian Interventions.” In it, I argued that Prof. Mark Mazower’s “new realism” – as I put it – “comes down to a quest for stability and unenforced ‘legal norms’ at the expense of human rights. It is a call for détente with the world’s dictators, . . . .if U.S. policy is not based on a preference for democracy over dictatorship, the pursuit of stability will lead the U.S. to cold shoulder its friends and sidle up to its enemies." Daniel Larison has taken considerable exception to my thesis in a piece in the American Conservative."

More Good Choices at Yale

Yale Names Its World Fellows, Contentions, April 30, 2010. "Yale’s just announced its 2010 class of World Fellows, its pallid imitation of the Rhodes. Two biographies caught my eye . . . ."

Birds Of A Feather, Part 2

The League of Totalitarians, Contentions, April 30, 2010. "As a coda to my earlier post on the flocking together of the far left and the far right under the banner of the Palestinian Telegraph, you should read Nick Cohen’s superb piece in Standpoint magazine, which explores in painful detail the unwillingness of the BBC to tell the truth about recently deceased actor Corin Redgrave. The BBC memorialized him as a fighter against 'all forms of injustice and oppression.' Redgrave was actually a devotee of the Workers Revolutionary Party, a Trotskyist cult led by Gerry Healy, who reveled in what 26 of his female followers described as 'cruel and systematic debauchery.'"

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Birds of a Feather . . .

Conspiracy Theorists Flock Together, Contentions, April 29, 2010. "You may remember Baroness Jenny Tonge. Back in February, she was sacked as the Liberal Democratic spokeswoman on health in the House of Lords after she publicly called for an inquiry into allegations that the Israeli relief mission in Haiti was a front for organ-trafficking. It wasn’t the first time she’d been shown the door: in 2004 she was sacked as spokeswoman on children’s issues after she said she would consider becoming a suicide bomber if she lived in the Palestinian territories. The Lib Dems would appear to have a high tolerance for repeat offenders, at least as long as they’re anti-Israel."

Mr. Brown and the 'Bigoted' Voter

Uh, Mr. Brown, the Microphone's Live, Contentions, April 29, 2010. "Shades of Frank Drebin: Gordon Brown may have sunk his chances in Britain’s general election with an unguarded comment into a microphone he didn’t realize he was still wearing. After campaigning in Rochdale in northern England, he muttered, amid a stream of invective directed at his aides, that 61-year-old Labour supporter Gillian Duffy was a “bigoted woman” for questioning him about the impact on the British job market of immigration from Eastern Europe."

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Back to First Principles on Sovereignty

Sovereignty and Humanitarian Interventions, New Ledger, April 28, 2010. "Mark Mazower is a distinguished historian of Europe, and a professor of history at Columbia University. He has a piece in the latest World Affairs that sheds useful light on the rise and fall of the concept of humanitarian interventions. But it also reveals some common misconceptions about the relationship between sovereignty and international institutions, and presents a thoroughly contradictory vision of the road forward."

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Obama's Faulty Nuclear Vision

Obama Needs to Refocus His Vision Over Nuclear Weapons, Yorkshire Post, April 14, 2010. "Nuclear weapons are in the news again. But the focus of attention isn't dictatorial North Korea, whose weapons are under no international control. Nor is the spotlight on Iran's programme, even as its tyrannical leaders crush their own people, support terrorism across the Middle East, and threaten Israel's annihilation. The focus is on the United States. And, even stranger, it's the President of the United States who put it there by signing a new arms treaty with Russia. The spotlight will only brighten this week when Obama hosts his nuclear security summit in Washington."

Friday, April 9, 2010

A Faulty Nuclear Posture Review

A 'Declaration' Jack Bauer Wouldn't Make, Heritage Foundation Foundry, April 9, 2010. "The President’s recently-released Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) has come under intense criticism for its revision of the U.S.’s declaratory policy, the statement that sets out when the U.S. would consider employing nuclear weapons. Declaratory policy has two purposes. Publicly, it’s a warning. Privately, it provides the military guidance for building and modernizing the U.S. force, and so ensures the U.S.’s weapons are actually useable in a crisis. In other words, it makes deterrence creditable, politically and militarily."

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Tony Blair and the Chilcot Inquiry

Tony Blair is Not Perfect, But He Showed Courage and Judgment over Iraq, April 4, 2010, Yorkshire Post. "Poet Walt Whitman said of the American Civil War that "the real war will never get in the books". Never is a long time. But, like the Vietnam War before it, we now know so much that isn't so about the Iraq War that it will take a generation to clear away the myths. The Chilcot Inquiry has contributed nothing to this process. That is because it, too, is a manifestation of a civil war, in this case the one inside the Labour Party. The purpose of the inquiry is to assuage the tender consciences of Labour MPs by rubbishing Gordon Brown's predecessor, who is the only reason Brown is now Prime Minister." This op-ed was written in my personal capacity.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

The U.S.-Australia Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty

Now Is the Time to Seek Ratification of the U.S.-Australia Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2836, March 18, 2010. "The U.S.–Australia Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty, like its U.S.–U.K. counterpart, is in the American interest. . . . The ball is now where it has been since 2007: in the Administration’s court. With the President’s postponement of his previously announced visit to Australia, it is all the more important for his Administration to demonstrate its commitment to the U.S.–Australia partnership. The energy with which it pursues this opportunity of closer defense ties with Australia and the U.K. will speak to its commitment to defense procurement reform, sensible export promotion, and firmer ties with America’s closest allies."

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Rising Taxes, Declining Jobs

Less Economic Freedom = Fewer Jobs for Americans, Heritage Foundation Foundry, January 31, 2010. "What does America’s declining economic freedom mean for you? It means that America will create fewer jobs. And that means that Americans will be poorer, as well as less free."

Friday, January 29, 2010

Siemens (Sort of) Disengages from Iran

Annals of Disengagement, Contentions, January 29, 2010. "On Tuesday, Siemens, the German conglomerate, announced in its annual shareholders meeting that it has reduced its commercial ties with Iran. The next day, a company spokesman made that statement a bit more explicit: the company, he said, has 'decided not to conclude new contracts with commercial partners in Iran.'"

Thursday, January 28, 2010

State of the Union Lacks Substance on Foreign Policy

The President Looks Inward, Heritage Foundation Foundry, January 28, 2010. "In publicizing the President’s State of the Union address, Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett announced that one of the achievements of which the administration was most proud in its first year in office was its action to repair “badly frayed global alliances” and “to restore America’s leadership in the world.” That leadership was not much in evidence in the President’s speech, which is only fitting, because it has been lacking in reality as well."

Example #6: Why the U.N.'s Arms Trade Treaty Is a Bad Idea

The Media Spins More Nonsense About the Arms Trade Treaty, Contentions, January 28, 2010. "UPI is running a story that sums up a lot of bad reporting about a favorite liberal cause: the UN’s Arms Trade Treaty. The piece – headlined “Arms Trade Plagued By Corruption” – is halfway between reporting and editorializing. It’s occasioned by the arrest in Las Vegas, after a two-and-a-half-year undercover Department of Justice sting operation, of 22 Americans, Britons, Israelis, and others at an arms expo. They are charged with trying to bribe an individual they thought was an African defense minister to obtain a $15 million contract. Bribing foreign officials is a violation of the 1977 U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act."

American Leadership on Economic Goes AWOL

U.S. Can't Lead on Economic Freedom When It's Retreating, Heritage Foundation Foundry, January 28, 2010. "The news is out: the U.S. is falling behind on economic freedom. In the 2010 edition of the Index of Economic Freedom, the United States, for the first time, dropped out of the ranks of the free, and into those of the ‘mostly free,’ ranking eighth in the world and behind Canada in North America."

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The Index of Economic Freedom on Britain

The Mostly Free Anglo-American Alliance, Heritage Foundation Foundry, January 26, 2010. "The 2010 edition of the Index of Economic Freedom poses a frightening paradox. Around the world, the economically freest countries are, by and large, those with a British legacy. Indeed, the top five – Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland – were either founded or influenced by the British. Of the top ten states, only Denmark, Switzerland, and Chile were not, at one point, governed from London. The lesson should be clear: economic freedom, born of the thought of Adam Smith and David Ricardo, spread round the world with the English-speaking people, to the immense benefit of both their children and those who learned from them. And yet the two most important English-speaking countries today are sliding backwards."

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Under Obama, Worse Relations with Democracies

Obama Fails to Value America's Real Friends, Yorkshire Post, January 16, 2010. "At the end of his first year in office, President Obama has an amazing achievement to his credit. Under his leadership, America's relations have worsened with all the friendly democracies around the world. His vaunted popularity has proved to be no substitute for appreciating the value of America's allies."

Cameron's Launch Speech on National Security

The Conservative Party and British National Security, Contentions, January 16, 2010. "In a major speech on Friday at Chatham House, David Cameron set out how the Conservative party would approach the issue of national security should it win the forthcoming general election. His theme was the value of connection — both domestically, with an emphasis on what Britain has to gain from better joined-up government, and abroad, emphasizing Britain’s need to see conflicts as a whole, and to respond to threats before they become crises."

Foreign Policy After The First Year

One Year Later: America Retreats From Global Leadership Under Obama, Heritage Foundation Foundry, January 16, 2010. "The world needs American leadership. In the interwar years, we saw that the enemies of freedom advance when the great liberal and democratic powers of the day failed to lead. We saw it again in the dark years of the Cold War under President Carter. The alternative to an America willing and able to lead is not a paradise of peace through engagement. It is a world where the undemocratic, the unsatisfied, and the illiberal powers of the world advance at the expense of American ideals, American interests, and America’s allies."

Friday, January 8, 2010

Where's The Money Going in Defense?

Something Fishy in the Ministry of Defense, Heritage Foundation Foundry, January 8, 2010. "American commentators, like Michael Barone, are starting to focus on the fact that, while the recession has hurt the private sector, it’s helping the public one. A Rasmussen poll found that 46 percent of government employees say the economy is getting better while just 31 percent say it’s getting worse. In the private sector, those proportions are reversed. While the private sector economy has lost millions of jobs, the public sector one has been stable. But anything the U.S. can do, Britain, in this context, can do worse."

The Next Excuse for Cuts

The Next Defense Crunch in Britain, Contentions, January 8, 2010. "Contracting out in defense is an important public and political issue in both the United States and Britain. When based on the proper principles, contracting out allows the government to draw on private-sector skills and resources to deliver services more efficiently. But in Britain, Labour’s sketchy accounting methods for the cost of these contracts has created another snare for Britain’s defenses. These contracts, of course, commit the government to future costs. But because Labour has played accounting games that put these contracts on the department books but not the national ones, Britain’s total future obligations will be larger than those shown on the country’s overall accounts."

Thursday, January 7, 2010

American Manners, English Gloom

On A Letter from London, Contentions, January 7, 2010. "Geoff Dyer’s column “My American Friends” in the New York Times is hitting my mailbox from every direction at once. If you’ve not read it, you should: it’s fun. It’s got, of course, a few swipes at George W. Bush, Margaret Thatcher, and Tony Blair, but it’s really a love letter from Britain to the United States. Dyer points out that many of the British clichés voiced about America reflect either ignorance or a barely-disguised, liberal-elite desire to bring the U.S. down a peg or two because, as too many Britons are grumpy and desperate to feel superior about something, Americans must be made out to be inferior."

Gordon Brown Tells A Porkie

The Economy Drive, Contentions, January 7, 2010. "The parlous state of Britain’s economy and budget and the necessity of cuts in government spending should be common knowledge. The British public certainly grasps the situation. One manifestation is the data by the polling firm Ipsos-MORI. In its latest monthly “Issues Index,” which invites interviewees to name as many issues of concern as they care to, “Economy/Economic Situation” stands at 49%."

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

The Good Principle Behind The TSA's List

An Opportunity for Leadership, Heritage Foundation Foundry, January 6, 2010. "The TSA’s announcement that citizens of fourteen countries – Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen – will be subject to intensified airport screenings before being allowed to fly to the United States, and that flights originating in or passing through one of these nations will also face extra scrutiny, is both a problem and an opportunity."