I did not surrender idealism when our only child was born, but rather I came to see the world and its strengths, flaws and dangers specifically in terms of her future. Before the birth of my daughter I entertained all kinds of ideas as to how the world is and how it should be and all the various reasons why. And much like Don Quixote, I tilted at many a windmill. But when our … [Read more...]
Saudi Women and the War on Terror
Saudi Women and the War on Terror by Mike KelvingtonIn the masculine-driven nation of Saudi Arabia, women are subordinate men and the state, yet, in the eyes of both, they serve as an important role within their society. Historically and contextually, the Saudi government sees women as weak and “depicted as needing to be protected, controlled, and guided within an … [Read more...]
Modern Insurgency as a Lingering Effect of the Industrial Revolution
The industrial Revolution, late 1700’s through the early 1800’s, was the incidental, if not intentioned, result of the Treaties of Münster and Osnabrück, 1648, which collectively are known as the Peace of Westphalia. Arising from and concluding the Spanish and Dutch 80 years’ war and the Dutch and Germany portion of the 30 years’ wars, the Peace of Westphalia established the … [Read more...]
5 Things I Wish I Knew before Deployment
5 Things I Wish I Knew before Deployment by Scott FaithMy wife and I were watching TV and I received a phone call saying I will be going on a deployment, details will be given at a later date. Instantly, I thought, “finally, it’s here! Now it’s my turn!” What I didn’t think about was all the preparation to leave. I, like other many young soldiers, was in a naïve mindset … [Read more...]
Identity Theft – Americans Overwhelmingly Concerned About Credit Card Fraud
Identity Theft - Americans Overwhelmingly Concerned About Credit Card Fraud by: Special GuestResearch conducted recently by the Unisys Corporation reveals that identity theft when it comes to credit card scams is Americans' number one issue.Can identity theft be scarier than terrorism?When people ask me, "How do I protect myself from credit card scams?" I tell … [Read more...]
National Identity Crisis in the Gulf States? A Puzzle For The Future
In reading a chapter titled, “The Oil-Driven Nation-Building of the Gulf States After the Second World War” from The Emergence of the Gulf States, I was struck by how fast the Gulf States have changed and evolved since 1971. By that year, all the Gulf States had earned their independence, mostly from Britain.During that same period, there was an oil boom beginning in … [Read more...]
Ikhwan: Harbingers of ISIS
Ikhwan: Harbingers of ISIS by Michael KelvingtonAn adage often attributed to Mark Twain states, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” As the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham, also known as ISIS, swept into Iraq from Syria in 2014, they employed grisly tactics and conducted atrocities which harkened back to the horrific techniques used by Al-Qaeda in Iraq, … [Read more...]
Gay Porn Actor, German Spy, and… Undercover Terrorist
Gay Porn Actor, German Spy, and... Undercover Terrorist by Scott FaithOriginally published in March 2017.Between Wikileaks, the recent US election, and the ever-unfolding domestic spying drama, intel agencies have been in the news a lot recently. The latest tranche of Wikileaks documents made me think of a story in the Washington Post I read a while back about an … [Read more...]
“Shirk:” Why the Islamic State Hates Shrines (and Kills Those Who Worship There)
"Shirk:" Why the Islamic State Hates Shrines (and Kills Those Who Worship There) by Michael KelvingtonOn 16 February 2017, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device that killed at least 83 Pakistanis at the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, a Sufi shrine in Sindh Province. It was a catastrophic attack which also wounded over 200 other innocent worshippers, and has already been … [Read more...]
Is Vladimir Putin Really Dr. Moriarty?
We know ISIS is bad because it killed people in San Bernardino and Paris. We know Iran is bad because it’s still developing nuclear weapons. We know Russia is bad…because…well, didn’t Charlie Rose once say something about that? Or was it Seth MacFarlane? Either way, as Americans, we know there is a threat from Putin's Russia, but many of us (including, of course, Donald Trump) … [Read more...]