Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Western shipments of long-range rockets to Kiev will compel Moscow to hit several targets around Ukraine. In recent days the US announced it would send rockets with a range of 50 miles to Kiev. On Sunday, London announced it would also send long-range M270 rocket launchers to Ukraine.
Washington
The Antiwar Comic: The Second Amendment
I'm a little nervous posting this. My fellow Libertarians usually know 2A way better than me! For more comics, visit the Webcomic Factory.
The Mark of a Civilized Society. Mark Skousen & Keith Knight
https://youtu.be/HX9SZHeDaoY Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure. A centrally planned totalitarian state represents a complete defeat for the civilized world, while a totally voluntary society represents its ultimate success. - Mark Skousen, Ph.D. and Jo Ann Skousen, Persuasion vs. Force (1992) Mark Skousen earned his Ph.d. in monetary economics at George Washington University, is the editor of Forecasts & Strategies, author of 25 books, and is the founder of FreedomFest. Save $50 if you use...
Russia Says US Gave ‘Written Guarantees’ on Iran Nuclear Cooperation
Russia says it has received “written guarantees” that US sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine will not impact its nuclear cooperation with Iran, as diplomats on all sides of negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal say the talks are nearly complete.
Jim Bovard on C-SPAN Today, 9:30 EST
Journalist and regular contributor to the Libertarian Institute James Bovard will appear on C-SPAN's Washington Journal this morning to talk about COVID-19 testing. You can watch his appearance, starting at 9:30pm EST, at this link.
COI #207: Is Biden Turning to Diplomacy with Russia and Iran?
On COI #207, Kyle Anzalone and Connor Freeman update the JCPOA talks’ recent developments and the Russians’ security proposals presented to Washington. Kyle discusses the Russians pulling 10,000 troops off the border with Ukraine and sending them back to their bases. This is potentially a show of goodwill before the upcoming talks with the U.S. next month. Kyle and Connor then cover some recent escalations that do not necessarily bode well for substantive diplomacy like the Americans flying spy planes over Ukraine not far from the separatist Donbas region. There is also talk of a...
The Human Under the Numbers
The story of Anne Frank is tragic. If not for the words that she wrote in her diary, she would be a digit of history. Her diary is relatable, and the thoughts that collected inside her being during a horrible time in history gives the reader an idea of who she was. She is immortalized because of the little things that she wrote, not because of any great deeds recorded by others. As a victim of tyranny she is remembered as an innocent murdered. She is a story found inside the numbers. Thanks to her diary, we have a human figure to know and mourn, despite the mechanized bureaucratic...
Salafis Throwing Bombs: How American and British Planners Partnered With Al-Qaeda Affiliated Groups At the Start of the Syrian Civil War
Introduction In the mainstream view, al-Qaeda did not play a role in the Syria conflict until Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi dispatched his deputy, Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, to Syria in August 2011 to establish a wing of the group there, called Jabhat al-Nusra, or the Nusra Front. Additionally, al-Qaeda allegedly did not carry out any military operations until December 2011 and did not announce its establishment until January 2012. However, there is evidence that al-Qaeda affiliated militants were involved in the Syrian conflict much earlier. Saudi intelligence...
For One Day, Protestors Stopped the War Machine
I’ve attended most of the major antiwar protests in Washington since 9/11. At a 2005 protest, a cop tried to whack me on the head with a wooden pole. At a 2007 protest, I snapped a picture showing George W. Bush hanging next to the U.S. Capitol. But my favorite protest was a potent little ruckus that I almost missed. On a sunny late summer day in 2013, I ambled to downtown Washington to hike with a bunch of folks who enjoyed bantering as much as I did. The route for the jaunt started on the National Mall, passing by the Smithsonian, heading toward the World War II Memorial and points...
The War In Afghanistan Is Over, But Its Economy Is Collapsing
While the Washington D.C. ruling class lectures the world about morality and human rights. "They're witnessing a sharp rise in cases of malnutrition here and across the country, with both mothers and young infants in particular unable to get enough food. The UN has warned that one million children are at risk of dying due to starvation over the coming months. International support, which propped up the previous government, was withdrawn after the Taliban takeover in August, whilst the country's foreign reserves, totaling around $10bn, have been frozen - chiefly by the United States."...