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Did counterinsurgency work in Iraq? (No)

Most accounts of the Second Iraq War (2003-11) attach great importance to counterinsurgency programs in ending the conflict there. The shift from using heavy firepower to winning hearts and minds is said to have created a “Sunni Awakening,” which changed the course of the war and brought a measure of peace.

In retrospect, the effectiveness [...]

#IdleNoMore: What Do Protesters Want?

Dr. Dawg:

The other day, I got into it a bit with John Ivison, who expressed polite disdain for the allegedly “hapless” Chief Theresa Spence—and then admitted that he had no idea what her demands actually were.

That’s all too typical.

But not all of us who support #IdleNoMore are as informed as we should [...]

de Bellaigue: Sanctions On Iran Cause Economic Strife But Are Not Working

Christopher de Bellaigue on why sanctions on Iran have thus far been, and will likely continue to be, a failure:

The assumption is that the more Iranians suffer, the more their leaders will feel the pressure and either change course or be overthrown in a popular uprising. And yet, there is no evidence to suggest [...]

The Nagging Achilles Heel of a Suddenly-Viable Mittens?

Andrew Goldman on the roots of Willard’s tenuous, antagonistic relationship with so-called liberal media (especially the Globe).

ICYMI: The Choice 2012

Must-watching from PBS FRONTLINE:

Mitt Romney and Barack Obama have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to tell their own stories, but in “The Choice 2012,” FRONTLINE goes far beyond the headlines on a journey deep into their worlds, among their friends and family, critics, and closest colleagues, to understand what drives these men. Based [...]

RIP

Environmentalist Barry Commoner:

Commoner was a biologist and author whose seminal 1971 book, “The Closing Circle: Man, Nature and Technology,” argued for the connectedness of humans and the natural world. It said environmental problems were related to technological advances and had a role in social and economic injustice.

He conducted research that helped propel a [...]