Autiello: Will True Christianity Please Stand Up?
Nick Autiello, Contributor
The notion that homosexuality is a sin and un-Christian is one that is less than a hundred years old. It is wrong, and has no basis in scriptural or historical reality.
SASSO: The Coming New Year
James Sasso, Associate Editor
As the tumultuous 2011 comes down to its final day, this column could contain an obnoxious summary of the year’s extraordinary events. Rather than once again discussing the protests around the world, the death of Osama Bin Laden, Fukushima, America’s political ineptitude, Europe’s demise or the increasingly frightful weather patterns, here I attempt to predict what 2012 holds in store.
SASSO: Kicking the Can
James Sasso, Associate Editor
For one of the first times in his tenure as Speaker, John Boehner has made a statement with which every American, Republican or Democrat, should fully agree; the two-month Senate bipartisan extension of the payroll tax cut fails to fix the nation’s problems sufficiently. Providing a short-term band-aid to a long-term dilemma contradicts what a responsible government should accomplish, but fits the pattern of contemporary American politicking.
CIOCCI: A Foolish Consistency
Mitt Romney is guilty of serial hypocrisy, Newt Gingrich is guilty of being a public intellectual constantly scrutinized by the media and others, and Ron Paul never ceases to remind me about one of my favorite quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Essays: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.”
AKMAN: Jon Huntsman’s Meaningless Campaign
Josh Akman, Columnist
Jon Huntsman did not participate in the CNN Debate in Las Vegas on Tuesday night. Short of his family and small (and getting smaller) campaign staff, no one really noticed. In a bizarre and counterproductive effort to impress New Hampshire voters Huntsman skipped the debate to protest Nevada moving its caucus ahead of New Hampshire’s, which has always been the nation’s first primary. It’s bizarre because no one else skipped the debate. It’s counterproductive because right now, Jon Huntsman is polling 6% in New Hampshire.
SASSO: The 99% Rising
James Sasso
Associate Editor
For the past month a movement has grown out of Zuccoti Park in New York with the potential to grab at the very heart of America’s problems. “We are the 99%” is not simply a catchy phrase used by frustrated jobless Americans , but a commentary on the disgraceful economic inequality that has arisen in the United States since the 1970s.
LIFSON: Obama’s Next Two Years
Matthew Lifson, Columnist
When Republicans storm Congress, we will learn whether Obama is a leader capable of growing his office or just a lucky figurehead temporarily enabled by overwhelming Democratic majorities.
MARIN & PETERSON: Recovering the Civil-Military Relationship
Paul Marin & Tim Peterson
To optimize the civil-military relationship is to reinforce its mutual incentive: victory. Both sides must uphold strategies of success over tactics of dominance to ensure a shared objective and recover trust.
PETERSON: A Civilian Wrestles With War
Tim Peterson, Associate Editor
Whether or not one agrees with a war, he should not surrender to its leaders carte blanche. The more that people engage with war, the more familiar they will be with its costs and benefits, the more they will be able to understand its necessity and to apprehend its excesses.
MARIN & PETERSON: Afghan Policy Changes Petraeus Should Make
Paul Marin & Tim Peterson
To ensure a successful withdrawal from Afghanistan next year, General David Petraeus must improve counterinsurgency efforts. We have a couple ideas on what he should do.
SIEFF: The Defense Department’s Need for Clean Energy Innovation
Adam Sieff, Columnist
The Department of Defense–the country’s largest single consumer of energy–requires a comprehensive energy strategy that will improve national security and strengthen combat capability.
STROSTER: Is Iran the Next Iraq?
Lianna Stroster, Columnist
As an advocate of peace, not war, one can only hope that such diplomatic means will be the resolution to preventing Iran from acquiring a crude weapon. Nevertheless, reality forces us to confront such an ugly truth: how much longer can the United States and its Security Council allies continue on the ineffective diplomatic path Iran?
Goldin: WAR IS OVER! (IF YOU WANT IT)
Why aiding development is key to success in Afghanistan
FULHAM: A Soldier’s Christmas
This Christmas season, Americans should keep in mind the sacrifices of soldiers whose work allows ordinary citizens to live in peace.
MEYER: OBAMA – Take a Lesson From Bush
Cynthia Meyer, Staff Writer Ideology: Very Conservative | Writing from: GWU As the war in Afghanistan heats up and the economy continues to suffer, our young president seems to be [...]
WALK: Pay to Win in Afghanistan
Michele Walk, Associate Editor Ideology: Moderate | Writing From: George Washington University In recent weeks, criticism of President Obama’s Afghan War policy has become increasingly vocal from both sides of [...]
SIEG: The Impossibility of Democratic Imposition
Can democracy be successfully imposed by a foreign power?
FLOYD: The Era of Persistent Conflict
Malcolm-Wiley Floyd, Staff Writer Ideology: Democrat | Writing From: Harvard University Make no mistake: universal access to healthcare is important for the wellbeing and security of our nation. However, in [...]
PERNELL: Executive Power? Depends On Who’s President
Mallory Pernell, Staff Writer Ideology: Liberal | Writing from: Carleton College A lot of criticism has been coming President Obama’s way about the healthcare reform bill. One of the harsher [...]
ROGERS: George W Bush Vindicated on the Streets of Tehran?
Conor Rogers, Editor Ideology: Republican A brief note about the connection between the 2001 and 2003 US Wars and Iran today It is no coincidence that the first ‘election’ in [...]