by Steve Saideman | 12 Dec 2011 |
Blackwater, the infamous private security contractor (that is, 21st century mercenaries), changed its name to Xe, but that didn't work. So now: ACADEMI. Really. I am not kidding. This seems to be a focus group mistake. After all, if you want to have the image of being decisive, forceful, reliable, and assertive, do you really want to identify yourself with academics who dither, passive, and cannot meet a deadline to save their lives? ...
by Brian Rathbun | 9 Dec 2011 |
Everyone gets rejected. And it never stops being painful not matter how successful or how long you have been in the business. Some of this is inevitable; not everyone is above average. But some of it isn’t. I thought that I would offer some ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ for reviewers out there to improve the process and save some hurt feelings, when possible. Some are drawn from personal experience; others, more vicariously. I have done some of the...
by Patrick Porter | 8 Dec 2011 | Featured
Finally after a busy teaching term I've got a chance to add some thoughts to the great post and articles by Jon Western and Joshua Goldstein on humanitarian intervention. Bottom line: I think Jon and Joshua make a robust case that not only can intervention work, but that the international community is learning effectively how to go about it. As they argue, it is a technique of statecraft that is being refined and better understood. It might not...
by Patrick Porter | 8 Dec 2011 | Featured
I was lucky enough to play a small part in a Radio 4 documentary that went to air yesterday on the 70th anniversary of the surprise attack by Imperial Japan on Pearl Harbor. Here it is on iplayer.
by Alana Tiemessen | 7 Dec 2011 |
Al-Shabaab, the Islamic insurgency wreaking havoc in Somali, appears to have joined Twitter. The @HSMPress (Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen press office) feed has a trickle of followers and posts today that offer some fighting words on the AU's peacekeeping efforts and the Kenyan military intervention, and laud al-Shabaab's cause and martyrs.@HSMPress with the rising economic burden of operation Linda Nchi, the much-hyped #Kenyan invasion has...
by Dan Nexon | 5 Dec 2011 |
The payroll tax fight in a nutshell.Republicans: Unlike every other tax cut we've dealt with in this congressional session, the payroll tax holiday must be offset. We demand spending cuts.Democrats: Fine, we'll offset it with a temporary increase in taxes for the .01% of the population that makes more than a million dollars a year.Republicans: No. We demand spending cuts.Democrats: Wait. Are you saying that given the choice between two policies...
by Alana Tiemessen | 5 Dec 2011 |
The International Criminal Court would "wither and die" was once the prediction of John Bolton, former US Ambassador to the UN. It seems that is not the case. There has been a dizzying amount of activity surrounding the Court lately, much of which underscores that judicial intervention is becoming a mainstay of conflict resolution and peacebuilding.Undoubtedly, the ICC will be the hot topic at your department's holiday party ;) Here's your...
by Vikash Yadav | 4 Dec 2011 | Featured
The second phase of the transition of security responsibility from ISAF/NATO to Afghan Security Forces has begun (the first phase began in July 2011). This means that roughly 50% of the population will now be under the protection of Afghan troops.Some of the areas being handed over are still quite active insurgent zones including many parts of Helmand, Ghazni, and Nangrahar provinces. For example, Ajristan, one of the districts in Ghazni, is...
by Vikash Yadav | 3 Dec 2011 | Featured
The chasm between Pakistani and Western reactions to last week's NATO attack on Pakistani forces seems to be growing if official actions/statements, media reports, conversations with friends on all sides, and ad hominem twitter flame wars are any indication.It goes without saying that Pakistanis are still in mourning for the death of their soldiers in what is a major national tragedy for a country that has had many national tragedies in recent...
by Dan Nexon | 3 Dec 2011 |
If you're that rare sort of person who doesn't avidly follows political machinations in South Caucasus breakaway republics, then you're missing some surprising developments in South Ossetia. RFE provides some good background:Tensions are rising in the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia following a clumsy attempt by de facto President Eduard Kokoity to thwart Moscow's attempt to install its preferred candidate to succeed him and...
by Jon Western | 2 Dec 2011 |
Unfortunately this ad from the South African fast food chain Nando is now banned:Nando's South Africa decided to axe its commercial after Mugabe loyalists from the Chipangano group had called for a boycott and other unspecified punitive action against the company."We condemn such adverts because it reduces our president to be someone without values," Chipangano leader Jimmy Kunaka told the BBC's Brian Hungwe earlier this week. Hmmm.... I...
by Steve Saideman | 2 Dec 2011 |
In the fifth book of the Game of Thrones series, it seems like every character at some point says: "Words are Wind." This means that a promise or threat is being made, but there may not be any credibility. Without getting sunk into an overly academic debate about the credibility of commitments, signaling and resolve, I just wanted to highlight a promise or two that might be "wind-worthy."Specifically, NATO, the US, the Danes, the Canadians,...