Category Archives: Musings and Polemics

Romney: Wrong on Russia

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Jack

When President Obama was overheard telling Russian president Dmitri Medvedev that he could be “more flexible” in negotiations on missile defense following the election, Governor Mitt Romney was quick to pounce, calling Russia America’s “Number one geopolitical foe.” The New … Continue reading →

Posted in In the United States, In the World, Musings and Polemics | 1 Comment

The GOP Presidential Primary Circus: Radical is Not Conservative

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Jack

Tom Friedman has a column in today’s New York Times that really hits home. Entitled “We Need a Second Party,” he bewails the absence of any evidence that the politicians competing for the Republican nomination for president have a clue … Continue reading →

Posted in In the United States, Musings and Polemics | 8 Comments

The Upside of Wikileaks

Posted on December 4, 2010 by Hugh Matlock

Today’s New York Times has an article that points up a positive aspect of Wikileaks… the opportunity for the public to appreciate the cogent analysis and creative writing of the U.S. Foreign Service. But perhaps the future impact of the … Continue reading →

Posted in In the World, Musings and Polemics | 3 Comments

False Labels: What Does “Conservative” Mean?

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Jack Matlock

Former ambassador Dennis Jett published a thoughtful op-ed Sunday about the media entertainers and politicians who call themselves “conservatives” these days.  I consider them propagandists for an ideology which is, in many respects, the opposite of conservative as the word … Continue reading →

Posted in In the United States, Musings and Polemics | 8 Comments

Pavlovsk, Khimki and the Price of Nature

Posted on August 7, 2010 by Hugh Matlock

“If all human life depends on plants, doesn’t it make sense that perhaps we should try to save them?” Jonathan Drori Scientists surely understand. Recent years have seen several large-scale efforts to preserve the genetic diversity of the plants on … Continue reading →

Posted in In the World, Musings and Polemics | 2 Comments