Brian Gongol
"Frustrated aspirations and failed delivery on promises will slowly turn the population against us"
NATO commander in Afghanistan rightly notes that concerns about their material well-being are upsetting Afghans and could make the military success into a long-term failure. Economics are the inescapable invisible hand behind all major events.
Fukuyama calls Bush "Leninist" over his application of "end of history" remarks
Francis Fukuyama says he always intended his theory about liberal democracy leading to the end of conflict as a gradualist notion, and claims that the Bush Administration mis-applied his theory
Russian company may launch floating nuclear power plants
There's a lot of wide-eyed reaction to the idea, but what exactly is so different about this idea from the use of nuclear power to propel submarines and aircraft carriers? US aircraft carriers in the Nimitz Class have two reactors apiece.
Should teachers pack heat?
Some Utah teachers are taking training in order to get concealed-weapons permits in an effort to deter school shootings. It's an intriguing idea -- presumably from the same line of thought that suggests that airplanes should contain armed air marshals. But schools should certainly apply a cost/benefit analysis: What's the likelihood not only that a school shooting may take place, but also that an armed staff member will be capable of responding in time and effectively enough to end the attack? And what, by contrast, is the probability that someone will be inadvertently injured or threatened by one of the concealed weapons? It's widely assumed that only firearms can defeat firearms, but that's faulty -- even at close range, an experienced shooter has only a 12% to 18% chance of hitting a moving target, and individuals trained in hand-to-hand self-defense techniques may be just as capable of ending a shooting crisis as armed staff members.
Air Force Memorial dedicated in DC
It would also be nice to get a memorial for the victims of Communism, though the best way to pay tribute to them is to fight back against Communism and socialism wherever they rear their ugly heads.
Bad hospital food means patients don't eat