Essays

There has been a lot of talk lately about pulling our troops out of Iraq. Most of the people suggesting as much complain that the cost of staying is simply too high. Not many people talk about the cost of leaving…

This essay is from an online news source called Stratfor Inc.. I’ve been a subscriber for several years and though it is expensive it is one of the best sources of intelligent analysis that exists. They are often referred to as a personal, shadow-CIA. If you want up-to-the minute news bites, then any of the major news sites will be more than adequate and a news aggregator will be more than you could hope for. But if you actually want to understand why a geopolitical even is important, what was the underlying reason for the event or what it means for future international relations then you need something more like this….

Originally published on Stratfor.com

Iraq: Jihadist Perspectives on a U.S. Withdrawal

By Fred Burton

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a nonbinding resolution to express disapproval of the president’s plan to send more troops to Iraq. Republicans in the Senate prevented a similar resolution from coming to the floor for a vote the next day. The congressional actions come during a period of vigorous debate about U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan — a debate that is being heavily fueled as presidential hopefuls from both parties begin to position themselves for the 2008 election.

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The Great Satan, that's what they call us. The Axis of Evil, that's what we call them. We can't forgive them for the 1979 kidnappings and takeover of the American…

Actually, even if you aren't in academia or don't hang around with academics then go read this essay. It's by Orson Scott Card, the author of many excellent books including…