What’s going to happen when Assad wins the war in Syria?
Given the unexpected pace of events in recent weeks, the end of Syria’s seven-year agony appears to be very near. It is now all but certain that Bashar al-Assad’s government will win its long war against Sunni jihadists and their…
What happens when Assad wins the war in Syria?
There are many significant consequences to this outcome, and it’s crucial that we understand them Given the unexpected pace of events in recent weeks, the end of Syria’s seven-year agony appears to be very near. It is now all but…
Journal Entry #37
Nature boy. NORFOLK, CONN., JULY 15— For no obvious reason at all, I share a simple pleasure on a very fine Sunday afternoon. If there is a thought behind it that fits into words, it is only that we must…
Scholar Robert Meister on a new model: Using the financial markets to fuel historical justice
Revolutionary thinker and author of “After Evil” on how the financial markets could be leveraged toward justice Part 1 of my illuminating interview with Robert Meister, the author of “After Evil: A Politics of Human Rights,” explored some of the…
Is the U.S. About to Give Up on Its Lawless and Catastrophic Adventure in Syria?
The sooner the U.S. closes up shop in Syria, the better. The crisis in Syria, now seven years running, is on the brink of a decisive turn. In a short while, the Assad government will either succeed or fail in…
Scholar Robert Meister on America: Saying “the past is evil” doesn’t mean the evil is past
Part 1: A leading critic of “human rights discourse” on how we abandoned any sense of historical justice I first came upon Robert Meister a few years ago, when Peter Dimock, a singularly gifted novelist whose judgment I trust, urged…
If it’s hard for you to deal with Korean peace talks because of Trump, maybe get your head checked
The military-industrial-national-security-media complex now lines up steadfastly in defense of the wrong choice It is now more than a week since the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore, and still Americans have not come to terms with precisely what happened that fateful…
Journal Entry #36
Letters from a Reader and Friend. NORFOLK, CONN., JUNE 22—I am blessed with some loyal readers, among whom one or two or three stand out for their encouragement of the work, their support of the work, and a certain kind…
Journal Entry #35
A Second Pair of Eyes. LAKE WARAMAUG, CONN., JUNE 10—I do not know exactly when it was I realized what I had been doing all those years in Asia as a paid observer, an officially sanctioned outsider, someone who made…
Journal Entry #34
Epistle to the Australians. NORFOLK, CONN., MAY 31—Every time I pick up an edition of Quarterly Essay I envy Australians. It is published by Black Inc., a book publisher with discerning judgment, in Carlton, near Melbourne, and is among the…
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