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The Saudis, the Houthis and Israel

Is the Houthi crisis a diplomatic opportunity? Saudi Arabia has come running to Washington and even to Israel in its hour of need. Meanwhile, Riyadh’s feud with the United Arab Emirates continues to backfire, and the safeguard-breaking Saudi nuclear deal with President Trump has been submitted to Congress. With all of these moving pieces, there may be a checkmate forTrump to find. The point isn’t that he must answer the calls of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for U.S. airstrikes. Instead the Houthi blockade on Saudi oil has already become the impetus for the kind of ...

Mum’s the word on Qatar’s influence peddling in the US

Topping the chart of the truly brilliant propaganda successes those wishing Israel to disappear have achieved since Oct. 7, 2023, has been their skill in establishing the fashionable line that Israel, the victim of a genocidal invasion by those vowing genocide, is actually guilty of genocide. It doesn’t get much more brilliant than that. But honorable mention surely goes to their success in painting the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, supported entirely by American citizens, as nefarious for contributing tens of millions to American political campaigns while Qatar, a ...

Socialism destroys wealth and individual freedoms

Socialism doesn’t just destroy wealth. It strips people of their freedom. A growing number of Americans now support it. A recent YouGov poll found that 31% of people have a favorable view of socialism. Just 43% viewed it unfavorably. But among those 18 to 29 years old, socialism had a positive approval rating, 42% to 26%. There’s also a big disparity by education. Among those without a college degree, socialism’s net favorability rating is -17 points. Among those with a degree, its net favorability rating is only 1 point underwater. Polls like this are a bit noisy because ...

Politicians must understand our priorities and get their own straight

While politicians continue to behave as though they think our priorities are socio-cultural issues and remaining as divided as possible, ordinary people are trying to survive in a world where the challenges are something more along the lines of “Do I have enough money to fill up the gas tank this week and still get groceries on Friday?” A recent poll commissioned by Groundwork Ohio and the First Five Years Fund showed childcare remains among the significant challenges for families attempting to keep their heads above water. “When families are talking about the cost of living, ...

Doomsday scenarios over AI should not be taken seriously

In the satirical 1964 anti-war film “Dr. Strangelove,” fears of a “Doomsday machine,” an automated, unstoppable device programmed to trigger global nuclear annihilation if the Soviet Union is attacked, gripped U.S. leaders and the Soviet ambassador in the American “war room.” Predictions of doomsdays by various means have gripped, even entertained, the world for centuries. We are just getting over bogus predictions of “climate change” disasters and now comes artificial intelligence. AI insiders are telling TV interviewers that AI can potentially destroy the human ...

Go ahead and close Kennedy Center

Go ahead, President Donald Trump, keep the Kennedy Center closed. Don’t give it money for necessary repairs. This is low-hanging fruit for Americans done with your extortion schemes. They don’t have to submit to small-bore intimidation like this. They can just shrug at the demand that your name, with words of gratitude, be placed on the building’s facade. To use a different metaphor, they have bigger fish to fry. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is suffering serious structural damage. Some believe the Washington cultural center can remain open while necessary ...