The Secularist Delusion

by Bruce S. Thornton

Advancing a Free Society

The dubious received wisdom rationalizing our current intervention in Libya was crystallized in Senator John Kerry’s recent essay for The Wall Street Journal. For Kerry, the rebels in Libya are the same as those in Egypt, “peacefully demanding freedom and dignity.” Continue reading “The Secularist Delusion”

Our Libyan March Madness

by Victor Davis Hanson

National Review Online

The prognosis for Libya might be better if our president cared more about it than about the NCAA. Continue reading “Our Libyan March Madness”

America’s Sorta Rescue?

by Victor Davis Hanson

NRO’s The Corner

What a No-Fly Zone Means

Now that we are committed to a no-fly zone (an unwise idea, I think, given the absence of consistent aims or defined objectives), we must support it and ensure its success. Continue reading “America’s Sorta Rescue?”

Libya, What To Do?

by Raymond Ibrahim

National Review Online

As with Egypt, American sympathies instinctively side with Libya’s oppositional forces as they seek to overthrow the tyrant Qaddafi — and rightfully so. But where US foreign policy is concerned, prudence is in order. Continue reading “Libya, What To Do?”

Should We Intervene in Libya?

by Victor Davis Hanson

National Review Online

There are plenty of good arguments for imposing a no-fly zone in Libya. Without Libyan-government air strikes, the rebels might have a better chance of carving out permanent zones of resistance. Continue reading “Should We Intervene in Libya?”

Our Schizoid Foreign Policy

by Victor Davis Hanson

National Review Online

Are we stupid abroad by accident or design?

In the manner of a doctor, let us review the symptoms of our present foreign policy and then offer a diagnosis: Continue reading “Our Schizoid Foreign Policy”

Caught in the Middle East Minefield

by Victor Davis Hanson

Tribune Media Services

America seems trapped in an exploding Middle East minefield.

Revolts are breaking out amid the choke points of world commerce. Shiite populations are now restive in the Gulf monarchies. Continue reading “Caught in the Middle East Minefield”

Libya Without Gaddafi: What to Expect, What to Watch For

by Victor Davis Hanson

NRO’s The Corner

One of the most surreal experiences of my life — even apart from having a ruptured appendix and emergency surgery in a Gaddafi-government clinic — was a spring assignment in Libya to lecture on the Roman ruins there (which are quite impressive, since the neglect and ensuing 40 years of sand have, in counterintuitive fashion, been a protective cocoon from Gaddafi’s far greater ravages). Continue reading “Libya Without Gaddafi: What to Expect, What to Watch For”

Is an Egyptian “Democracy” a Good Thing?

by Raymond Ibrahim

Hudson New York

That democracy equates freedom is axiomatic in the West. Say the word “democracy” and images of a free, pluralistic, and secular society come to mind. Continue reading “Is an Egyptian “Democracy” a Good Thing?”

Show the World?

Exactly what will the people of the Middle East do?

by Victor Davis Hanson

NRO’s The Corner

By summertime, we will begin to see a new clarity in the Middle East. The old narratives — that American support for authoritarians undermined democratic awakenings; that Iraq was a catastrophe; that we need to reach out to totalitarian regimes like Iran, Libya, and Syria to ensure peace; that Israel continues to impede the future of the region — will, with the new unrest, be proven valid or invalid in a way impossible to imagine just a few weeks ago. Continue reading “Show the World?”