The end of summer 2013 marked the official end of the U.S. superpower status. Were Osama bin Laden alive today, he would probably not bother to attack the U.S. Yesterday's ACD blog proved to be prescient. As anticipated, Obama, the stillborn Nobel … [Read more...] about Syria: Obama’s Historic Retreat (Cont.)
U.S. Policy
Syria – Obama’s Leadership Test
As any and all Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Obama is expected to say that he's "war-weary." Such statement, however, at times the United States is expected to lead the world against murderous tyrants, is inappropriate andunexpected form the leader of … [Read more...] about Syria – Obama’s Leadership Test
How Ready is Obama to Face Assad and Iran?
The international media is rife with speculation about apossible Western intervention in response to last Wednesday's chemical attack on civilians by the Syrian government. We've had "all wind and no rain" on Syria after previous gas attacks. This … [Read more...] about How Ready is Obama to Face Assad and Iran?
Picking Up the Pieces
When a young, flibbertigibbet reporter asked the old Edwardian Harold Macmillan what might derail implementing the prime minister's promised political agenda, he rejoined, "Events, dear boy, events!" For the pseudo-aristocrat that he might have … [Read more...] about Picking Up the Pieces
U.S. Financial Market Vulnerability Goes On
Al Qaeda's attack on the New York's World Trade Center was preceded by Osama bin Laden's repeated calls to destroy the U.S. economy and its financial infrastructure by all means. While the U.S. seemed unfazed by Bin Laden's calls, the Chinese paid … [Read more...] about U.S. Financial Market Vulnerability Goes On
Another Reformist Shoe Drops in Iran
The Western media continues to extol as good news the election of Iran's "reformist" President Hassan Rowhani. Now, the U.S. and the West, still in denial about who really rules Iran (certainly not Rowhani), have been given another "sign" that Tehran … [Read more...] about Another Reformist Shoe Drops in Iran
A View from the Scorching Summer, Following the Arab Spring
The dominant country, in one of the most important regions of the world, experienced several years of tumultuous unrest, mass demonstrations, brutality, murders and chaos. This was followed by a parliamentary election, won by an extremist right wing … [Read more...] about A View from the Scorching Summer, Following the Arab Spring
The Frog and the Scorpion in the Middle East
The Obama administration's apparent focus on returning the Muslim Brotherhood to political participation in Egypt and keeping the Syrian conflict from metastasizing is deceptive. The administration's real effort is being put into making peace … [Read more...] about The Frog and the Scorpion in the Middle East
The Iranian “Reformist” Charade
The U.S. resolve to deny Iranian aggression, especially its ongoing nuclear weapons development, is giving the Ayatollah Khamenei and his new government operative, "reformist" Hassan Rowhani, the rope with which to hang the U.S. The more Obama … [Read more...] about The Iranian “Reformist” Charade
Identifying Roots of Flawed Police Culture
ACD has recently drawn attention to the growing problem of the militarization of U.S. police culture in the form of a blog article by Senior Fellow Bill Scott on the burgeoning use of SWAT teams. ACD is not alone in this, by any means, although the … [Read more...] about Identifying Roots of Flawed Police Culture