The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Anti-Monarchist Christopher Hitchens Stubbornly Resists Royal Wedding Mania

Give him credit at least for consistency: Convinced republican that I am, and foe of the prince [i.e., Charles] who talks to plants and wants to be crowned “head of all faiths” as well as the etiolated Church of England, I find myself pierced by a pang of sympathy. Not much of a life, is […]

John McCain’s Idiotic Advice on Libya

Obama never saw a problem that couldn’t be solved by tax increases. By the same token, John McCain never saw a problem that couldn’t be solved by more bombing: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Monday he feared a “stalemate” has developed in Libya that would lead to a more radical government in that country. McCain, […]

‘Mission Creep’ in Libya: Cameron Won’t Rule Out Use of British Ground Troops

The London Telegraph reports: The Prime Minister insisted that there would be no “occupation” of Libya, but repeatedly refused to rule out short-lived ground-level operations by British forces. Mr Cameron’s words, in a television interview, led to renewed warnings of “mission creep” in Libya. . . . It is understood that British Special Forces soldiers […]

Sunday Libya Update: Qaddafi Forces Strike Ajdabiya With Artillery Again

The see-saw struggle in eastern Libya has turned against the rebels once more, the U.K. Guardian reports: Muammar Gaddafi’s forces mounted a heavy assault on Libyan rebels holding the key town of Ajdabiya on Sunday in a sign that the regime is stepping up efforts to regain territory in the east of the country. Explosions […]

‘It’s a Beautiful Story. And It’s a Lie.’

A soi-dissant philanthropist is exposed as a liar: Some of the most inspiring and dramatic stories in the best-selling book, “Three Cups of Tea,” by Greg Mortenson, are not true, multiple sources tell “60 Minutes” . . . The stories in “Three Cups of Tea” have become the source of inspirational speeches Mortenson is paid […]

London’s Gay ‘Kiss-In’ Protest

This image is from a video posted by the U.K. Guardian: Two poofters got bounced from a Soho pub after they started kissing and — because everything is now political — there was a protest: The pub at the centre of a homophobia row closed its doors, as hundreds of people prepared to attend a […]

Daily Libya Update

If it’s Thursday, it’s a hopeless stalemate: Calls to arm Libya’s rebels and ramp up airstrikes have put the Obama administration on the defensive, after the U.S. dialed back its role in the military campaign last week. Without the U.S., NATO is worthless: President Barack Obama’s insistence that NATO, not the U.S., take the lead […]

One Of The Cooler Things In Afghanistan

by Smitty Lovely day in the Hindu Kush. I’m working around CJITF-435, commanded by VADM Harward, who is one of those guys who is such a Bad Mike Foxtrot that he simply doesn’t have to prove anything, emitting quiet, calm competence instead. In front of the head shed, he has a deck cool enough to […]

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