The Unprecedented Nature of Israel’s Strikes on Iran
13 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in defence economics, International law, laws of war, war and peace Tags: Atomic bomb, Iran, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror
BBC News prioritises ‘aid yacht’ propaganda over factual information
11 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, International law, laws of war, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left, useful idiots, war against terror

Visitors to the BBC News website on the morning of June 9th found no fewer than three items relating to the topic of the UK flagged one-boat agitprop which had set off from Italy nine days earlier. Two reports appeared in the ‘updates’ section, both of which originally described the vessel using the word “aid”. […]
BBC News prioritises ‘aid yacht’ propaganda over factual information
Will the Haredi parties really force an election?
11 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
Unless it gets pulled from the agenda, the Knesset (parliament of Israel) may begin the voting process as soon as 11 June on a measure that would set an early election. This effectively could force an early end to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition of right-wing and religious parties. The two Haredi parties, United Torah […]
Will the Haredi parties really force an election?
BBC News framing of Israeli strikes on Hizballah assets in Beirut
11 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, International law, laws of war, war and peace Tags: Israel, Lebanon, Middle-East politics, regressive left, useful idiots, war against terror

On the eve of the 2025 Pessach holiday a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip, triggering alarms in towns in southern Israel. The following afternoon – the first day of that holiday – a missile was launched from Yemen, triggering sirens in central Israel and that was followed by another rocket attack from the […]
BBC News framing of Israeli strikes on Hizballah assets in Beirut
Should Israel let Greta get to Gaza?
09 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, International law, laws of war, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, useful idiots, war against terror
As you surely know, the “Freedom Flotilla,” which is a boat called the Madleen carrying a bunch of activists (most notably Greta Thunberg), is heading to Gaza with a bit of aid for civilians. (I heard it was enough aid for about a dozen Gazans, but I don’t know for sure.). Israel has vowed to […]
Should Israel let Greta get to Gaza?
“This is a circus”: The unmitigated bullying from Piers Morgan
07 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, laws of war, liberalism, war and peace Tags: free speech, Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror

Some time ago I was on the Piers Morgan “Uncensored” show for half an hour, talking about why biological sex is binary (see my post about this here). I now realize how fortunate I was, because I knew in advance that Morgan agreed with me and I didn’t face what Natasha Hausdorff faces below (and […]
“This is a circus”: The unmitigated bullying from Piers Morgan
San Diego State University Professor Celebrates Israeli Being Eaten by Shark
01 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of education, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA Tags: free speech, Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, political correctness, regressive left

A San Diego State University professor is under fire this week after celebrating the death of a former Israeli soldier who was eaten by a shark. Chicano studies Professor Roberto Hernández joyfully reported the death and mocked the victim as others joined him in the macabre celebration.
San Diego State University Professor Celebrates Israeli Being Eaten by Shark
Once again, pro-Palestinian protestors at the University of Chicago violate campus rules but don’t get punished
19 May 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, economics of education, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights Tags: free speech, Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left

If you’ve read about the various pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protests across American campuses, one thing you’ll notice is a general reluctance to punish demonstrators when they violate university rules. Of course protests are usually fine if they conform to First Amendment principles (though some schools don’t hold those principles), but they’re never fine when they […]
Once again, pro-Palestinian protestors at the University of Chicago violate campus rules but don’t get punished
“Why Won’t You Call Hamas Terrorists?” Piers Morgan vs Jeremy Corbyn Deb…
17 May 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, International law, law and economics, laws of war, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left, useful idiots, war against terror
More Gaza narrative promotion from the BBC’s Fergal Keane
16 May 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, International law, law and economics, laws of war, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror

For the past nineteen months the BBC’s Fergal Keane has been a man on a mission. On his periodic trips to Israel, Keane and his team have produced multiple reports presenting a monochrome and highly limited view of the conflict from the perspective of Palestinians, with most playing heavily on the emotions of readers or […]
More Gaza narrative promotion from the BBC’s Fergal Keane
Oregon Law Professor Accuses Oregon Law Review of Anti-Israeli Discrimination
14 May 2025 Leave a comment
in defence economics, discrimination, economics of education, politics - USA, war and peace Tags: free speech, Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, political correctness, regressive left

The University of Oregon has long faced controversies over the alleged political bias on its campuses, including celebrating the career of a professor who physically attacked pro-life students as a model of activism. It has been criticized for monitoring off-campus speech and unconstitutionally censoring dissenting faculty. Now, Law Professor Ofer Raban is accusing the Law […]
Oregon Law Professor Accuses Oregon Law Review of Anti-Israeli Discrimination
Our Mayor dons a keffiyeh
29 Apr 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, law and economics, politics - USA Tags: Gaza, Israel, Middle-East politics, political correctness, regressive left, war against terror

Ever since the City of Chicago dropped the charges against 26 pro-Palestinian students and two faculty arrested on our campus for trespassing, I’ve wondered whether mayor Brandon Johnson, elected in 2023, has some sympathies for Palestine contrasted with some opprobrium for Israel. (The city also refused to send Chicago cops to take down our encampment, […]
Our Mayor dons a keffiyeh
Arguments against ceasefires
27 Mar 2025 Leave a comment
in defence economics, laws of war, war and peace Tags: game theory, Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror
Calls for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas may stem from humanitarian concerns, but history and strategic reasoning suggest that the fastest and most enduring path to peace is through decisive victory. Drawing parallels with World War II, it becomes clear why a ceasefire at this juncture could prolong suffering rather […]
Arguments against ceasefires
Hawks, doves, Israel and Iran
13 Mar 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, defence economics, economics of information, economics of media and culture, Public Choice, war and peace Tags: game theory, Iran, Israel, Middle-East politics, war against terror

In The Conversation last October, Andrew Thomas (Deakin University) discussed the recent (at that time) military flare-up between Iran and Israel, likening it to a ‘game of chicken’:Israel’s strike on military targets in Iran over the weekend is becoming a more routine occurrence in the decades-long rivalry between the two states…There is a reason why…
Hawks, doves, Israel and Iran
Four dead hostages, including the Bibas family, handed over to Israel by Hamas
21 Feb 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, International law, law and economics, laws of war, liberalism, Marxist economics, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror

The inevitable happened this morning: Hamas turned over four dead bodies of Israeli hostages, encased in black boxes. And, contrary to my expectations, there was a ceremony, with posters blaming the deaths on Netanyahu and the Red Cross there signing documents. The bodies included the Bibas family (Shiri Bibas and her two children. four-year-old Ariel […]
Four dead hostages, including the Bibas family, handed over to Israel by Hamas
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