“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
Terrorism vs Guerrilla Warfare or ‘Freedom Fighting’
19 Feb 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, International law, law and economics, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, war against terror, West Bank
Understanding the Differences Between Terrorism and Guerrilla Warfare or ‘Freedom Fighting’ The terms terrorism, guerrilla warfare, and freedom fighting are often used interchangeably in popular discourse, yet they embody distinct concepts with unique characteristics and implications. This essay explores the differences between these three terms, focusing on their methodologies, objectives, and the ethical considerations that […]
Terrorism vs Guerrilla Warfare or ‘Freedom Fighting’
Interesting piece of history
10 Feb 2025 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economic history, International law, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left
Nicholas Reed Langen: The Use and Abuse of Citizenship Deprivation: SSHD v Kolicaj
07 Feb 2025 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, law and economics, war and peace Tags: British politics, constitutional law, Middle-East politics, war against terror
Any British citizen that happens to hold citizenship for another country could find themselves in an invidious position. If the Home Secretary decides that it would be ‘conducive to the public good’, they can single-handedly strip a person of their citizenship, and with it, their right to remain in the country. So long as the deprivation […]
Nicholas Reed Langen: The Use and Abuse of Citizenship Deprivation: SSHD v Kolicaj
Good question
03 Feb 2025 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economic history, International law, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror, West Bank
Minto’s Monsters
31 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, International law, law and economics, laws of war, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, war and peace Tags: free speech, Gaza Strip, Middle-East politics, political correctness, regressive left, war against terror
After the resistance fighters broke out from Gaza there was a “second wave” of people who came through the fence and it appears this group were responsible for most of the war crimes committed on that day rather than fighters from the highly-disciplined resistance groups – John Minto, TDB, October 6, 2024 Does the guy in […]
Minto’s Monsters
Some Jimmy Carter observations from the 1970s
01 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in business cycles, defence economics, economic history, economics of regulation, energy economics, macroeconomics, monetary economics, politics - USA, war and peace Tags: Middle-East politics
Usually I am reluctant to criticize or even write about the recently departed, but perhaps for former Presidents there is greater latitude to do so. I never loved Jimmy Carter, and I saw plenty of him on TV and read about his administration on a daily basis in The New York Times. I fully appreciate […]
Some Jimmy Carter observations from the 1970s
The Timeline of Crimes Committed by Bashar al-Assad
09 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in defence economics, development economics, economic history, economics of crime, growth disasters, International law, law and economics, laws of war, war and peace Tags: Middle-East politics, Syria, war against terror
Bashar al-Assad has been the President of Syria since 2000, inheriting power from his father, Hafez al-Assad. His presidency has been marked by widespread human rights abuses, war crimes, and violations of international law, particularly during the Syrian Civil War that began in 2011. As the leader of the Syrian government, Assad’s policies and military […]
The Timeline of Crimes Committed by Bashar al-Assad
Ending Assad’s rule is good, but the replacement may be worse
08 Dec 2024 1 Comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, law and economics, laws of war, war and peace Tags: Middle-East politics, Syria, war against terror
It looks like the Assad regime which has ruled Syria since 1971 may be about to crumble. The Civil War started 13 years ago but was thought to be at a stalemate, but suddenly two major cities have fallen, and opposition forces are approach Damascus. The fact Iran and Russia have started to evacuate their […]
Ending Assad’s rule is good, but the replacement may be worse
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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