Could Azerbaijan be the key to Israel’s strategy for successfully attacking Iran’s nuclear program? A report from Reuters suggests that talks are afoot between the two unlikely allies: [Azerbaijan’s support] is a far cry from the massive firepower and diplomatic cover that Netanyahu wants from Washington. But, by addressing key weaknesses in any Israeli war […]

Usually the mainstream media is kind to President Obama, especially on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but is that starting to change? Consider: The New York Times and the Washington Post are both thoroughly alarmed by the state of the region after 9/11/12 and the reporters if not the editorial pages have moved on from the “Blame Bush” […]

The New York Times has an interesting partial profile of ascendant Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who is slated to take over the leadership of China’s Communist Party at the upcoming party congress. The article outlines Mr. Xi’s decision as a young man to do a stint in a rural precinct as a deputy party secretary. Smart […]

Jesus warned his followers against double standards in morality. “Take the log out of your own eye first,” he said, “then worry about the splinter in your neighbor’s.”That advice has never seemed more apposite. In the last couple of weeks we’ve seen mobs burning and killing to demonstrate their righteous wrath over a sacrilegious video […]

Evidence is growing that the death of four American officials in Benghazi, including a charismatic and talented ambassador, came at a time when appropriate security procedures and precautions were not being taken. That at least is the burden of this story in the Washington Post, a story that few in the White House will enjoy […]

Georgia’s upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for October 1, may result in violence. Mikhail Saakashvili’s United National Movement, which currently holds almost 80% of the seats in parliament, is facing stiff opposition by an coalition of parties called Georgian Dream.At the head of the coalition is Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire businessman who made his fortune in Russia, […]

As everybody knows, there is no such thing as a global war on terror anymore. Instead we live in a harmonious world of interfaith comity with only the occasional criminal act that is quickly and competently handled by law enforcement officials. As a result we can cut our defense budgets and get on with the […]

Reuters reports some disturbing news from Egypt: Most Christians living near Egypt’s border with Israel are fleeing their homes after Islamist militants made death threats and gunmen attacked a Coptic-owned shop, a priest said on Friday.The departure of nine families that made up the small Christian community in the border area of Egypt’s Sinai peninsula […]

Technologist Brad Templeton has a few thoughts on how driverless cars might revolutionize modern transportation (h/t Alexis Madrigal). Think on-demand robo-taxis which are much more fine-tuned for the task they’re used for. The key insight: If one can hire a cheap specialized “robotaxi” (or whistlecar) on demand when one has a special automotive need, car users […]

You may have noticed a new trend among smaller retailers in your town: they’re foregoing traditional cash registers for iPads. Apart from making it quicker and easier for employees to ring up customers, these systems are increasingly making it possible for customers to pay using their smartphones by installing an app and paying over the […]