First Principles

In search of the Unified Theory of Conservatism

First Principles header image 4

Entries Tagged as 'Foreign Policy'

Slightly Tape-Delayed, Almost-Liveblog of the #SCdebate

January 16th, 2012 · 1 Comment

I wish this debate had happened sooner.  Although it definitely helped that there were fewer candidates on stage – it’s not an accident that fewer candidates and no absurd timeclock led to a far more substantive debate than we’ve seen in the past. I haven’t seen a lot of the post-debate spin from other people […]

[Read more →]

Tags: 1st Amendment · 2nd Amendment · Big Government · Campaign '12 · Capitalism · Congress · Crime · Culture · Deficits and Debt · Drugs · Economy · Education · Federalism · Foreign Policy · Judges · Military Service · Mitt Romney · Newt Gingrich · Race · Republicans · Rick Perry · Rick Santorum · Ron Paul · Taxes · Voter Fraud

Wait – Which Troops Are We Bringing Home?

January 16th, 2012 · 6 Comments

Over the weekend a Ron Paul supporter dropped off this brochure at my house.  And by “dropped off” I mean “jammed it under my front door so it was actually inside the house when my wife got home.”  (Note to all campaign volunteers – when you do something that creates even the slightest appearance of […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Campaign '12 · Foreign Policy · Ron Paul

The World is Too Dangerous for Ron Paul

December 29th, 2011 · 1 Comment

Ron Anderson at Local So-and-So explains why he’s still in Paul’s camp, in spite of The Newsletters.  Ace of Spades explains why he is not.  (Hint:  It’s much, much, much more than newsletters.) I respect where Ron (Anderson) is coming from, but I’m with Ace. 

[Read more →]

Tags: Campaign '12 · Foreign Policy · Iran · Obama · Ron Paul · Sea Stories

Some Thoughts on the None-Too-Soon Death of Bin Laden

May 1st, 2011 · 2 Comments

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!  That’s thought one.  GOOD.  It’s nice when justice is served.  That’s thought two.  But this great moment is worth more comment and thought than that.  There are important political and policy lessons to be learned from this as the election to choose our next Commander in Chief heats up.  So, in no particular order… […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Foreign Policy · George Bush · Hippies · Military Service · Obama · Patriotism · Ron Paul · War on Terror

Non-Live Blog of the State of the Union

January 26th, 2011 · Comments Off on Non-Live Blog of the State of the Union

I couldn’t live blog tonight, as I had a class to teach.  But I listened to most of it on the radio, and watched the rest on DVR when I got home. I wish the entire nation could have seen Governor Sandoval’s speech last night, in order to contrast it with this one.  Sandoval gave […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Capitalism · China · Congress · Economy · Education · Environment · Foreign Policy · George Bush · Health Care · Iraq · Liberals · Nanny State · Nevada Politics · Obama · Partisanship · Patriotism · Principles · Republicans · Taxes

Liveblogging the State of the Union

January 27th, 2010 · 22 Comments

Well, no big surprises.  He made the same promises that he made a year ago, and the only difference is that now we can be even more sure he won’t keep any of them. The big takeaway from me on this was just how unserious this speech was. 

[Read more →]

Tags: 1st Amendment · Big Government · Campaign '10 · Class Warfare · Congress · Constitutional Law · Corporations · Democrats · Economy · Education · Environment · Federalism · Foreign Policy · Free Markets · George Bush · Global Warming · Health Care · Iraq · Military Service · Nanny State · Obama · Partisanship · Republicans · Taxes · Veterans · War on Terror

First Friday Interview

November 7th, 2009 · 3 Comments

Last night the Young Republicans co-sponsored Reno’s first First Friday event, and local activist and candidate for State Senate (Washoe 4) Todd “Taxpayer” Bailey was on hand with his podcast equipment.  Here’s his cast, with my interview at the begining: First Friday Podcast Thanks, Todd! The next First Friday is – of course – the […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Economy · Foreign Policy · Media Alert · Nevada Politics

Peace?

October 9th, 2009 · 5 Comments

When I heard that President Obama had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, my first reaction was just to laugh.  It represents a level of absurdity beyond which no other reaction is frankly possible.  Is there anyone out there who honestly can take this seriously?

[Read more →]

Tags: Diplomacy · Foreign Policy · Hippies · Obama

You Know It’s Bad When the French Call You A Wuss…

September 25th, 2009 · 2 Comments

French President Sarkozy, as reported by Breitbart’s BigGoverment.com: “President Obama dreams of a world without weapons … but right in front of us two countries are doing the exact opposite. “Iran since 2005 has flouted five security council resolutions. North Korea has been defying council resolutions since 1993. “I support the extended hand of the […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Diplomacy · Foreign Policy

Does This Count as Torture?

April 13th, 2009 · 1 Comment

I don’t know.  But if it does, sign me up. During his captivity, US marines forced Saddam, who was executed in 2006, to repeatedly watch the movie South Park: Bigger, Longer And Uncut, which shows him as gay, as well as the boyfriend of Satan. Sweet.

[Read more →]

Tags: Foreign Policy · Hollywood · Iraq · Movies · Silliness

Thank You President Obama – But Our Princess Is In Another Castle!

April 13th, 2009 · Comments Off on Thank You President Obama – But Our Princess Is In Another Castle!

Awesome!  Pirates, you messed with the wrong country.  And your exploded heads, courtesy some sharp-shootin’ Navy SEALs, is your reward. Good on President Obama for authorizing it.  He correctly recognized that these are not people you can negotiate with, and acted accordingly.  This is a great day for America. Now let’s hope Obama can learn […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Foreign Policy · Obama · Piracy

Diplomacy = Subsidizing Terrorist Weapons Supply Methods

February 18th, 2009 · Comments Off on Diplomacy = Subsidizing Terrorist Weapons Supply Methods

Despite harboring insurgents killing our soldiers in Iraq, and supplying Hezbollah terrorists elsewhere in the region, Obama has decided to make overtures to Syria a first-month priority, sending no less than John Kerry to that country to make sure they know how friendly we are these days to our certain-to-be-soon-to-be-former enemies. (For some unrelated reason […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Diplomacy · Foreign Policy · Iraq · Obama · War on Terror

Piracy – A Simple First Test

November 19th, 2008 · 5 Comments

So it seems that one of President Obama’s first international military crises will be a repeat of one of our nation’s first menaces – piracy on the high seas.  How he deals with it will tell us much about the alleged steel in the spine of our mysterious new President-Elect.  There is, after all, a […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Foreign Policy · Obama · Piracy · Principles

Is THIS What Dems Mean By “Restoring Damaged Alliances”?

October 15th, 2007 · 1 Comment

Over the objections of the Bush Administration, this past Wednesday the House Committee on Foreign Relations passed a resolution condemning Turkey for their alleged genocide of Armenians nearly 100 years ago. In response, the Turks recalled their US ambassador, may send their military into Iraqi Kurdistan (threatening the most stable part of Iraq), and now […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Democrats · Diplomacy · Foreign Policy · War on Terror