Tag Archives: Hezbollah

Syria: A Colossal Foreign Policy Blunder That Obama Can Still Avoid

It has been some time since this blog has addressed foreign policy, but the Obama administration is about to make a mistake so reckless, ill-conceived, and cataclysmically stupid that failing to speak out about it before it happens would be … Continue reading

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Posted in Defense, Energy Security, Leadership, Middle East, Policy, Politics, Terrorism, War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Top 10 Predictions for 2011: Results

At the beginning of 2011, my first blog post covered my top 10 predictions for 2011. Since I like to hold myself accountable for things I wrote in the past, now is the time I assess how I (and my readers) did. … Continue reading

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Posted in China, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, Predictions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Game Theory for Middle Eastern Dictators

Towards a Dominant Strategy In “Saudis Shrug Off Day of Rage: Three Strategies to Suppress a Revolt Before It Starts“, I argued that there are two archetypal models for a dictator to deal with popular revolts in the Middle East: crush them or … Continue reading

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Posted in Defense, Energy Security, International Security, Mathematics, Middle East, Policy, Politics, Predictions, War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Channeling Luxor: Stable Egyptian Transition Not So Simple

On November 17, 1997, jihadists massacred a group of Swiss, British, and Japanese tourists enjoying the majestic sights of ancient Egyptian marvels at Luxor. The terrorists savagely butchered 58 tourists and 4 Egyptians with gunfire and knives. They mutilated many … Continue reading

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Posted in Defense, Energy Security, International Security, Middle East, Policy, Politics | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Felling Pharaohs: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid (Part V)

Parts I through IV of this series show that the Egyptian crisis will have both regional and global consequences for the future of the Arab world and the global energy crisis. Given these stakes, what is America to do? America’s Vital … Continue reading

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Posted in Defense, Energy Security, International Security, Policy, Politics, Predictions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Felling Pharaohs: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid (Part IV)

While the last three parts of this series focused on issues ranging from the immediate impact on Egypt to the far reaching potential for unrest to spread to key American energy suppliers, it has ignored the crisis’ implications for Israel. … Continue reading

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Posted in Defense, Energy Security, International Security, Politics, Predictions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Felling Pharaohs: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid (Part II)

Shortly after the ignominious French 1954 defeat at Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam, President Eisenhower introduced the concept of Domino Theory to describe the significance of Vietnam falling under Communist influence. He warned that one Communist victory could initiate a … Continue reading

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Posted in Business, China, Defense, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, International Security, Investing, Politics, Predictions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Predictions 2011: How Are They Currently Trending?

On January 1, I made some predictions about different events in 2011. I thought it would be interesting to track how some of these predictions are currently trending to measure both my and my readers’ accuracy. I have only commented … Continue reading

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Posted in China, Finance and Economics, International Security, Investing, Politics, Predictions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Top 10 Predictions for 2011

To welcome the new year, I thought it might be interesting and fun to make some predictions about different events in 2011. Finance and Economics 1. Buoyed by healthier signs of a recovery, the S&P500 ends the year up 15% … Continue reading

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Posted in China, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, Predictions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments