Blog

Libya: U.S. Still Needs Europe

rdale — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:24:11 -0400

Political collateral damage inflicted by the West’s military action against Libya includes the destruction of two serious misconceptions long cherished by numerous experts in Washington.

Arab Revolt Is Not 1776

rdale — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:36:15 -0400

It might help the U.S. media better understand the various rebellions breaking out in the Middle East if they could clear their minds of thoughts of 1776 and the strange idea that despots like Hosni Mubarak and Moammar Gadhafi are somehow equivalent to King George III.

Nuclear Nonsense from the NYT

rdale — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 10:26:15 -0500

Newspaper editorials that recommend policies to foreign leaders and governments are almost invariably pointless and patronizing – in short, a waste of time.

No Queens at EU Summit

rdale — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:33:47 -0400

The European Union summit on September 16 was a disappointment to those who had hoped at last to learn how the royal heads of Europe view the EU’s role in the world – and thus, presumably, their own future global influence and status.

Bush Never Said “Mission Accomplished”

rdale — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:56:48 -0400

With the leaking Gulf oil well apparently under control, and the spilled oil mysteriously vanishing, the Obama administration has come under pressure from journalists to declare “mission accomplished.” It is understandably unwilling to do this, partly because things could still go wrong and partly because of the phrase’s unfortunate political baggage.

MSNBC Errs 1,000-fold on BP’s CEO

rdale — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:26:15 -0400

BP’s blundering CEO Tony Hayward didn’t escape the wrath of the U.S. media even after agreeing to step down on October 1. Amid the general cries of good riddance to the man accused of trying to minimize the extent of BP’s Gulf oil spill, MSNBC’s Ed Schultz erred inexcusably in the other direction by overestimating Hayward’s severance pay a thousand times.

Media Agree, The Road from Ankara to Brussels Remains Unpaved, Let Alone Gilded

rdale — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:38:32 -0400

Britain’s new prime minister, David Cameron, has created his first policy rift with France and Germany, the backbone of the European Union, by promising aggressive help for Turkey’s bid for EU membership, which both Paris and Berlin oppose.

World Cup: It's England, Not Britain

rdale — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:54:47 -0400

The U.S. soccer team was lucky to tie its first game in the World Cup against a reputedly stronger team, but some Americans appeared unclear as to whom exactly they were playing.

End of the U.S.-UK “Special Relationship” – Again?

rdale — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:25:09 -0400

The British media love to announce the end of the “special relationship” between the United States and Britain, and now they have been joined by a UK Parliamentary Committee, which recommends that the phrase, first coined by Winston Churchill, be abandoned.

U.S. “Rigs” Tanker Bid: EU Doth Protest too Much

rdale — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:31:38 -0400

There was a huge outcry in the United States in 2008, when the Pentagon awarded a $40 billion contract for tanker refueling aircraft for the Air Force to a consortium including a European competitor - EADS, parent of Airbus. EADS won the bid in partnership with Northrop Grumman, the U.S. defense contractor, beating a rival bid by Boeing, Airbus’s longtime antagonist.