Opinion / American Politics

President Obama, Global Values

Here is the citation for President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize. One line stands out: His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world’s population. Huh? […]

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US-Led Failure On Freedom Of Speech At UN?

Have the Obama Administration kissed goodbye to some key Western values at the UN to placate global Islamists? Anne Bajevsky says "Hell, yes". A less angry but still concerned view here at Volokh Conspiracy: The resolution generally seems to be an attempt to urge more protection for free speech throughout the […]

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More Torture: Craig Murray v Jack Straw

Craig Murray is using an FOI bid to extract from the FCO a minute with then Foreign Secretary Jack Straw’s manuscript note on it, which Craig thinks will prove his case conclusively that Jack Straw is lying on key parts of the Torture story. Craig’s posting describing this bid is […]

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Moro Islamic Liberation Front

This is just a fine little posting by Instapundit. So, yes, I was bemused and checked. And it seems (a) that these people need to think about their acronymed image, and (b) that I need to get out more.

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Polanski: What Should Happen?

I wrote about the British Embassy in Warsaw’s encounters (and not) with Roman Polanski last year: It turned out that Polanski has been invited ‘privately’ to lunch at HM Ambassador’s Residence in Warsaw under a previous management. So UK taxpayer’s money had gone to feed and water this fellow in some […]

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That US Missile Defence Decision

President Obama has cancelled a plan to build US anti-missile defence radar facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic. This move has been hailed by Russia’s President Medvedev as a "wise decision". Which, of course, prompts the ignoble thought that if the Russians like it so much, something must be […]

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Missile Defence Symbolism

The Polish Government has showed its displeasure at the US missile defence decision by playing the protocol card: Prime Minister Tusk refused to take a telephone-call from Hillary Clinton, steering her to talk to her opposite number (ie Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski). Tusk eventually talked to President Obama after […]

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Diplomats: Tell It As It (Unless…)

Here (h/t Skeptical Bureaucrat) is an interesting report about apparent self-censorship among US diplomats going back some years: One diplomat told The Washington Times that he has decided to resign in part because of frustration with "rampant self-censorship" by Foreign Service officers and their superiors that has gone so far […]

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St Albans School: Back Again

This week I distribute the prizes as guest of honour at my old school, St Albans School. St Albans School is one of the oldest schools in the world. Thirteenth oldest in fact. It was founded in 948 by the Abbot Ulcinus, whom I recall with affection. He was an […]

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President Obama (Almost) Hits The Target

President Obama gave his speech on Wall Street today. This was the bit I really liked: Unfortunately, there are some in Congress who are misreading this moment. Instead of learning the lessons of the crisis from which we are still recovering, they are choosing to ignore them. They do so […]

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