The term, "Praetorian Guard", has a specific meaning and specific connotations that come from its origin in the Roman Empire. Its use in this article betrays abysmal ignorance of ancient history, current political conditions in the United States, or both.
Yon does traditional combat journalism. As a former soldier, he knows what the troops he accompanies are doing and - more important for the story - why. This story is not about fairness. Anyone digging on or beside a road at night may be shot without warning, much less a trial. A lot of the story is about pragmatics. Do you shoot the "pipe swingers", the unskilled, possibly coerced, men who dig the hole, the men who come later to put the bomb in the hole, or those who hook up the wire and take position ready to trigger the explosion? A lot of the story is about waiting to see what is being done from the viewpoints of multiple observers and about discipline, the discipline to fire immediately when ordered and the equally ... More »
Needs more factual backup, but the author makes his point clearly, and he has the courage to reject conventional wisdom. Is he right? We will see in a few years.
This story confuses supply and demand in the global market with the effect of subsidies in some countries. The global market demand for oil is high and rising faster than the supply. Since the global price balances supply with demand, it is high and rising also. In the USA the price of oil is set by the global market. Supply and demand balance at record high prices for gas, but they do balance. Projected long-term prices are finally making oil shale a profitable investment, which will increase the global and local supply. In Saudi Arabia, the price is subsidized, so the local price of gas is low, and people use much more than they would otherwise. The subsidies are not available for other things like exporting (as much) Wahabi ideology.
This story ignores an important fact: Nuclear warheads deteriorate over time. Therefore, replacing the old ones, and improving the design and capability of the replacements _may_ be a worthwhile goal. This story ignores an important historical lesson: Many other countries cannot be trusted to keep their promises. Ignoring their track records _is not_ a basis for making policy.
