In for a penny

Before I head out for the weekend, I thought I'd leave you with the news that America has launched its glorious campaign to help destroy Yemen: The U.S. military launched cruise missile strikes on Thursday to knock out three coastal radar sites in areas of Yemen controlled by Iran-aligned Houthi forces, retaliating after failed missile … Continue reading In for a penny

Today (maybe) in European history: the Battle of Tours (probably 732)

Let’s get the big problem out in the open right up front: while October 10, 732, is the most widely accepted date for the Battle of Tours (Poitiers)—fought between an army of the Umayyad Caliphate and a coalition under the command of Frankish majordomo Charles Martel (d. 741)—there are a lot of reasons to think … Continue reading Today (maybe) in European history: the Battle of Tours (probably 732)

What’s happening in Kashmir and how likely is it to kill us all?

When last we checked in, India and Pakistan were lobbing insults at one another from the floor of the United Nations over recent attacks by Pakistani militants on Indian targets in Kashmir. On September 28, two entire battalions of Indian soldiers entered Pakistani Kashmir and destroyed a number of staging areas that militants had been … Continue reading What’s happening in Kashmir and how likely is it to kill us all?

Nobody could have seen this coming

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=055wFyO6gag Stop me if you've heard this one before: The Obama administration on Wednesday castigated the Israeli government for approving plans to create a new Jewish settlement on the West Bank, three weeks after it signed a lucrative military aid package with the United States and a week after President Obama traveled to Jerusalem for … Continue reading Nobody could have seen this coming