NATO at 60: Transformed or Deformed? The American Legion Magazine, 7.1.09
After NATO’s founding fathers created the alliance in 1949, Lord Ismay, NATO’s first secretary general, described the organization’s mission as "keeping the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down." Much has changed in the intervening decades. The alliance that once defended Western Europe from a Soviet invasion now enfolds the Warsaw Pact and three former Soviet republics, keeps the peace in Kosovo, wages war in Afghanistan, fights piracy off the Horn of Africa, transports African Union peacekeepers and trains Iraqi soldiers. Has NATO been transformed or deformed by these new realities and mounting responsibilities?

Not Doing What Comes Naturally, 6.29.09
Is "natural security" a substitute for national security?

I Knew Two Heroes, TCSDaily, 6.5.09
The more someone learns about D Day—and the more history that separates us from that pivot point—the clearer it becomes how unique that day and the men who lived it were.

A La Carte Christianity, The Lookout, 6.14.09
“God shops at Sam’s Club,” declared my almost-three-year-old nephew one Sunday afternoon. “It’s where He gets all the stuff for us,” he explained.

Time to Go Nuclear, The Sacramento Bee and The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 5.24.09
If America is on the verge of a “nuclear renaissance,” as proponents of nuclear power contend, our nuclear Dark Age has cost us dearly.

A "Focused" Competitor, The Weekly Standard Online, 5.21.09
Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently raised eyebrows by noting that China is “developing capabilities” that “seem very focused on the United States Navy and our bases that are in that part of the world.” There’s actually nothing new here.

No Easy Answers, The American Legion Magazine, 5.1.09
President Barack Obama has ordered the closure of the detention facility at GuantanamoBay. But what will become of its residents, some of whom happen to be sworn enemies of the United States?

Courageous Cowards, byFaith, 4.8.09
Not seeing all the evidence forces us to make a conscious decision about believing or not believing. And pushing against the doubt and uncertainty stretches and strengthens our faith, as a muscle is strengthened by resistance to weights.

The Rising Tide of Protectionism in the United States, Fraser Forum, 4.1.09
The protectionist instinct is powerful among those who constitute much of the leadership of the current Congress and the Obama administration.

The High Cost of Volunteering, The American Magazine Online, 3.31.09
Stimulus packages and bailouts are getting all the headlines, but President Barack Obama’s plans for national service are also pricey—and dispiriting for those who believe government has no place in paying for or promoting volunteer programs.

Turning Inward? The Windsor Star, 3.10.09; The Okanagan Sunday, 3.8.09
A compromise shields existing trade agreements from the encroaching shadows of protectionism—for now.

Corn-Fed Fuel, The American Legion Magazine, 3.1.09
Washington’s bear-hug embrace of ethanol is changing America’s landscape—figuratively and literally.

Going Nuclear: The Post-Petro Economy, The American Legion Magazine, 3.1.09
The U.S. nuclear power industry is remarkably small for a country with the energy needs and appetite of the United States.

No Better Friend, The Weekly Standard Online, 2.10.09
His hagiographers will always think otherwise, but what President Barack Obama said about America’s relationship with the Islamic world during his interview with al Arabiya—namely, that “Americans are not your enemy”—only restated what American presidents have been saying in word and deed for almost 20 years now.

Decline and Conquer? Military Officer, 1.1.09
The U.S. faces challenges that could erode its global position: China and India are ascending; the near-term economic forecast is cloudy; and the world abounds with asymmetric threats that could undermine the liberal order Washington has sought to spread for generations. Of course, China is booming largely because it looks more—not less—like America today than it did a generation ago, at least culturally and economically; India’s ascent may bolster America’s global position; America’s economy weathered worse inflation in the 1950s and 1970s, worse unemployment in the 1970s and worse Dow declines in the 1980s; and today’s asymmetric threats pale in comparison to the existential threat the Soviet empire posed for half-a-century. So perhaps it’s premature to replace Old Glory with a white flag just yet.

Stolen Blessings, The Lookout, 11.9.08
Over the centuries, we have come to an unspoken consensus that Esau got what he deserved, that anyone willing to trade a birthright for a meal has forfeited his father’s farewell blessing. But Esau deserves credit for more than a growling stomach, and others in this sad story deserve more of the blame.

For Such a Time As This, Light and Life, 9.1.08 
Amid the wars and rumors of war, the Book of Esther offers a parable for our time.