WASHINGTON — President Trump’s decision to withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria is already having unintended consequences. The U.S. departure could lead to the release of 1,100 Islamic State fighters now held in detention camps in northeastern Syria — creating a dangerous new terrorist threat to the West. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — the […]
Op-Eds
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
The decline of rural ways
The news that the Boy Scouts of America may go bankrupt should have shocked, but it didn’t. The Scouts are sinking under the weight of payouts to people who as children were abused by Scout leaders. Should the Boy Scouts go under, we would lose yet another social institution that has served down the years […]
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Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Investors losing confidence in Trump
Stock market losses and volatility, particularly in financial stocks, have people worried about, well, everything. This recent sell-off is historic in scale but strange because it’s hard to identify a specific culprit behind it. The jitters could be chalked up to the hawkishness of the Federal Reserve, the flattening of the yield curve, trade wars, […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
How Trump can make the Syria withdrawal work
President Donald Trump’s Dec. 23 tweet promising a “slow and highly coordinated” withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria may ease the gnashing of teeth among officials and analysts in Washington, but it won’t end the criticism of his decision. That is precisely why the president should view the hullabaloo that erupted after he announced the […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
2018, the year we lost ourselves
Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Of course not. As a year ticks into its final hours, old acquaintances are front of mind, sometimes painfully so. It lends a certain melancholy sweetness to the whole ritual. We mark a milestone reached, but we also remember all that we have lost along […]
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There were times that Paul LePage’s leadership was what Maine needed
I’ve written at least half a dozen columns about Gov. Paul LePage during his tenure as Maine governor, most of them critical. Now that LePage is on his way out thanks to term limits, it seems a good time to evaluate his tumultuous eight years in office with the advantage of perspective. On the positive […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Perspective, sj-web
Donald Trump 'dynamited the institution of the presidency' in 2018
President Donald Trump crosses his arms after speaking with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on the phone about a trade agreement between the United States and Mexico, in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Aug. 27, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON — Mr. Trump went to Washington. And he changed it. […]
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The Grinch's message is all about heart
There’s no stopping the Grinch. The latest film adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic has been cleaning up at the box office, despite justifiably mixed reviews. I’m not a Dr. Seuss fan. When it comes to children’s books, I’m more a Curious George or Peter Rabbit guy. I generally don’t like the doggerel or the […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
The myth about American military invincibility
WASHINGTON — The most uncovered story in Washington these days is the loss of U.S. military power — a lesson particularly important in light of recent events: the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis; President Trump’s insane decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria; North Korea’s announcement that it will keep nuclear weapons after all; […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Taking our security for granted amid chaos
Wander the twinkling streets of Manhattan in this holiday season and marvel. Not at the wondrous store windows, dressed-up partygoers and festive music out of every speaker. To those used to it, the spectacle repeats every December. The marvel this year is that the celebrating crowds, thicker than ever, are seemingly oblivious to the dangerous […]