From the Southwest Ledger Even while the war in Gaza has been ongoing for about five months now, there is renewed attention to the region as Iran launched drone and missile strikes against Israel on April 13.With help from the U.S., England and Jordanian forces, the Israeli missile defense system shot down the vast majority … Continue reading The Failure of the Arab Spring Reviewing Morbid Symptoms: Relapse in The Arab Uprising
Category: Historically Speaking
Eclipses that Changed the Trajectory of U.S. History
From the Southwest Ledger On April 8 our nation finally unified around a cause important to us all: posting pictures of the solar eclipse on social media.This was a huge event as people planned a year ahead to get hotels that were in the path of totality. Even if you were not able to travel, … Continue reading Eclipses that Changed the Trajectory of U.S. History
Reviewing Lawrence Wright’s “The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11”
By James Finck, Ph.D. I think it is safe to say that the most significant event in my lifetime is Sept. 11, 2001. Yet while names like Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda are now household names, the American public at large knows very little about them, how Al-Qaeda works or much about the other founding … Continue reading Reviewing Lawrence Wright’s “The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11”
Prevailing Winds: Switching Political Parties over Candidate Support
In a recent CNN interview, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski hinted that he she is considering leaving the Republican Party. Murkowski has been a long-time opponent of former President Donald Trump and is struggling with the idea of Trump leading her party. Murkowski is not the first to leave the party over a personality, and historically … Continue reading Prevailing Winds: Switching Political Parties over Candidate Support
STATE OF THE UNION THEATRICS
From Southwest Ledger Presidential guestlist now pushespolitical agenda above heroism By James Finck, Ph.D.On March 7, 2024, President Joe Biden gave his third official State of the Union Address to Congress where he used his time to criticize his predecessor, talk about border security and tout his economic successes.As has become tradition, Biden invited several … Continue reading STATE OF THE UNION THEATRICS
Reviewing “Modernizing Women: Gender and Social Change in the Middle East”
From Southwest Ledger In her book, “Modernizing Women: Gender and Social Change in the Middle East,” Valentine M. Moghadam thoroughly examines the conditions of women in the Middle East—especially around the time of the Arab Spring of 2010—and reviews the plight of Middle Eastern women in history. Moghadam wrote that she wants to show, “how … Continue reading Reviewing “Modernizing Women: Gender and Social Change in the Middle East”
Mayorkas’ Impeachment Charges Echo Those of Former Sec. of War with Ties to Oklahoma
From Southwest Ledger Last month Congress made the historic decision to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. With immigration being one of the hottest political issues of the day, Republicans impeached the secretary on charges of being “engaged in a pattern of conduct that is incompatible with his duties…[and] has failed to faithfully uphold his … Continue reading Mayorkas’ Impeachment Charges Echo Those of Former Sec. of War with Ties to Oklahoma
Reviewing Stephen Kinzer’s “All the Shah’s Men: AnAmerican Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror”
From Southwest Ledger With much of the turmoil in the Middle East centered around Iran, it is worth reviewing Stephen Kinzer’s 2008 book “All the Shah’s Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror” to help understand the nation of Iran as well as find some possible answers. Iran has become number … Continue reading Reviewing Stephen Kinzer’s “All the Shah’s Men: AnAmerican Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror”
Presidential Competence in an Age of Instantaneous Interaction and Decisiveness
By James Finck, Ph.D. A bombshell was dropped earlier this month when Department of Justice Special Counsel Robert Hur released his findings on President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents. The good news for Biden was Hur does not plan to bring charges. However, the bad news was that even though Hur concluded that Biden … Continue reading Presidential Competence in an Age of Instantaneous Interaction and Decisiveness
Father, son give insightful review of Temple Grandin
From Southwest Ledger I rarely get personal with my articles, but this week’s subject resonates with me. One of the hardest days of my life was when a doctor confirmed to my wife and me what we already suspected – that my son, my oldest child had autism. We knew that not all was lost. … Continue reading Father, son give insightful review of Temple Grandin
Historically Speaking 