Norwood

The first presidential debate wasn’t about debating and more about fighting. The candidates didn’t critique each other’s policy details. We didn’t hear real foreign policy details. The debate was painful to watch. By the end, it was hard to decipher what was asked and who was supposed to answer. Because, neither candidate, I think, was […]

Tonight’s debate will likely be filled with vitriol between the candidates. This year feels unique because national security is such a hot topic for voters. Tonight is going to be a spectacle, for sure. But now more than ever, foreign policy is a part of the conversation. When George H.W. Bush ran years ago in […]

Many of us, including myself, were unhappy with the tumultuous relationship between the Obama administration and the Saudi elites. Except Saudi Arabia, behind closed doors, has never liked us. I’m looking back and thinking now – I’m not as upset. I’m not convinced a Saudi Arabia with broad powers in the Middle East is what we […]

What is the Muslim Brotherhood? The Muslim Brotherhood is both a religious and political group. Its fundamental belief is that Islam is not merely a religion, but a way of life. They want to export and extend that way of life across the Arab world; then, keeping to their belief, the world. It is a […]

When in the Middle East, speaking to the average citizen, you’ll hear them refer to groups like ISIL as takfiri. But it’s seldom mentioned here in the United States. Wikipedia defines takfiri as a Sunni Muslim who accuses another Muslim of apostasy. The accusation itself is called takfir, derived from the word kafir, and is described as when […]

The Muslim Brotherhood is winning seats in Jordan’s parliament. Many know terror groups as an existential threat because they commit acts of violence. However, they’re rooted in the Muslim Brotherhood dating back to the 1980’s in Egypt, where intellectuals like Sayyid Qutb began, writing, thinking and speaking out against the status quo. Osama Bin Laden […]

American’s longest war—Afghanistan—is still a mess. The Afghans still do not have the support they need to secure their villages. The central government is weak and not present where the fighting is most intense. We hear the limited discussion. What is it about Afghanistan that’s so annoying? It’s avoided in conversation on a national level. […]

A brigade in the 82nd has a new policy according to SOFREP sources. Officers, butter bar 2nd LT’s are to write enlisted NCOERs (Non-Commissioned Officer Evaluation Report). In fact, the platoon leaders, lieutenants who are glorified specialists are writing them. It comes at a strange time when enlisted personnel have greater access to education. What […]

The Black Market is a global norm; it exists, and it’s tentacles attach to every nation and land. It prospers from the fact people want illegal things. If you’re curious how strong anti-U.S. sentiment is around the world, look no further than ISIS and Al-Qaeda. Funding comes in subtle and not-so-subtle ways through the Black Market. […]

He was an idiot. As a result, we sucked. We scheduled a game with some prison school for homecoming, because that’s how unsure of victory we were. It was the worst. Much of our weakness as a team had to do with flawed planning and stupidity at the helm. I think there are very enlightened and […]

Hillary’s emails have been a major topic throughout this entire election cycle. Questions about deleted emails have never subsided, in part because no one believes Clinton’s claims that they contained nothing of importance. Reddit user stonetear, who has been deleting posts over the past few hours, posted to Reddit for tech help by way of a VIP […]

We’re getting myopic again – with Syria. A lot of conversation has been focused on Syria and boots on the ground, and its meaning. I choose to believe it’s a code word for a formal occupation and declaration of war. Those sort of boots are unlikely. But more important than that – is while the foreign […]