Op-Ed: Thoughts from a soldier deployed during the 2013 shutdown

As Congress just passed a bill, stopping the government shutdown from happening just one day shy of their deadline, everyone seems to be talking about the implications should another government shutdown actually occur. The last such shutdown happened in 2013, and though they passed a bill to pay military personnel that year, that particular bill […]

Money that moves off the grid: ‘hawala’

Allegations of crooked politicians taking money from questionable sources seem like everyday news now. For example, in recent days developments have arisen in regards to whether or not the Clinton Foundation took money via a complex scheme involving Russia’s Rosatom and Vadim Mikerin. Terrorist and criminal organizations move money around in huge amounts, and they have […]

If Trump really wants to win, here is a blueprint for victory

When a question comes up that you aren’t sure about, a much better approach to answering that question on your own might be to say something like: “you know, I’ve never bombed the hell out of somebody, but I’m gonna sit down tonight with x-number of current and former generals, colonels, and SOF team leaders, and formulate a plan. And what those guys ask for, I’m gonna do everything in my power as president to provide it for them.”

Death and Taxes in Islamic State

In January of this year, an internal ISIS memorandum on the group’s finances was leaked to the public. In it, ISIS revealed it was cutting the pay of its soldiers substantially. In 2015, ISIS’s fighters were being paid between $400 and $1,200 per month, depending on their seniority and their job. The leaked memo said ISIS […]