Free Republic

The unraveling of social cohesion has consequences. Once social cohesion unravels, the nation unravels. My recent posts have focused on the systemic financial risks created by Federal Reserve policies that have elevated moral hazard (risks can be taken without consequence) and speculation to levels so extreme that they threaten the stability of the entire financial system.These risks are well known, though largely ignored in the current speculative frenzy. But there is another systemic risk which few if any see: the collapse of social cohesion. President Carter was prescient in his understanding that a nation’s greatest strength is its social cohesion,...

At first glance, the new nationalism of conservatives will seem benign and even uncontroversial. In his book “The Case for Nationalism,” Rich Lowry defines nationalism as flowing from a people’s “natural devotion to their home and to their country.” Yoram Hazony, in his book “The Virtue of Nationalism,” also has a rather anodyne definition of nationalism. It means “that the world is governed best when nations agree to cultivate their own traditions, free from interference by other nations.” There is nothing particularly controversial at all about these statements. Defined in these terms, it sounds like little more than simply defending...

The new report’s title offers a glimpse into the strategy’s likely focus on countering violent extremism on the domestic front by working with state and local governments, nongovernmental and community organizations, and a wide spectrum of private American citizens. Such efforts should hone in on three key areas of concern: countering extremist ideologies, enhancing social cohesion, and building resiliency within American communities...

It’s amazing what happens when people start working together toward a common goal. Friday night, 14 March, Free Republic, Gathering of Eagles (GOE), Eagles Up, Nam Knights, Band of Mothers, Protest Warrior, Patriot Guard Riders, A Soldier’s Wish List, Move America Forward, and concerned individuals got together at the intersection of Georgia and Elder in DC NW to show unified support of the men and women who wear military uniforms in service to our country. This intersection is the location of the main entrance of Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC). It is this intersection that greets the men and...

Why Arabs Lose Wars by Norvell B. De Atkine Norvell De Atkine, a U.S. Army retired colonel with eight years residence in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt, and a graduate degree in Arab studies from the American University of Beirut, is currently instructing U.S. Army personnel assigned to Middle Eastern areas. The opinions expressed here are strictly his own.Arabic-speaking armies have been generally ineffective in the modern era. Egyptian regular forces did poorly against Yemeni irregulars in the 1960s.1 Syrians could only impose their will in Lebanon during the mid-1970s by the use of overwhelming weaponry and numbers.2 Iraqis showed ineptness...