Free Republic

<p>So the international sanctions aren’t working—don’t worry! If 1,000 years of Russian screw-ups are anything to go by, it won’t be long before Vladimir Putin brings himself down.</p> <p>Now that we’ve failed to use Russia’s corrupt and degenerating economy, subservience to the international banking system, and vulnerability to falling energy prices to pop Vladimir Putin like a zit, we’re going to have sit on our NATO, E.U., and OSCE duffs and take the long view of Russian imperialism.</p>

"What Would America Fight For?" That question shouts from the cover of this week's Economist. It is, asserts the magazine, "the question haunting its allies." While most agree that America would fight to defend her treaty allies and to protect vital interests if imperiled, the question is raised by President Obama's reticence in Crimea, Ukraine and Syria. Asked in Manila how he answers critics who say his foreign policy appears to be one of "weakness," the president, stung, replied: "Typically, criticism of our foreign policy has been directed at the failure to use military force. And the question ... I...

YOU might think that the United States, with its supersized portions, absurdly high obesity rate, and uniquely American innovations like the Doritos Locos Taco, is home to the world’s most fattening foods. But you’d be wrong! Their national dishes have nothing on these artery-clogging bad boys from around the world. Here are 10 of the most decadent foods you’ll find in other countries. Acaraje, Brazil You know what’s really not great for you? Palm oil. A mere tablespoon of the stuff contains a whopping 7 grams of saturated fat — which is too bad, because saturated fat makes food taste...

What every wine drinker should know about Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Riesling"I KNOW NOTHING about wine—where do I start?" is perhaps the most frequent question I am asked. An obvious starting point is with grape varieties, which each have their own distinctive character and flavor. There are more than 5,000 varieties of wine grapes planted in the world. Luckily, for those new to the subject, only 100 or so have enough appeal to be deemed commercially viable. Luckier still, it's a relatively small number that have found international recognition. Jean-Manuel Duvivier These used...

"This is my last election," President Obama said in words caught on an open mic. "After my election, I have more flexibility." He was speaking in Seoul, South Korea, in March 2012, almost exactly two years ago, to Dmitry Medvedev, then in his last year as Vladimir Putin's stand-in president of Russia. The subject was missile defense, and Obama was apparently seeking time to assuage Russia's objections that a proposed U.S. missile defense system, sited in Romania, Poland, Turkey and Spain, would not be aimed at Russian missiles. Earlier, in September 2009, Obama canceled missile defense installations in Poland and...

Israel is displaying the weapons cache from the Iranian shipment to Gaza on Monday, in a bid to show the international community the 'true face' behind the Islamic Republic. The IDF spokesperson's office announced Sunday that the Klos C ship, which docked in Eilat over the weekend, has been unloaded and all the contents examined. The list includes: 40 M-302 rockets, with a range of 90 to 160 km; 181 mortar shells, 122 mm caliber; about 400,000 bullets, 7.62 caliber - which are usually used in Kalashnikov-type assault rifles.

With twin suicide bombings in Volgograd, at a train station and on a trolley, 34 Russians are dead and scores are injured and hospitalized. Moscow and the world have been put on notice by Doku Umarov, the Chechen Islamic terrorist, that the winter Olympics in Sochi, six weeks away, may not now be safe for visitors. How should friends of Russia respond? President Obama, in a gesture of solidarity with the Russian people, who have suffered more than any European people from Islamic terror since 9/11, should announce he has changed his mind and will be going to Sochi. The...

Above: Perennial traitor John Kerry's new mission: save the life of ghoulish illegal alien cop-killer Edgar Arias Tamayo.- by John UrbanTop Right NewsWhen John Kerry isn't busy trying to help Iran obtain nuclear weapons or stabbing Israel in the back, he is doing the bidding of the United Nations -- and Mexico -- trying to save the life of an illegal alien cop-killer.You heard that right. Edgar Arias Tamayo, a 46-year old Mexican man, was in the country illegally when he killed Houston police officer Guy Gaddis. Tamayo was arrested by Gaddis outside a nightclub in 1994 for robbery. While...

Not many foreign policy experts would argue with the proposition that the country with which the United States has the most problematic relationship is Pakistan. Most Americans, when they have thought about it, have taken a similar view since Osama bin Laden was killed in a raid by Navy SEAL Team Six in May 2011. Bin Laden was hiding in plain sight in Abbottabad, Pakistan, just a few miles from Pakistan's military academy. It is hard to believe that his whereabouts weren't known to Pakistan's military or its intelligence agency, the ISI. It has been apparent for some time to...

WASHINGTON — It’s long been known that America’s school kids haven’t measured well compared with international peers. Now, there’s a new twist: Adults don’t either. In math, reading and problem-solving using technology – all skills considered critical for global competitiveness and economic strength – American adults scored below the international average on a global test, according to results released Tuesday.

America has gone back to isolationism, many commentators are saying. Not just the dovish Democrats, but also Republicans who were so hawkish a decade ago are turning away from the world. There is something to this, but it's more complicated than that. To understand where we are, it's helpful to put today's developments in historic perspective. One picture of American history has it that this country left the rest of the world alone through most of its history, was pulled into world politics by World War II and the Cold War and is now just reverting to its norm. The...

BrickStix LLC, a Hartland company formed around an idea young Greyson MacLean had for making removable stickers for Lego bricks, has reached an agreement with Toys "R" Us that will have the retailer carrying the stickers in in all of its stores. The company's stickers will be in nearly 600 Toys "R" Us stores, said Matt MacLean, Greyson's father and BrickStix's lawyer. BrickStix began shipping its patent-pending stickers to the retailer on Thursday, and the product will be available in stores later this month, he said. They are already sold in smaller toy stores across the country, at Harrods department...

(Headline only) Breaking News: Syria accepts Russian proposal to put chemical weapons under international control - Interfax

Nearly half of American voters -- 48 percent -- think the United States is less respected around the world today than it was five years ago. That’s up from 37 percent who felt that way last year, according to a Fox News poll. Among Democrats, 25 percent say the U.S. is more respected around the world today. That’s a 27 percentage-point drop from 52 percent last year.

When it comes to President Obama's prowess as commander in chief, "leading from behind," at this point, would be a step up. Some believe that the United States should engage in military action in foreign countries when America's national interests or those of our allies are at stake. Some believe we should rarely do so, perhaps only when we are under attack. Some think we should actively export democracy to other nations, whether or not our national security interests are currently on the line. And some, like President Obama, are literally all over the map, a quagmire of incoherency. Since...

Complacency is a state of mind that exists only in retrospective: It has to be shattered before being ascertained. --Vladimir Nabokov After 9/11, the prevailing view was that "nothing would ever be the same." The sight of bodies plunging 100 stories from the flaming towers of the World Trade Center seared into our psyches the reality that America has cruel and wanton enemies. The USA Patriot Act, which sought to repair some of the intelligence lapses that permitted the 9/11 attacks to go undiscovered, passed the House by a vote of 357 to 66 and the Senate by 98 to...

Reuters) - The United States would only take action on Syria in concert with the international community and with legal justification in response to the alleged chemical weapons attacks in Damascus, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Monday. snip "We are analyzing the intelligence. And we will get the facts. And if there is any action taken, it will be concert with the international community and within the framework of legal justification."

For decades, the names given to newly discovered planets have almost always failed to live up to the excitement these celestial finds represent. (Take for example forgettable monikers such as CFBDSIR2149, HD 189733b, 55 Cancri e, and Kepler-69c.) The organization that oversee's the naming of new planets, the International Astronomical Union (IAU), knows that these titles are the opposite of cool and catchy. And thankfully, something is being done about it — the IAU is moving away from leaving selective working groups to name planets and opening up the process to the public. Unsurprisingly, there are a few rules that...

A huge fire destroyed a large part of Nairobi’s international airport early on Wednesday, closing East Africa's most important transport hub with dozens of high-season holiday flights diverted and disruption expected to last days. It is the 15th anniversary of al-Qaeda attacks on US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania but officials said there was no immediate indication the fire was caused by a bomb or a deliberate act. The Kenya Red Cross said that there were no reports of casualties.

I found a international moneygram money order in the parking lot in a busy shopping plaza.There is no name, address, or other information on it. There is a dollar amount printed on . I called Moneygram customer service, but just got a recording. I called local stores here, but they weren't able to give me any information (or advice). I was trying to locate the owner, so I can return it to him. Now that I can't find the owner, what should I do? I've never had a money order, so what is the legal issues regarding it? Is it...