First Blog

One foreign policy problem the US faces comes from the concept, “Only we can fix it.” We messed up Middle East stability by toppling Saddam Hussein, a tyrant of the first order. Yet he understood his turf.   The USA invasion opened the door to Iran. Enter Iran, not exactly a softball team.   Now we’re trying hard to close that door. And failing. In another failing of the US is it always underestimates just how much pain, suffering, and starvation despots will accept on behalf of their people. Under current sanctions, every day Iranians are in dire straits.   Venezuelan citizens have access to even less without concern by their government. North Koreans endure impoverished lives for the glory of the controlling regime. Russians suffer calmly as only they can. The latest Middle East attempt from the US is to unleash Turkey, whose boss, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan , is brimming for big power. Trump has now given him the chance. So, Erdoğan , accustomed to only small-time opposition,

“Why police reform is so hard?”  This is the content of a essay from The Conversation website ( http://theconversation.com ).  It is akin to the old chestnut, “Are you still beating your wife?”  The very statement assumes the conclusion.  In the police case, the statement assumes the police need reforming, and that it is not only difficult but nearly impossible.  Always, we see more training is the prescription to correct these egregious offenses. What has happened is that police now live on the defensive.  Pro-active policing is feared by the probability of racist accusations. Crowd control is diminished by the probability of being charged with brutality.  Domestic disturbance interventions are diminished by the possibility of  excessive force charges.  The perpetrators make their charges with the simple goal of making their case tried in the press – usually against law enforcement.   The result is always that more sensitivity training is needed. Police, from the onset of any