Politics

The European Parliament has voted in favour of an EU-wide arms embargo against Saudi Arabia over its operation in Yemen. The resolution calls for a ban on all weapons sales to the country, until alleged breaches of international humanitarian law in Yemen have been investigated,  and was passed by 359 votes to 212 While the vote does not compel EU member states to act, it does increase pressure on Riyadh, in the wake of criticism from the UN and growing international alarm over civilian casualties in Yemen.

The tenth Republican debate last night was an embarrassing display for all involved. Leaving aside the frequent shouting, hectoring, and whining from the different candidates, the discussion of policy was even more insipid than usual. The treatment of foreign policy seemed especially bad, but I suppose it was mostly the same things we’ve heard in the previous nine debates.

No, really. Back in 2006, I commissioned Caleb to write a piece for the Dallas Morning News about prospects for American populism. Here’s a link to the piece. In it, he describes a country ripe for a new kind of populism, and offers a model. Excerpt:

Jesse Walker catches Rubio in one of the more absurd lies of the night during last night’s debate. Rubio claimed that the U.S. and its allies weren’t responsible for toppling the regime. Walker sets the record straight:

In a Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump race—which, the Beltway keening aside, seems the probable outcome of the primaries—what are the odds the GOP can take the White House, Congress, and the Supreme Court?

If Republicans can unite, not bad, not bad at all.

Undeniably, Democrats open with a strong hand. There is that famed “blue wall,” those 18 states and D.C. with a combined 242 electoral votes, just 28 shy of victory, that have gone Democratic in every presidential election since 1988.