Category Archives: Obama

Inconvenient Truths about the Syria Crisis

Posted on September 6, 2013 by Dr Gerard Toal

The time for more detached scholarly research on the interstate conflict over responding to the Syrian civil war, and war crimes therein, will come later. Clearly the 21 August chemical weapon attacks intensified this conflict greatly. The affective geopolitical complex … Continue reading →

Posted in Congress, Current affairs, George Bush, Israel, Middle East, Obama, Political Borders, Political Geography, Presidency, Russia, Syria, US Senate, war crimes, Washington D.C., World political map | 1 Comment

The Saddest Place: Beslan Plus 9

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Dr Gerard Toal

Nine years ago the siege of School Number 1 in Beslan, North Ossetia ended in disastrous circumstances with 336 people killed, almost two hundred of them children. The mundane ramshackle ruins of the gutted school buildings are deeply affecting reminders … Continue reading →

Posted in Beslan, chemical weapons, Obama, Putin, Syria | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Power and Policy in the United States. Fall 2013 Course Syllabus

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Dr Gerard Toal

Financial Times Graphic, Iraq War 2003-2013. This semester I am teaching a foundational Masters level course for our Masters of Public and International Affairs degree in the National Capital Region, Power and Policy in the United States. The course is a new … Continue reading →

Posted in Congress, Constitution, Current affairs, Democracy, Dirty Wars, drones, George Bush, Israel, Jeremy Scahill, Obama, political system, special interests, state theory, Washington D.C. | 3 Comments

‘Dirty Wars’ Washington premier at E Street cinema

Posted on June 8, 2013 by Dr Gerard Toal

Because the initial showing sold out E Street switched the show to Theatre 4, their largest, and it was almost full by showtime. Despite the topic, the US corn industry had a good night as people were shoveling the stuff … Continue reading →

Posted in Current affairs, Dirty Wars, drones, Jeremy Scahill, Obama, Somalia, war on terror, Washington D.C., Yemen | 3 Comments

Bend it like ‘Bama

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Dr Gerard Toal

So what have one million people done to my football pitch? Has majestic battle hymn democracy destroyed the ground friends and I play soccer upon every Sunday? Well I suppose an alliterative public extension of the bonds of inclusion in … Continue reading →

Posted in Current affairs, Democracy, Obama, Washington D.C. | Leave a comment

“We have to fix that”

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Dr Gerard Toal

Among the many pleasures on election night last month was seeing the fire in Obama’s eye as he went off script — “by the way, we have to fix that” — during a wonderful election night speech. He was referring … Continue reading →

Posted in Congress, Constitution, Current affairs, Democracy, Obama, US Senate, Washington D.C. | Leave a comment

The Third Debate: Politics is the Enemy of Strategy

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Dr Gerard Toal

The third debate introduced US citizens, and an international audience to a geographic variant of a staple political attack. And, you know, Governor Romney, I’m glad that you agree that we have been successful in going after Al Qaida, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Current affairs, Geography, Iran, Israel, Obama, Rhetoric, Romney, the bomb, World political map | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

“Just give me the ball”

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Dr Gerard Toal

In his article entitled “Battle Plans: How Obama Won,” the New Yorker writer Ryan Lizza records the following exchange between Obama and a staffer over Obama’s strong performance in his first debate with John McCain: After Obama’s first debate with … Continue reading →

Posted in Gender, Masculinity, Obama, Romney, Washington D.C. | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

One of Our Own

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Dr Gerard Toal

Last week our School, the School of Public and International Affairs at Virginia Tech, lost one of our Ph D students in Afghanistan. Born in Egypt, Ragaei Abdelfattah was a naturalized American, devout Muslim and former master planner for Prince … Continue reading →

Posted in Current affairs, Obama, Washington D.C. | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Powerless in DC

Posted on July 7, 2012 by Dr Gerard Toal

Washington DC has been through an eventful few weeks, and the action is not all at the White House, Supreme Court and in Congress. A ‘microburst’ weather storm left many residents without power on the 21st of June (including our … Continue reading →

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