Clifford D. May
Columns by Clifford D. May
Soldiers of misfortune: Putin’s Wagner Group isn’t playing
The Wagner Group is not, as the name might suggest, a club for lovers of epic German operas. Its members are often called mercenaries, but that's imprecise. Published January 31, 2023
What is Putin thinking?
I've begun talking to myself. Not good. But who else can I talk to? I'm surrounded by fools and incompetents. Published January 24, 2023
Biden doesn’t intend to defend America’s borders
In Mexico City last week, the president of the United States met with the president of Mexico and the prime minister of Canada for what was dubbed the "Three Amigos Summit." Published January 17, 2023
Why a Jew’s visit to the holiest Jewish site provokes outrage
Imagine if Pope Francis said: "Only Christians are permitted in the Vatican! No Muslims and no Jews!" Published January 10, 2023
A sorry summit: Biden avoids pivotal issues in meeting with African leaders
Last month, President Biden hosted 59 African leaders in our nation's capital. Published January 3, 2023
Strategery 101: When enemy Russia attacks friend Ukraine, back the friend
A week ago Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, made a surprise visit to Bakhmut, where his troops are engaged in a bloody battle with Russian invaders. Published December 27, 2022
Why Jordan has not joined the Abraham Accords
Some years ago, a colleague and I were in Israel at the home of a former member of the intelligence community who maintained his international connections. Published December 20, 2022
Extremist ideologies proliferate in a world where anything goes
Extremist ideologies are proliferating, and it has become taboo in what we used to call polite society to criticize ideas that, not long ago, would have been seen as shockingly beyond the pale. Published December 13, 2022
China’s Communist ruler Xi not playing games with U.S.
It's become common to speak of the "U.S.-China rivalry" or the "U.S.-China competition" -- phrases that suggest a game with one nation winning today and another tomorrow. Published December 6, 2022
COP27 indictment: Americans are climate criminals and must pay
Three weeks ago, I warned you, dear reader, that the "climate summit" getting underway at the chic Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm El-Sheikh was up to no good. Published November 29, 2022
Why sic the FBI on the Israeli Defense Force?
Covering armed conflict is risky business. Shireen Abu Akleh, a reporter for al-Jazeera, must have known that. Published November 22, 2022
The speech Biden should give (but don’t hold your breath)
Good afternoon! Well, as you know, I'm just back from the Middle East and Asia. I've been doing a lot of thinking -- no joke! -- and I want to share some of my thoughts with you, my fellow Americans. Published November 15, 2022
United Nations’ climate summit COP27 threatens our planet
COP27 began on Sunday and I'm following the action. By action, I mean 12 days of mind-numbing meetings, speeches, and virtue signaling, spiced up with misrepresentations of scientific research. Published November 8, 2022
Left is having second — and third — thoughts on Putin’s Ukraine war
The Congressional Progressive Caucus, as I suspect you know, is the club for far-left House members. Published November 1, 2022
United Nations goes DEFCON 3 on Israel
Vladimir Putin is slaughtering Ukrainian men, women and children. Xi Jinping is committing genocide against the Muslims of East Turkistan. Published October 25, 2022
Mohammed bin Salman has legitimate grievances against U.S.
President Biden is hopping mad that Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince and, since last month, prime minister, refused his request not to cut oil production -- or at least to wait a month before doing so. Mr. Biden is threatening "consequences" in retaliation. Published October 18, 2022
What diplomacy with Putin would look like now
H.L. Mencken is said to have observed that for every problem there is a solution that is "neat, plausible, and wrong." Published October 11, 2022
The problem with tyrants like Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin
We're inclined to believe that those who rule nations, however despotic they may be, are not so different from us. Published October 4, 2022
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman means to transform the kingdom
The last time I visited Saudi Arabia was in February 2017. Changes were occurring. "Baby steps," as one savvy young Saudi woman told me, adding: "There is at least an acknowledgment that we need to evolve." Published September 27, 2022
Fascism for dummies
Fascism seems to be all the rage these days. I'll give you a few examples. Published September 13, 2022
