David P. Goldman

Death Orders: The Vanguard of Modern Terrorism in Revolutionary Russia by anna geifman praeger, 229 pages, $34.95 A common sociology links the Russian terrorists and the Islamists. As Geifman notes, Russia’s “urban populace swelled from around 9 million people in the mid-19th century to about . . . . Continue Reading »

Except for one established fact — that it’s been done before — I wouldn’t touch the Iranian cyberwar story with a barge pole. Lies, half-truths and misinformation surround live intelligence operations like nested hedge-rows, and to ask anyone truly in the know about such . . . . Continue Reading »

My essay on Michael Wyschogrod, the great Orthodox Jewish theologian whose work has graced the pages of First Things twice this year. It is an honor to honor Michael at any time, but especially during the Yomim Tovim.An extract:Wo es sich christelt, da judelt es sich auch, in Heinrich Heine’s . . . . Continue Reading »

Theologians for the most part are a placid and contemplative tribe. That is a shame, for practical theology can be exhilirating. No-one allow me into a PhD program in theology, one academic friend warns, much less give me a teaching position at any reputable (or even disreputable) institution of . . . . Continue Reading »

Burning the Koran (or any book) is a bad thing, and the Rev. Terry Jones of something called the Dove World Outreach Center will violate basic standards of decency when he sets fire to the Muslim holy book on Sept. 11. But it is Constitutionally-protected free speech. Last year a North Carolina . . . . Continue Reading »

Why do between a fifth and a quarter of Americans think that Barack Obama is a Muslim? I was interviewed this morning by one new outlet on this topic. Perhaps 10% of the population listens to the talk-radio conspiracy theorists who actually believe that Obama is a covert Muslim, which of course is . . . . Continue Reading »

I have nothing to say about the valedictory remarks of Christina Romer, the departing chair of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors:She had no idea how bad the economic collapse would be. She still doesn’t understand exactly why it was so bad. The response to the collapse was . . . . Continue Reading »

Between the Anglo-French declaration of war against Germany in September 1939 and the German invasion of France in May 1940, the world had eight months of “phony war” or Sitzkrieg (“sitting war”). Sitzkrieg continued on the Eastern front until June 1941, when Hitler at length . . . . Continue Reading »

Japan-Style Stagnation? You Should Be So LuckyAugust 29th, 2010 By David GoldmanLast week some old comrades-in-arms from the financial industry turned up in New York from their present haunts in Europe and Asia; at the end of the week we all found ourselves on the deck of a beach house in the . . . . Continue Reading »

Barack Obama won the presidency by making his mantra, “Yes, we can.” It seems downright un-American to say, “No, you can’t,” but it is getting harder and harder to avoid the conclusion that the American economy is the little engine that couldn’t… . Continue Reading »