Louis René Beres
“In PRAISE Of FOLLY”: The Trump Presidency In Wider Cultural Context
In 1509, Desiderius Erasmus, the famed Renaissance humanist, published In Praise of Folly. Here, the narrator, dressed as a court jester, argues that she is humankind’s greatest benefactor. Nursed, acknowledges Folly, by Drunkenness and...
International Law and WMD Attacks on Israel
In the years ahead, Israel could face the growing prospect of WMD terrorism, i.e., attacks involving chemical, biological, or even nuclear weapons. In this context, it is vital that Israeli officials do their utmost...
The US, Russia, and Syria – What to Worry About Next
“Where there were great military actions, there lies whitening now the jawbone of an ass.” – Saint-John Perse (French poet, 1887-1975)
More than likely, the recent allied strikes against Syrian chemical weapons-related targets are not the end of...
Allied Strikes in Syria, Russia, and International Law
Nullum crimen sine poena, "No crime without a punishment."
(Ancient principle of law reaffirmed at the Nuremberg Trials)
For the most part, a military response to the recent Syrian chemical attacks at Douma was obligatory under...
“The American People”: current and historical meanings
The People, sir, are a great beast.”
–Alexander Hamilton
Virtually all US politicians are fond of “The American People.” Indeed, as the ultimate fallback stance for any candidate or incumbent, no other quaint phrase can seem...
US-Russia Military Encounter in Syria: Implications for Israel
For the most part, Israel has always been able to identify and manage its own particular involvements with Syria, regarding both the incessantly criminal regime of Bashar al-Assad and the sub-national groups in-league with...
The Trump Presidency’s Most Urgent Peril
Strictly speaking, insanity is not a proper medical or psychiatric term, but rather a more-or-less acceptable legal description. Nonetheless, as a convenient shorthand for exploring mental illness or emotional debility in current presidential decision-making...
President Trump’s Odd War Against Science and Intellect in America
"What the mass once learned to believe without reasons,
who could overthrow that with reasons?
Friedrich Nietzsche, Zarathustra
From its glaringly incoherent beginnings, the Trump presidency has positioned itself to wage relentless war against science and intellect....
Donald Trump and the Cry of the Crowd
“The crowd,” observed the 19th-century Danish philosopher Sören Kierkegaard, “is untruth.”
In these United States, nothing could possibly be more apparent or confirmative. Here, the presidency of Donald Trump — the most starkly injurious result of...
Truth vs. Slogan in World Law: Disclosing Vital Differences
"The martyrs are our children and they are our families. They honor us...." (Mahmoud Abbas, PA President, Speech to PLO Central Council, January 14, 2018)
Judging from recent comments by Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Authority president,...