Clifford D. May
Columns by Clifford D. May
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
Pelosi showing up in Taiwan is not enough
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi cares deeply about the people of Taiwan as she has throughout her long career. That's my story and I'm going to try my darnedest to stick to it. Published August 30, 2022
Impact of Biden’s capitulation to the Taliban
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, changed the lives of many Americans, mine among them. Published August 23, 2022
Reporters in Gaza have never been free
Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood branch that rules Gaza, sat out this month's conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a smaller Gaza-based terrorist group tied to Iran's rulers. Published August 16, 2022
The ‘forever war’ against the West
Just under a year ago, President Biden asked, "What interest do we have in Afghanistan at this point with al Qaeda gone?" Published August 9, 2022
Why the U.S. should stop subsidizing Tehran’s proxy Lebanon
Lebanon was once a noble experiment. Published August 2, 2022
Climate change is not a national security emergency
President Biden entered the Oval Office planning to make climate change his national security priority. Published July 26, 2022
Biden’s mission to the Middle East goes south
President Biden's mission to the Middle East had been going so well. Published July 19, 2022
What China’s ‘Cold War’ rulers want from U.S.
Bipartisanship is rare in Washington these days. Christopher Wray is an exception -- sort of. Published July 12, 2022