Copyright 2026 Clifford May Sun, 19 Jul 2026 16:24:57 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Clifford May :: Writings https://cliffordmay.org cliff@defenddemocracy.org (Clifford May) webmaster@pundicity.com en-us https://cliffordmay.org/31486/biden-russia-iran Wed, 15 Jul 2026 09:00:00 EST President Joe Biden tried to talk wars down. For example, on Jan. 19, 2022, he suggested – hopefully, it seemed to me – that Russia's coming invasion of Ukraine would be only a "minor incursion." No such luck. Just over a month later, President Vladimir... https://cliffordmay.org/31472/muslim-socialism Wed, 8 Jul 2026 09:00:00 EST Zohran Mamdani, Aber Kawas, Rashida Tlaib, Darializa Avila Chevalier. Those are just some of the Democratic politicians who self-identify as both socialists and Muslims. Which gives me an opportunity to acquaint you with a bit of little-known history.... https://cliffordmay.org/31467/iran-negotiation-winning-streak Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:00:00 EST President Trump has observed that Iran's rulers have "never won a war, but never lost a negotiation." The question that should follow: Why is that? One reason they don't win wars: They have neither nuclear weapons nor an adequate conventional force –... https://cliffordmay.org/31459/melania-trump-iran-women Tue, 23 Jun 2026 09:00:00 EST Dear Mrs. Trump – Or may I call you Melania? If that's too familiar, no problem, I understand. But you can certainly call me Cliff! I'm a long-time admirer. I've heard you speak out for human rights, saying for example: "There is no room for compromise... https://cliffordmay.org/31452/peace-deal-with-iran Wed, 17 Jun 2026 09:00:00 EST In "Why We Want You to Be Rich," published in 2006, Donald Trump explained that a master negotiator knows "what the other side wants and where they're coming from," and is never afraid to walk away from a bad deal." Henry Kissinger, writing three months... https://cliffordmay.org/31439/qatar-indoctrinating-your-children Wed, 10 Jun 2026 09:00:00 EST For centuries, Qatar was a sparsely populated sheikhdom under the loose influence of successive Islamic empires, caliphates, and regional Arab rulers. In 1916, it transitioned into a British protectorate. At that time, its main industry was pearl diving... https://cliffordmay.org/31435/iran-islamic-revolutionaries Wed, 3 Jun 2026 09:00:00 EST Dear President Trump: I'm sure you were disappointed to learn on Monday that Iran's rulers have decided they're not interested in negotiating an extension of the ceasefire you granted on April 8. That ceasefire was in exchange for their promise to let... https://cliffordmay.org/31428/liberate-the-cubans Wed, 27 May 2026 09:00:00 EST President Trump fancies himself a peacemaker, and the record supports him. His first-term Abraham Accords normalized relations between Israel and three Arab states: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco. Since his return to the White House,... https://cliffordmay.org/31424/trump-distrust-verify-xi Wed, 20 May 2026 09:00:00 EST How successful was last week's summit in Beijing? President Trump said it was a "great success." Xi Jinping, China's supreme ruler, merely called the meeting "constructive." Perhaps Mr. Xi thought: "Trump is cunning and unpredictable, so I'd better keep... https://cliffordmay.org/31413/trump-iran-speech Thu, 14 May 2026 09:00:00 EST My fellow Americans, I don't often sit down here in the Oval Office behind the Resolute Desk to give speeches. I prefer to talk to you more off-the-cuff. But I'm making an exception today because I want you to understand exactly what I'm thinking and... https://cliffordmay.org/31402/iran-ideology-peace Wed, 6 May 2026 09:00:00 EST During a Senate hearing last week, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth why she is so vehemently opposed to the use of military force to address the threat posed by Tehran: "We did not have any evidence that Iran intended to... https://cliffordmay.org/31398/jeffersonian-strategy-iran-threat Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:00:00 EST Last Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad where he was expected to finalize the terms of a deal he'd offer President Trump. Less than 24 hours later, he headed back to Tehran. President Trump's special envoys, Steve... https://cliffordmay.org/31391/all-quiet-on-the-lebanese-front Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:00:00 EST This headline from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation last week was typical: "Trump announces Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, but major disputes remain." That framing misses a basic truth: Ceasefires don't resolve conflicts. Though they can lead to... https://cliffordmay.org/31384/iran-ideology-ambitions Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:00:00 EST After the Twelve-Day War of June 2025, President Trump probably thought something along these lines: "We gave those guys a good thrashing. They won't want to repeat the experience anytime soon." If Iran's rulers were what we call "rational actors," that... https://cliffordmay.org/31380/america-fights-iran-rulers Wed, 8 Apr 2026 09:00:00 EST During World War II, my father served in the South Pacific. Who did he think he was fighting? I know from reviewing his letters back home that it wasn't "the Imperial Japanese government." He was fighting "the Japs." And G.I.s deployed to Europe, I'm...