Archives by date

You are browsing the site archives for August 2017.

It’s far too easy for Donald Trump to start a nuclear war

Wherever the President of the United States travels, a military aide-de-camp carrying “the football” is just a few steps away. It isn’t the kind Tom Brady throws. In the laconic jargon that national security officers use, “the football” is a briefcase that allows the President to launch a nuclear attack. These days “the football” seems […]

Moscow is our friend. Honest.

Moscow is our friend. Honest.

Millions of people around the world learn English from courses broadcast over the Voice of America. One recent lesson was about the word “enemy.” An announcer introduced it simply: “Do you have an enemy? Hopefully, you don’t. An enemy is someone who hates you, and you hate them back. An enemy threatens you, attacks you or tries […]