J.E. Dyer

J.E. Dyer is a retired Naval Intelligence officer who lives in Southern California, blogging as The Optimistic Conservative for domestic tranquility and world peace. Her articles have appeared at Hot Air, Commentary’s Contentions, Patheos, The Daily Caller, The Jewish Press, and The Weekly Standard.

Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerOctober 15, 2013
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Why Obama’s Afghanistan strategy is bad faith with our troops

Allen West made an appeal this past weekend that has gone viral on the Web, on behalf of Army 1LT…
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Economy

J.E. DyerOctober 10, 2013
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When playing for time, think big and strategic

So opponents of Obamacare have one big thing going for us: the roll-out of the federal exchange has been epically…
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Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerOctober 9, 2013
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Whither Camp David?

In deciding the famous case between two women claiming the same child, King Solomon propounded his “splitting the baby” solution…
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Law and Government

J.E. DyerOctober 7, 2013
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A reminder: Warnings about premiums going up under Obamacare were correct

The blogosphere is alive with the sound of Obamacare sticker shock. The stories abound. There are winners and losers with…
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Economy

J.E. DyerOctober 4, 2013
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Strange but true in the Far East

Now and then, it’s good to check in with the other side of the world. U.S. cabinet secretaries John Kerry…
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Economy

J.E. DyerOctober 1, 2013
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On the job but not getting paid?

I’m very glad Congress and the president decided to make sure the uniformed military will get paid during the government…
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Law and Government

J.E. DyerSeptember 28, 2013
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You say Thermopylae, I say Alamo

A few observations on the battle for America’s future as it shapes up heading for 1 October, or perhaps 17…
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Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerSeptember 26, 2013
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Russian navy promises ‘support’ to Nicaragua

… and other news from the brave new world In case you were wondering: no, the former-Soviet navy didn’t use…
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Law and Government

J.E. DyerSeptember 24, 2013
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Why Ted Cruz speaks for me

Ted Cruz and his allies get it. They get that Americans can’t afford to have Obamacare implemented against our groaning,…
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Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerSeptember 22, 2013
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Five ways in which Obama doesn’t represent the American people

It is obligatory to start this one out with the point that not everything on earth is Barack Obama’s fault. …
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Law and Government

J.E. DyerSeptember 19, 2013
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Americans: There’s no excuse for (some of) us

Two beleaguered people have recently come back from the dead, unjustly-ruined-reputation-wise. Both were victims of attack by legal action. Both…
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Politics

J.E. DyerSeptember 17, 2013
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Rollback down under

Tony Abbott may turn out to be the real deal. The newly elected conservative (Liberal) prime minister of Australia is…
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National Security

J.E. DyerSeptember 16, 2013
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‘Yet another mass shooting’

There is a great deal we don’t know yet about the Washington Navy Yard shooting perpetrated by former Navy reservist…
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Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerSeptember 13, 2013
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So…what should we be doing in foreign policy now?

The pessimism out there is palpable, and for good reason. They’re all right. Richard Fernandez: Olympus has fallen. Bryan Preston:…
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Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerSeptember 9, 2013
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Obama’s Cuban missile crisis

What a coup it would be, for Team Obama to turn two weeks of dithering and squandering American credibility on…
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Economy

J.E. DyerSeptember 5, 2013
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Syria: Update on maritime matters

In a destabilizing region, the hits will come from all sides. Egyptian authorities are confirming reports that terrorists with RPGs…
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Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerSeptember 5, 2013
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Syria: Now, the run-up to whatever ‘it’ will or won’t be

What the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has voted to authorize is a military operation not to exceed 90 days in…
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National Security

J.E. DyerSeptember 3, 2013
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Yes, I think Assad did it

I’ve been hearing about an analysis from Yossef Bodansky, reportedly alluded to by Rush Limbaugh today, in which Bodansky suggests…
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Economy

J.E. DyerSeptember 1, 2013
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Rock, hard place, Syria

Through his latest action, calling for a vote of Congress on a strike against the Assad regime – but not…
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Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerAugust 31, 2013
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A 'Johnny Football suspension' for Assad; *UPDATE*

My colleague Howard Portnoy highlighted yesterday the report that a U.S. official who had been briefed on the planning for…
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Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerAugust 29, 2013
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The unbearable passivity of triangulated policies that require 'slam dunk' intelligence

It’s a percussion symphony out there. The drumbeat of stalwart European readiness to strike Syria has become unsteady – boy,…
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Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerAugust 28, 2013
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The perils of Barack

So here we are. Americans elected Barack Obama, and now he appears to be within a breath of embroiling us…
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Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerAugust 26, 2013
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Britain taking lead on Syria?

One of these days, the mainstream media will catch up with reality and start reporting things as they are. In…
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Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerAugust 24, 2013
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Obama on Syria: Low-quality 'jaw-jaw'

It being the silly season in Washington, there had to be a rumor of war. Well, a rumor of a…
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Law and Government

J.E. DyerAugust 21, 2013
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Duncan, OK murder: It’s the gangsta culture, stupid

Colin Flaherty has the dope. (See also here.) Duncan, Oklahoma: big little town on the prairie. County seat of Stephens…
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Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerAugust 17, 2013
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Egypt: This is big

One way to gauge the import of the conflict erupting in Egypt is by looking at the character of media…
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Sports and Culture

J.E. DyerAugust 14, 2013
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Five phenomena of popular culture about which I am 100 percent clueless

Does it mean you are living a permanent “senior moment,” that you see more and more pop-culture references you can’t…
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Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerAugust 13, 2013
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A unified theory of Benghazi

There are several threads that converge in the emerging drama of the Benghazi attack on 9/11/2012. One relates to the…
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Media

J.E. DyerAugust 12, 2013
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Double standard: What did get (briefly) banned at Facebook, versus what didn’t

Some things, you have to see to believe. I was alerted by a friend, a couple of days ago, to…
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Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerAugust 10, 2013
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'Moderate' Rouhani misled West; sneaked in centrifuges?

There is a particularly interesting aspect to the video that has recently surfaced, in which Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani,…
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Law and Government

J.E. DyerAugust 8, 2013
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The curious case of the al Qaeda threat warning

One thing struck me immediately about the recent al Qaeda threat warning, when U.S. officials claimed that the Hoover-like NSA…
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Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerAugust 3, 2013
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U.S., setting example for Israel, releases Taliban terrorists

On 28 July, Jonathan Tobin asked, at Commentary, if the U.S. would release terrorist killers as a precondition for talks…
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Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerJuly 30, 2013
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Facts and implications: Notes on Diana West’s American Betrayal

What are the implications of the extensively documented fact that agents of the Soviet government were employed in high positions…
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Foreign Affairs

J.E. DyerJuly 29, 2013
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Most pointless 'peace talks' ever?

What exactly are John Kerry and Barack Obama trying to accomplish with the new round of “peace talks” between Israel…
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Economy

J.E. DyerJuly 25, 2013
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Just a reminder: Welfare-state government is a minister of death

Two recent reports make it painfully clear that collectivized, welfare-state government sees the people as either taxpaying assets or costly…
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Economy

J.E. DyerJuly 23, 2013
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Eyes on the ball: Obama’s Magical Economy Tour has a purpose

The president is launching a new, campaign-style tour to “lay out his agenda for reinvigorating the economy.” According to New…
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J.E. Dyer

Why Obama’s Afghanistan strategy is bad faith with our troops

Whither Camp David?

Strange but true in the Far East

On the job but not getting paid?

You say Thermopylae, I say Alamo

Russian navy promises ‘support’ to Nicaragua

Five ways in which Obama doesn’t represent the American people

Americans: There’s no excuse for (some of) us

‘Yet another mass shooting’

So…what should we be doing in foreign policy now?

Obama’s Cuban missile crisis

Syria: Update on maritime matters

Syria: Now, the run-up to whatever ‘it’ will or won’t be

Yes, I think Assad did it

Rock, hard place, Syria

A 'Johnny Football suspension' for Assad; UPDATE

The unbearable passivity of triangulated policies that require 'slam dunk' intelligence

The perils of Barack

Britain taking lead on Syria?

Obama on Syria: Low-quality 'jaw-jaw'

Egypt: This is big

Five phenomena of popular culture about which I am 100 percent clueless

A unified theory of Benghazi

'Moderate' Rouhani misled West; sneaked in centrifuges?

The curious case of the al Qaeda threat warning

U.S., setting example for Israel, releases Taliban terrorists

Facts and implications: Notes on Diana West’s American Betrayal

Most pointless 'peace talks' ever?

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