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- Associate Professor (Former), Administration of Justice, Paul D Camp Community College, Suffolk, VA Adjunct Professor... moreAssociate Professor (Former), Administration of Justice, Paul D Camp Community College, Suffolk, VA
Adjunct Professor (Former), Political Science and Geography, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
PhD International Studies (Conflict and Cooperation; Comparative and Regional Studies), Old Dominion University
MA International Studies (American Foreign Policy), Old Dominion University
MA Continental Philosophy, Staffordshire University
BA International Studies, Old Dominion University
BA Criminal Justice, Old Dominion University
BA Asian Studies, University of Maryland University College
AA Japanese Studies, University of Maryland University Collegeedit
This book explores the ways in which democracies can win counterinsurgencies when they implement a proper strategy. At a time when the USA is retrenching from two bungled foreign wars that involved deadly insurgent uprisings, this is a... more
This book explores the ways in which democracies can win counterinsurgencies when they implement a proper strategy. At a time when the USA is retrenching from two bungled foreign wars that involved deadly insurgent uprisings, this is a particularly important argument. Succumbing to the trauma of those engagements and drawing the wrong conclusions about counterinsurgency can only lead to further defeat in the future. Rather than assuming that counterinsurgency is ineffective, it is crucial to understand that a conventional response to an insurgent challenge is likely to fail. Counterinsurgency must be applied from the beginning, and if done properly can be highly effective, even when used by democratic regimes. In fact, because such regimes are often wealthier; have more experience at institution-building and functional governance; are more pluralistic in nature and therefore enjoy higher levels of legitimacy than do autocracies, democracies may have considerable advantages in counterinsurgency warfare. Rather than give up in despair, democracies should learn to leverage these advantages and implement them against future insurgencies.
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This is a chapter on green ideology in the 2nd edition of the open access book Political Ideologies and Worldviews. The book can be found at the book link:
https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/politicalideologies2e/
https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/politicalideologies2e/
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Spanish language version of "Bushido's Role in the Growth of Pre-World War II Japanese Nationalism," Journal of East Asian Martial Arts
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The existence of various sufferings has long been thought to pose a problem for the existence of a personal God: the Problem of Evil (POE). In this paper, we propose an original version of POE, in which the geographic distribution of... more
The existence of various sufferings has long been thought to pose a problem for the existence of a personal God: the Problem of Evil (POE). In this paper, we propose an original version of POE, in which the geographic distribution of sufferings and of opportunities for flourishing or suffering is better explained if the universe, at bottom, is indifferent to the human condition than if, as theists propose, there is a personal God from whom the universe originates: the Problem of Geography (POG). POG moves beyond previous versions of POE because traditional responses to POE (skeptical theism and various theodicies) are less effective as responses to POG than they are to other versions of POE.
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According to the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space prepared by the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs, space debris is "all man-made objects, including fragments and elements... more
According to the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space prepared by the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs, space debris is "all man-made objects, including fragments and elements thereof, in Earth's orbit or re-entering the atmosphere, that are non-functional" (2010, p. 1). This debris usually consists of fragments of previously launched spacecraft, such as satellites and rocket boosters. It is often the result of accidental explosions or collisions that occurred with these craft (Imburgia 2011, pp. 593-594). Space debris can be more precisely classified by its presence in either low Earth orbit (LEO) or geostationary Earth orbit (GEO). Debris in LEO is typically more easily deorbited and has a shorter lifespan in orbit than GEO, which is more difficult to remove and may remain in orbit for millions of years. The biggest cause of space debris has historically been explosions (Imburgia 2011, p. 595). Inadvertent collisions have also played a major role in the exacerbation of this problem. Some examples include China's deliberate destruction of a nonfunctional weather satellite in 2007, which resulted in about 3000 pieces of debris and a 2009 collision between the Iridium 33 and a Cosmos satellite, which created an additional 2000 pieces of large debris (Larsen 2018, p. 478). These events alone increased the population of large debris objects in LEO up to that time by about 70% (Johnson 2010, p. 1).
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Smuggling is the illicit transport of materials or persons across legally constituted borders or boundaries. A wide variety of goods are or can be smuggled, from tobacco products to nuclear material to human beings. The motives for... more
Smuggling is the illicit transport of materials or persons across legally constituted borders or boundaries. A wide variety of goods are or can be smuggled, from tobacco products to nuclear material to human beings. The motives for smuggling are equally diverse. Some people smuggle to avoid taxation, this is especially the case with tobacco and alcohol, while others smuggle because the item itself is illegal, as with drugs or nuclear material. States may engage in smuggling in order to avoid internationally applied sanctions or to obfuscate clandestine activities, such as the development of weapons programs. Human smugglers typically seek to benefit financially either by profiting from the facilitation of illegal migration or through the exploitation of the people within their power as either sex workers or underpaid laborers.
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Research Interests: Philosophy, Philosophy Of Religion, Atheism, Theology, Theodicy, and 9 moreAnalytic Philosophy of Religion, John Rawls, Philosophy of Human Suffering, The Problem of Evil, Theology of Suffering and Evil, New Atheism, Atheism/Secular Studies, The Problem of Evil and the Existence of God (Brief Essay), and The Problem of Evil and Sufferring
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Research Interests: African Studies, Terrorism, International Terrorism, Political Violence and Terrorism, Radicalization, and 10 moreIslamic Studies, Kenya, Counter terrorism, Religious Fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalism, Historical Roots of Land-Related Grievances in Kenya, Terrorist Radicalization, Terrorism and Counterterrorism, Radicalization and Extremism, and Youth Radicalization
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The United Nations has utilized international policing contingents in post-conflict peacekeeping missions for many decades. Their utility in stabilizing peace and the rule of law has been well recognized. Their direct impact on economic... more
The United Nations has utilized international policing contingents in post-conflict peacekeeping missions for many decades. Their utility in stabilizing peace and the rule of law has been well recognized. Their direct impact on economic development, however, has been less discussed in the academic literature. This article explores the role that the policing element of the United Nations Mission in Liberia has had on the economic development of that country. This is discussed with special attention to Paul Collier’s concept of the ‘conflict trap’ and how international police can help post-conflict states escape it.
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Since its reunification, Germany has struggled with the dilemma of power. Many of Germany’s European allies feared the possibility of a resurgently powerful German nation that would revert to power politics and endanger the established... more
Since its reunification, Germany has struggled with the dilemma of power. Many of Germany’s European allies feared the possibility of a resurgently powerful German nation that would revert to power politics and endanger the established European order. Such worries were prevalent even among many Germans who, still struggling with their past, weren’t sure that they could trust themselves with the use of power. Yet Germany, just as any other country, had foreign policy objectives and global responsibilities that sometimes required the use of power to achieve. This article examines how Germany responded to this dilemma and how the use of both hard and soft power have evolved in German foreign policy since reunification. It demonstrates that at first Germany relied almost exclusively on the use of soft power. As Germany established trust among its allies, the international community, and its own citizens, it gradually began to increase its use of hard power and to take on greater international responsibilities. Today Germany uses a mixture of soft and hard power – what Richard Armitage and Joseph Nye have dubbed smart power – to meet its foreign policy goals and to fulfill its international responsibilities.
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The martial arts were used in the Japanese educational and military systems to inculcate the samurai’s notions of honor and loyalty (bushido) in the general public. This article therefore posits that the martial arts played a role in the... more
The martial arts were used in the Japanese educational and military systems to inculcate the samurai’s notions of honor and loyalty (bushido) in the general public. This article therefore posits that the martial arts played a role in the rise of Japanese nationalism and influenced the events that took place leading up to and during World War II.
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Many controversial issues have come under discussion regarding the recent war in Iraq. The justifications given for the war itself, the way the war was prosecuted, and the handling of the post-war situation have all been hotly contested... more
Many controversial issues have come under discussion regarding the recent war in Iraq. The justifications given for the war itself, the way the war was prosecuted, and the handling of the post-war situation have all been hotly contested matters. This paper focuses on an aspect of the war that has not drawn much attention—the decisions made by members of the Iraqi military to either fight or not to fight. From the very beginning of hostilities the United States made concerted efforts, through such methods as e-mails and leaflets dropped from aircraft, to encourage the desertion of Iraqi military personnel. Many Iraqi soldiers followed this advice and surrendered to U.S. forces at the first opportunity; others continue to fight to this day. Were the soldiers that deserted the military or surrendered without a fight morally justified in doing so? This article attempts to answer that question through an examination of such related issues as patriotism, political and moral duties, obligations arising from oaths and promises, and political legitimacy. Though this analysis does not lead to the development of iron-clad rules that definitively resolve the moral issues underlying military desertion, it can help us to get a clearer understanding of these issues and to develop guidelines by which to judge the morality of specific instances of desertion.
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Since the end of the Cold War the process of nation building has become a priority in the attempt to maintain world order and security in the wake of the instability and devastation wrought by failed and war-torn states. The proliferation... more
Since the end of the Cold War the process of nation building has become a priority in the attempt to maintain world order and security in the wake of the instability and devastation wrought by failed and war-torn states. The proliferation of nation-building missions has led to their diversification and the need to marshal a vast array of resources in order to attain substantial levels of success. This article deals with a new and important component of peacekeeping and nation-building missions, that of civilian policing. The article outlines the goals of using civilian police officers in nation-building missions and discusses a variety of problems (pragmatic, legal, and cultural) that policing may introduce to such missions. This discussion is focused around the civilian policing component of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo. It delineates the successes and hardships so far experienced during the mission in Kosovo and explores the insights that the mission may provide for similar projects in the future.
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Jerry Coyne’s first book meant for a popular audience, Why Evolution is True, was a masterful exposition of the evidence supporting evolutionary biology. It was rightly seen by many as one of the best books yet written on that subject for... more
Jerry Coyne’s first book meant for a popular audience, Why Evolution is True, was a masterful exposition of the evidence supporting evolutionary biology. It was rightly seen by many as one of the best books yet written on that subject for a general audience and deservedly spent time on the bestsellers list. In his second book, Faith vs. Fact: Why Science and Religion are Incompatible, Coyne does less well. His aim is to demonstrate that the contrasting mindsets underlying science (with its emphasis on rationality, evidence, experimentation, and observation) and religion (with its emphasis on faith) are intrinsically opposed and that all attempts to reconcile them must result in failure. Coyne has much of use to say on the topic and many of his points are powerfully made. His case is weakened, however, by his incoherent treatment of epistemology. This problem is serious in that it lies at the heart of the matter and serves to undermine, at least to some extent, parts of Coyne’s main argument.