'One lesson concerns the uses and limits of military power'

'The Syrian rebels' lessons for Washington'

Walter Russell Mead at The Wall Street Journal

"There are important lessons here for policymakers around the world" concerning the Syrian rebels, says Walter Russell Mead. The "rebel victory in Aleppo is a direct consequence of the wars in Ukraine and the Levant," and "there are two other lessons that Washington needs to take in." The "first is that Israel is an excellent ally, and the U.S. benefits when we support it," and the "second lesson is about how to deal with Russia."

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'Joe Biden's selfish parting act'

Edward Luce at the Financial Times

The "timing of Biden's blanket act of immunity for his son Hunter was unfortunate," says Edward Luce. It "enabled Trump to distract attention from his nepotism," and the "rule of law in America looks like a game in which the well-connected always seem to have a get-out-of-jail-free card." The "rule of law in America is about to receive the mother of all stress tests," and "if it fails, Biden will have played a role in weakening the guardrails."

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'As we support survivors of domestic violence, let's not forget those behind bars'

Norma Cumpian at Newsweek

Domestic violence is a "daunting challenge that demands our attention year-round," says Norma Cumpian. There is a "population whose needs are rarely discussed — those whose domestic abuse drives them to commit crimes." Many "women behind bars are also mothers," and the "need for greater understanding — and support — is tremendous." We "must better acknowledge the role domestic violence plays in leading many women into our justice system — and the unique challenges they face when they get there."

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'Donald Trump didn't win by a historic landslide. It's time to nip that lie in the bud'

Mehdi Hasan at The Guardian

Donald Trump "won the popular vote and the electoral college," but "contrary to both Republican talking points and breathless headlines," there "was really nothing at all historic or huge about the margin of victory," says Mehdi Hasan. Trump's "margin of victory over Harris is a minuscule 1.6 percentage points," so he "doesn’t represent the popular will." Republicans "may feel they won a huge victory over the Democrats," but the "facts don't care about their feelings."

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