Hello, my name is Josh. After writing here for many months, Lance finally asked me to do an “about me” thing. That was certainly kind of him.
I like to write about government policy, though not domestically (this is not born from snobbery, but utility: all of my experience and training is in the foreign stuff, and I neither have the time to become appropriately knowledgeable nor do I wish to mouth off on a topic about which I know little). I’m reasonably learned about the DoD, military contracting, foreign policy, and Central and South Asia, so I tend to stick to those topics.
Also I am a homosexual, so while politically I do tend to agree more with Republicans than Democrats, I am rather hostile to the GOP. I also dislike a bloated and domineering government, so I am further hostile to the GOP. These attributes also make me hostile to the Democrats, since they neither protect the interests of gay Americans (contrary to their many claims), nor do they tend to run the country in a noticeably adult manner. A faster way of summarizing this paragraph is that I have very strong views, but I do consider myself non-partisan—I hate everyone, and don’t make party-based calculations when it comes to electioneering (save my firm anti-incumbent stance, which is quite useful: I think our system of government is best served by a high rate of turnover amongst our elected officials, regardless of party).
I stick to the news briefings here, mostly, though that of course is changing. I’m in the midst of a big transition in my life right now, leaving my beloved/be-hated DC for a nameless Midwestern metropolis to do a job related to my knowledge of Central Asia. Thus, my time has become severely limited, and while I once did these briefings daily, now the best I can aim for is weekly.
Please do not hold your breath, however: I am also the weekly roundup editor for Afghanistan at Global Voices Online, a non-profit global citizens’ media project founded at Harvard Law School’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, a research think-tank focused on the Internet’s impact on society. Most of my blogging time is occupied with Registan.net, a blog devoted to covering the Former Soviet Union (from the energy industry up in the Caspian Sea down to ISAF’s efforts in Afghanistan).
In terms of background, I got my B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where I majored in International Security with a double minor in Political Science and French (yes, French). I’ve lived in Kazakhstan for a time, and have spent many years in the defense contracting industry. I remain decent at French, am learning Russian, and know pleasantries and market-speak in a smattering of other languages. My writing can be found in several publications in the U.S. and abroad, and I used to contribute weekly political roundup segments to The John McMullen Show on Sirius Radio’s OutQ channel.
And I have a day job. They neither approve, nor review, nor deny anything I write here. I will say controversial things, but they are my views, not my employer’s. They have no relation to the stances I take here, so if you have a problem with something I write or think, take it up with me—not with them.
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