Tammy Swofford

Adult Americans travelling abroad tend to recognise other Americans. There is just something about us that stands out and separates us from Canadians to the north and our European cousins across the Atlantic. Americans are comfortable in their own skin. We may be arrogant, flamboyant, display signs of cockiness or even sheer stupidity, but warts […]

Vladimir Putin is confident. He has acquired a nice little piece of real estate without firing a shot. The official line is that this action is not akin to a home invasion — Russia is setting a dysfunctional house in order. Russians and Ukrainians are brothers. They are fraternal. And, at this point, we are […]

The American Foreign Service Association is the representative body of 31,000 current and prior service diplomats. The process of writing an updated ‘Chief of mission guidelines’ began in September of 2013. The report was released last month. ‘Guidelines for successful performance as a chief of mission’ is concise and thoughtfully prepared. The document is anchored […]

Humans. Adjectives and adverbs. Are we the only created beings that craft our identities based on adjectives and adverbs? Does a chimpanzee think himself a clever chimpanzee? Does the cheetah call himself a speeding miracle of velocity? Or does the peacock call himself beautiful? Our world begins with awareness of self. We stick a thumb […]

Dr Asha Mirje has never been raped. Only a woman who has never suffered a rape would dare to opine about the ‘reasons’ why women are ambushed. I am glad for the survival of her dignity. What has not survived is her sense of decency and common sense. Dr Asha Mirje is a member of […]

Talk about sending out a woman to do a man’s job! It appears that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has achieved the pinnacle of success for role reversal. Maulana Abdul Aziz, one of the three negotiators for the TTP, has happily crowed that there are “at least 400 to 500 female suicide bombers in Waziristan and […]

The US has an invisible army. It is not what you would expect. This is not the demographic that liberal media loves to bash — responsible gun owners or any number of X, Y, Z targets of conspiracy theorists. You glimpse us briefly and then we disappear. You never know our name but you will […]

Every generation produces those who lack common sense. We are acutely aware of family members and friends who lack discernment. As a parent raising two bull-headed sons, I am well-acquainted with the lack of conceptualisation residing within the cerebrum of my darling progeny. If sense could be knocked into a head, I would have attempted […]

The military men loaded into their assigned vehicles and prepared to travel in convoy from their military compound in the town of Bannu for a trip, which headed west toward the North Waziristan tribal region. Those of us who have worn the cloth of our nation understand the concept of a convoy. Once assigned to […]

Political sabotage is one thing but high-level political operatives who strategise in ways that adversely affect the general population are engaged in political terrorism. Governor Chris Christie may be innocent of any real involvement in the nefarious actions of his staff and appointees but he is still accountable for the cultural climate of his office. […]