https://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2012/07/30/the-call-of-cthulhu/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usWed, 10 Jun 2026 02:46:03 -0400<![CDATA[Getting involved in the Middle East is like having the girlfriend from hell. Just as you were headed out the door, she threatens to commit suicide. The decision by Damascus to use heavy weapons like artillery, armor, and aircraft against the Syrian rebels not only underscores the superiority of the Assad regime in this category of combat, it also illustrates why it is so hard to leave the region to its own dysfunctional pathologies. Assad&#8217;s forces are advancing, albeit fitfully, on Aleppo, causing a further increase in the spate of refugees. At least 200,000 are on the move.]]>Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:18:12 -0400<![CDATA[Richard Fernandez]]>https://pjmedia.com/richard-fernandez/2012/07/30/the-call-of-cthulhu-n191865