By Nat Parry
March 27, 2010
In the wake of the bitter health-care debate and some ugly incidents of violence against Democratic members of Congress, there have been some belated – and halfhearted – appeals from Republican leaders to tamp down the fiery rhetoric on the Right.
Read on.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Incredible Lightness of Reform
By Bill Moyers and Michael Winship
March 26, 2010
That wickedly satirical Ambrose Bierce described politics as "the conduct of public affairs for private advantage."
Read on.
March 26, 2010
That wickedly satirical Ambrose Bierce described politics as "the conduct of public affairs for private advantage."
Read on.
The Right Finds Virtue in Extremism
By Lisa Pease
March 26, 2010
During his acceptance speech at the 1964 Republican convention, presidential candidate Barry Goldwater famously said, “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.” But was he correct?
Read on.
March 26, 2010
During his acceptance speech at the 1964 Republican convention, presidential candidate Barry Goldwater famously said, “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.” But was he correct?
Read on.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
The Politics of 'Corrections'
By Robert Parry
March 25, 2010
Perhaps nothing measures the imbalance of media and political power in the United States better than the decision-making by major news organizations about when to issue “corrections.”
Read on.
March 25, 2010
Perhaps nothing measures the imbalance of media and political power in the United States better than the decision-making by major news organizations about when to issue “corrections.”
Read on.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The Politics of Media
By Robert Parry
March 24, 2010
If you believed what you saw on Tuesday’s NBC evening news or what you read in the Washington Post’s lead editorial on Wednesday, you wouldn’t have a clue that Republicans are engaged in a scorched-earth political strategy to destroy the Obama administration.
Read on.
March 24, 2010
If you believed what you saw on Tuesday’s NBC evening news or what you read in the Washington Post’s lead editorial on Wednesday, you wouldn’t have a clue that Republicans are engaged in a scorched-earth political strategy to destroy the Obama administration.
Read on.
El Salvador: Ghosts at the Polls
By Don North
March 24, 2010 (Originally published June 24, 2009)
“If they kill me, I shall arise again in the Salvadoran people,” said Archbishop Oscar Romero in March 1980, just two weeks before he was gunned down by a sniper while saying Mass.
Read on.
March 24, 2010 (Originally published June 24, 2009)
“If they kill me, I shall arise again in the Salvadoran people,” said Archbishop Oscar Romero in March 1980, just two weeks before he was gunned down by a sniper while saying Mass.
Read on.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Making Unneeded Enemies in Somalia
By Ivan Eland
March 23, 2010
Although the Clinton administration’s debacle in Somalia in the early 1990s is most famous — as depicted in the Hollywood blockbuster “Black Hawk Down” — more recent American meddling by the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations may have worse long-term effects.
Read on.
March 23, 2010
Although the Clinton administration’s debacle in Somalia in the early 1990s is most famous — as depicted in the Hollywood blockbuster “Black Hawk Down” — more recent American meddling by the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations may have worse long-term effects.
Read on.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Obama, Free at Last on Health Care
By Robert Parry
March 22, 2010
The long-delayed passage of health-care reform may indeed be a historic moment for the United States, but it also marks something else – the moment when President Barack Obama has been freed, finally, to pursue a more innovative foreign policy, including a more aggressive approach to Middle East peace.
Read on.
March 22, 2010
The long-delayed passage of health-care reform may indeed be a historic moment for the United States, but it also marks something else – the moment when President Barack Obama has been freed, finally, to pursue a more innovative foreign policy, including a more aggressive approach to Middle East peace.
Read on.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Calling Out Yoo on Presidential Power
By David Swanson
March 21, 2010
I had the opportunity to ask war lawyer John Yoo a couple of questions on Friday. The situation was not ideal, with someone else holding the microphone and deferring to the witness, and other people heckling, and other people shouting at the hecklers.
Read on.
March 21, 2010
I had the opportunity to ask war lawyer John Yoo a couple of questions on Friday. The situation was not ideal, with someone else holding the microphone and deferring to the witness, and other people heckling, and other people shouting at the hecklers.
Read on.
NYT Admits Getting Duped on ACORN
By Robert Parry
March 21, 2010
March 21, 2010
The New York Times admits, sort of, that it got duped by right-wing propagandists who appear to have succeeded in a plot to destroy ACORN, an organization that for four decades has aided and defended the poor and powerless across the United States.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Protesting a Defiler of US Principles
By Ray McGovern
March 19, 2010
This morning I was reading the 11th grade AP American History textbook used in my granddaughter here in Charlottesville.
Read on.
March 19, 2010
This morning I was reading the 11th grade AP American History textbook used in my granddaughter here in Charlottesville.
Read on.
GOP Learns to Love Dissent
By Nat Parry
March 19, 2010
“The American people are saying, ‘Stop’ and they’re screaming at the top of their lungs,” said House Republican Leader John Boehner explaining why the GOP is so determined to kill President Barack Obama’s health-insurance reform.
Read on.
March 19, 2010
“The American people are saying, ‘Stop’ and they’re screaming at the top of their lungs,” said House Republican Leader John Boehner explaining why the GOP is so determined to kill President Barack Obama’s health-insurance reform.
Read on.
The Many Lies of Karl Rove
By Melvin A. Goodman
March 19, 2010
Joseph Goebbels, the leading propagandist of the Third Reich, understood the power of the lie; the greater the lie, the greater its power.
Read on.
March 19, 2010
Joseph Goebbels, the leading propagandist of the Third Reich, understood the power of the lie; the greater the lie, the greater its power.
Read on.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Israel's Troubling Tilt Toward Apartheid
By Robert Parry
March 19, 2010
March 19, 2010
The United Nations General Assembly may well have been wrong in 1975 to equate Zionism with racism, since many early Israelis rejected extremist notions regarding separation of Jews from Arabs. But today a virulent form of Zionism is turning Israel in the direction of an intolerant apartheid state.
The Death and Life of Bishop Romero
By Gary G. Kohls
March 18, 2010
Next week will be the 30th anniversary of the assassination of El Salvador's Archbishop Oscar Romero, a pivotal moment in the modern history of Central America and a moment that deserves reflection among U.S. citizens regarding the role their own government played in the ghastly bloodshed that surrounded Romero's death.
Read on.
March 18, 2010
Next week will be the 30th anniversary of the assassination of El Salvador's Archbishop Oscar Romero, a pivotal moment in the modern history of Central America and a moment that deserves reflection among U.S. citizens regarding the role their own government played in the ghastly bloodshed that surrounded Romero's death.
Read on.
Torture Lawyer Gets His Say at UVA
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
WPost Blames Obama First, on Israel
By Robert Parry
March 16, 2010
The U.S. government is in a clash with Israel over Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, housing construction that the Obama administration sees as a threat to renewed peace talks – and guess which side the Washington Post’s neoconservative editorial page is taking?
Read on.
March 16, 2010
The U.S. government is in a clash with Israel over Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, housing construction that the Obama administration sees as a threat to renewed peace talks – and guess which side the Washington Post’s neoconservative editorial page is taking?
Read on.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Yoo Besmirches Legacy of Jefferson
By Ray McGovern
March 15, 2010
Initially I was shocked at the thought of the University of Virginia welcoming former Justice Department lawyer John Yoo to the “Academical Village” founded by Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, which denounced tyrannical acts by King George III, including ones that fell far short of waterboarding.
Read on.
March 15, 2010
Initially I was shocked at the thought of the University of Virginia welcoming former Justice Department lawyer John Yoo to the “Academical Village” founded by Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, which denounced tyrannical acts by King George III, including ones that fell far short of waterboarding.
Read on.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Spy Takes US-Israeli Secrets to Grave
By Robert Parry
March 15, 2010
Last week’s death of Israeli spymaster David Kimche – and the omissions in his obituaries about his most sensitive operations, especially those regarding the United States – are a reminder of how much crucial history is being lost as key figures from this era take their secrets to the grave.
Read on.
March 15, 2010
Last week’s death of Israeli spymaster David Kimche – and the omissions in his obituaries about his most sensitive operations, especially those regarding the United States – are a reminder of how much crucial history is being lost as key figures from this era take their secrets to the grave.
Read on.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
30 Years of US Mistakes in Afghanistan
By James A. Lucas
March 13, 2010
More than three decades ago, there were social movements in Afghanistan to improve the standard of living of its people and to provide greater equality for women. There was even a functioning, if imperfect, democracy.
Read on.
March 13, 2010
More than three decades ago, there were social movements in Afghanistan to improve the standard of living of its people and to provide greater equality for women. There was even a functioning, if imperfect, democracy.
Read on.
Friday, March 12, 2010
How Big Business Dupes the Masses
By Bill Moyers and Michael Winship
March 12, 2010
Living in these United States, there comes a point at which you throw your hands up in exasperation and despair and ask a fundamental question or two: how much excess profit does corporate America really need?
Read on.
March 12, 2010
Living in these United States, there comes a point at which you throw your hands up in exasperation and despair and ask a fundamental question or two: how much excess profit does corporate America really need?
Read on.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
WH Chief Helped GOP Sink 9/11 Trial
By Jason Leopold
March 11, 2010
White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel has collaborated behind the scenes with Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham to oppose the Obama administration’s plans to use federal civilian courts, not military commissions, to try alleged Islamic terrorists, according to sources and press reports.
Read on.
March 11, 2010
White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel has collaborated behind the scenes with Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham to oppose the Obama administration’s plans to use federal civilian courts, not military commissions, to try alleged Islamic terrorists, according to sources and press reports.
Read on.
Taboo Inhibits Frank Iran/Israel Talk
By Ray McGovern
March 11, 2010
Participants at an otherwise informative discussion on “Iran at a Crossroads” at the Senate on Wednesday seemed at pains to barricade the doors against the proverbial elephant being admitted into the room — in this case, Israel.
Read on.
March 11, 2010
Participants at an otherwise informative discussion on “Iran at a Crossroads” at the Senate on Wednesday seemed at pains to barricade the doors against the proverbial elephant being admitted into the room — in this case, Israel.
Read on.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Health Insurers Push the Limit on Fees
By Don Monkerud
March 10, 2010
California's Consumer Watchdog group is suing Anthem Blue Cross after they raised health care insurance premiums 39 percent, but the company isn't budging.
Read on.
March 10, 2010
California's Consumer Watchdog group is suing Anthem Blue Cross after they raised health care insurance premiums 39 percent, but the company isn't budging.
Read on.
Remembering the Land of the Brave
By Lynne Gillooly
March 10, 2010
As the daughter of a veteran and the niece of eight more – one of whom never came home – it angers and saddens me to see what has happened to the once proud and brave United States of America.
Read on.
March 10, 2010
As the daughter of a veteran and the niece of eight more – one of whom never came home – it angers and saddens me to see what has happened to the once proud and brave United States of America.
Read on.
Bay of Pigs Meets Black Hawk Down
By Robert Parry
March 10, 2010 (Originally posted March 30, 2003)
Whatever happens in the weeks ahead, George W. Bush has “lost” the war in Iraq. The only question now is how big a price America will pay, both in terms of battlefield casualties and political hatred swelling around the world.
Read on.
March 10, 2010 (Originally posted March 30, 2003)
Whatever happens in the weeks ahead, George W. Bush has “lost” the war in Iraq. The only question now is how big a price America will pay, both in terms of battlefield casualties and political hatred swelling around the world.
Read on.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Making Matters Worse in Afghanistan
By
A recent NATO airstrike in the province of Uruzgan — against what was thought to be a convoy of Taliban insurgents on their way to attack Afghan and foreign military forces — killed at least 27 Afghan civilians, including four women and a child.
Read on.
A recent NATO airstrike in the province of Uruzgan — against what was thought to be a convoy of Taliban insurgents on their way to attack Afghan and foreign military forces — killed at least 27 Afghan civilians, including four women and a child.
Read on.
Hard Lessons of the My Lai Massacre
By Gary G. Kohls
March 9, 2010
March 9, 2010
Forty-two years ago this week, on March 16,1968, a company of green, battle-untested U.S. Army combat soldiers from the Americal Division, swept into the Vietnamese hamlet of My Lai, rounded up the 500+ unarmed residents, all women, children and old men, and efficiently executed them in cold blood, Nazi-style.
Monday, March 08, 2010
How Reagan's Propaganda Succeeded
By Robert Parry
March 8, 2010
In the 1980s, CIA propaganda experts and military psy-war specialists oversaw the creation of special programs aimed at managing public perceptions in targeted foreign countries as well as inside the United States, according to declassified documents at Ronald Reagan’s Presidential Library.
Read on.
March 8, 2010
In the 1980s, CIA propaganda experts and military psy-war specialists oversaw the creation of special programs aimed at managing public perceptions in targeted foreign countries as well as inside the United States, according to declassified documents at Ronald Reagan’s Presidential Library.
Read on.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Tearing Down the Church-State Wall
By the Rev. Howard Bess
March 7, 2010
Under the administration of President George W. Bush, without a single vote by Congress, a whole new federal social service arm was created. It was called the Faith-Based Initiative.
Read on.
March 7, 2010
Under the administration of President George W. Bush, without a single vote by Congress, a whole new federal social service arm was created. It was called the Faith-Based Initiative.
Read on.
Did US Coddle an Anti-Iran Terrorist?
By Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett
March 7, 2010
March 7, 2010
We were in Tehran on Feb. 24 — the day that Iranian authorities announced the capture of Abdol Malik Rigi, the head of Jundallah.
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Will Fear Again Be GOP Trump Card?
By Michael Winship
March 6, 2010
Comparisons are odious, the old saying goes, and certainly Democrats are dealing with some smelly, stinky realities as they stare down the next eight months until Election Day 2010 and pundits galore compare the party's prospects to debacles of the past.
Read on.
March 6, 2010
Comparisons are odious, the old saying goes, and certainly Democrats are dealing with some smelly, stinky realities as they stare down the next eight months until Election Day 2010 and pundits galore compare the party's prospects to debacles of the past.
Read on.
Mullen Wary of Israeli Attack on Iran
By Ray McGovern
March 6, 2010
Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, came home with sweaty palms from his mid-February visit to Israel. Ever since, he has been worrying aloud that Israel might mousetrap the U.S. into war with Iran.
Read on.
March 6, 2010
Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, came home with sweaty palms from his mid-February visit to Israel. Ever since, he has been worrying aloud that Israel might mousetrap the U.S. into war with Iran.
Read on.
Friday, March 05, 2010
War Is a Drug in 'The Hurt Locker'
By Lisa Pease
March 5, 2010
Right at the start, superimposed text reveals the theme of “The Hurt Locker”: War is a drug.
Read on.
March 5, 2010
Right at the start, superimposed text reveals the theme of “The Hurt Locker”: War is a drug.
Read on.
Sorry, Rove, Bush Did Lie About Iraq
By Robert Parry
March 5, 2010
George W. Bush’s political adviser Karl Rove claims “one of the biggest mistakes” of that presidency was not aggressively challenging critics who charged that Bush “lied” to the American people about the reasons for the Iraq War, an accusation that Rove insists was false and unfair.
Read on.
March 5, 2010
George W. Bush’s political adviser Karl Rove claims “one of the biggest mistakes” of that presidency was not aggressively challenging critics who charged that Bush “lied” to the American people about the reasons for the Iraq War, an accusation that Rove insists was false and unfair.
Read on.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Encountering a Tea Party Outrage
By Fabian Lieschke
March 4, 2010
As a young German, I feel responsible for keeping the memory of the Holocaust victims alive. I am determined that no one, whom I can reach with my voice or through my writing, will forget about what happened between 1933 and 1945.
Read on.
March 4, 2010
As a young German, I feel responsible for keeping the memory of the Holocaust victims alive. I am determined that no one, whom I can reach with my voice or through my writing, will forget about what happened between 1933 and 1945.
Read on.
How 'Free Market' Snookers Americans
By Don Monkerud
March 4, 2010
Although some Americans worry about the growing power of the government, few understand the real power that controls their everyday lives.
Read on.
March 4, 2010
Although some Americans worry about the growing power of the government, few understand the real power that controls their everyday lives.
Read on.
Bush/Cheney Pulled Torture Strings
By Robert Parry
March 4, 2010
March 4, 2010
George W. Bush’s White House stage-managed the Justice Department’s approval of torture techniques by putting pliable lawyers in key jobs, guiding their opinions and punishing officials who wouldn’t go along, according to details contained in an internal report that recommended disciplinary action against two lawyers.
Read on.Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Gates Replays His Cold War Message
By Melvin A. Goodman
March 3, 2010
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates gave a provocative and even dangerous speech at the National Defense University (NDU) last week that revealed the Cold War thinking of a key holdover from the Bush administration.
Read on.
March 3, 2010
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates gave a provocative and even dangerous speech at the National Defense University (NDU) last week that revealed the Cold War thinking of a key holdover from the Bush administration.
Read on.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Teaching Afghans False Iraqi Lessons
By Ivan Eland
March 2, 2010
The United States military is attempting to transfer its recipe for “success” in the conflict in Iraq to the war in Afghanistan.
Read on.
March 2, 2010
The United States military is attempting to transfer its recipe for “success” in the conflict in Iraq to the war in Afghanistan.
Read on.
The Woeful Washington Post
By Robert Parry
March 2, 2010
The Washington Post’s editors never tire of basking in the faded glory of Watergate, a scandal that occurred nearly four decades ago. Some outsiders also still call the Post “liberal.” But the reality is quite different as the Post routinely takes neocon stances and has become a scandal onto itself.
Read on.
March 2, 2010
The Washington Post’s editors never tire of basking in the faded glory of Watergate, a scandal that occurred nearly four decades ago. Some outsiders also still call the Post “liberal.” But the reality is quite different as the Post routinely takes neocon stances and has become a scandal onto itself.
Read on.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
The NYT Veers Neocon
By Robert Parry
February 28, 2010
Many American progressives don’t want to recognize how bad the U.S. mainstream news media has become. It’s easier to praise a few exceptions to the rule and to hope that some pendulum will swing than to undertake the challenging task of building a new and honest media infrastructure.
Read on.
February 28, 2010
Many American progressives don’t want to recognize how bad the U.S. mainstream news media has become. It’s easier to praise a few exceptions to the rule and to hope that some pendulum will swing than to undertake the challenging task of building a new and honest media infrastructure.
Read on.
A Soldier's Cowardice: Going to War
By Gary G. Kohls, MD
February 28, 2010
An author that every prospective soldier (and their loved ones) needs to read is Tim O’Brien.
Read on.
February 28, 2010
An author that every prospective soldier (and their loved ones) needs to read is Tim O’Brien.
Read on.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Vermonters Take on Nuclear Power
By Charlotte Dennett
February 28, 2010
A driving snowstorm could not keep Vermonters away from the statehouse in Montpelier as the Vermont Senate convened a historic debate and then voted on the future of the state’s aging nuclear power plant.
Read on.
February 28, 2010
A driving snowstorm could not keep Vermonters away from the statehouse in Montpelier as the Vermont Senate convened a historic debate and then voted on the future of the state’s aging nuclear power plant.
Read on.
Ahmadinejad Won, Get Over It!
By Robert Parry
February 27, 2010
Many in the West may agree that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is an unpleasant politician with a rhetorical tendency to bluster about Iran’s power and to foolishly question the historical accuracy of the Holocaust, but that doesn’t answer the crucial question of whether he was democratically reelected.
Read on.
February 27, 2010
Many in the West may agree that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is an unpleasant politician with a rhetorical tendency to bluster about Iran’s power and to foolishly question the historical accuracy of the Holocaust, but that doesn’t answer the crucial question of whether he was democratically reelected.
Read on.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Two Legal Foes Back Gay Marriage
By Michael Winship
February 26, 2010
Watching this week's "health summit" in Washington, with both sides barely repressing the urge to turn the Blair House event into the Potomac version of mixed martial arts cage fighting, was discouraging.
Read on.
February 26, 2010
Watching this week's "health summit" in Washington, with both sides barely repressing the urge to turn the Blair House event into the Potomac version of mixed martial arts cage fighting, was discouraging.
Read on.
Iran Captures a 'Good' Terrorist
By Ray McGovern
February 26, 2010
February 26, 2010
The Iranian government is celebrating the capture of Abdolmalek Rigi, the leader of a violent group called Jundallah (Arabic for Soldiers of God), which Tehran says is a terrorist organization supported by the United States, Great Britain and Israel.
Read on.Iraqi View of 'Hurt Locker,' 'Avatar'
By Mamoon Alabbasi
February 26, 2010
James Cameron's "Avatar" and Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" had battled for best film and best director at the BAFTA awards.
Read on.
February 26, 2010
James Cameron's "Avatar" and Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" had battled for best film and best director at the BAFTA awards.
Read on.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Parallels of Conquest, Past and Present
By Douglas Valentine
February 25, 2010
After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror’s army buried its fallen comrades, but left the corpses of the English defenders to rot in the fields.
Read on.
February 25, 2010
After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror’s army buried its fallen comrades, but left the corpses of the English defenders to rot in the fields.
Read on.
Al Haig's Foreign Policy Blunders
By Melvin A. Goodman
February 25, 2010
The obituaries in the mainstream media failed to capture the full extent of the controversy and confrontation that marked Gen. Alexander M. Haig's political career in the White House during the Nixon administration and the State Department during the Reagan administration.
Read on.
February 25, 2010
The obituaries in the mainstream media failed to capture the full extent of the controversy and confrontation that marked Gen. Alexander M. Haig's political career in the White House during the Nixon administration and the State Department during the Reagan administration.
Read on.
Monday, February 22, 2010
BBC Depicts US/UK Torture Tolerance
By Richard L. Fricker
February 22, 2010
February 22, 2010
If you’ve never heard of Craig Murray, then you have an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the remarkable story of this flawed whistleblower by listening to "A Murder in Samarkand" on BBC’s Radio Four, an adaptation of Murray’s book about his years as British Ambassador to Uzbekistan.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
New Grist for Hype on Iran
By Ray McGovern
February 21, 2010
Here we go again. A report issued by the new Director General of the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano, injected new adrenalin into those arguing that Iran is developing a nuclear weapon.
February 21, 2010
Here we go again. A report issued by the new Director General of the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano, injected new adrenalin into those arguing that Iran is developing a nuclear weapon.
Al Haig & a 'Green Light' to Chaos
By Robert Parry
February 21, 2010 (Originally published in 1996)
In summer 1980, Iraq's wily president Saddam Hussein saw opportunities in the chaos sweeping the Persian Gulf.
Read on.
February 21, 2010 (Originally published in 1996)
In summer 1980, Iraq's wily president Saddam Hussein saw opportunities in the chaos sweeping the Persian Gulf.
Read on.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Yoo Called Civilian Slaughter OK
By Jason Leopold
February 20, 2010
Former Justice Department lawyer John Yoo argued that President George W. Bush’s commander-in-chief powers were so sweeping that he could willfully order the massacre of civilians, yet Yoo’s culpability in Bush administration abuses was deemed “poor judgment,” not a violation of “professional standards.”
Read on.
February 20, 2010
Former Justice Department lawyer John Yoo argued that President George W. Bush’s commander-in-chief powers were so sweeping that he could willfully order the massacre of civilians, yet Yoo’s culpability in Bush administration abuses was deemed “poor judgment,” not a violation of “professional standards.”
Read on.
Upping the Bid on American Justice
By Bill Moyers and Michael Winship
February 20, 2010
That famous definition of a cynic as someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing has come to define this present moment of American politics.
Read on.
February 20, 2010
That famous definition of a cynic as someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing has come to define this present moment of American politics.
Read on.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
US Media Replays Iraq Fiasco on Iran
By Robert Parry
February 18, 2010
Major U.S. news organizations, including the New York Times and the Washington Post, are engaged in a replay of the kind of slanted coverage that paved the way to war in Iraq, only this time regarding Iran.
Read on.
February 18, 2010
Major U.S. news organizations, including the New York Times and the Washington Post, are engaged in a replay of the kind of slanted coverage that paved the way to war in Iraq, only this time regarding Iran.
Read on.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Free Speech v Truth in Medals
By Ivan Eland
February 16, 2010
Dozens of people have been arrested under the Stolen Valor Act, which punishes, by up to a year in jail, the wearing of any unearned military medal. It is still a crime even if no effort was made to profit from the adornment or dissembling about earning it.
Read on.
February 16, 2010
Dozens of people have been arrested under the Stolen Valor Act, which punishes, by up to a year in jail, the wearing of any unearned military medal. It is still a crime even if no effort was made to profit from the adornment or dissembling about earning it.
Read on.
Duty to Warn: Lessons for Americans
By Gary G. Kohls
February 16, 2010
Sixty-seven years ago, on Feb. 18, 1943, three courageous, patriotic German college students from Munich, the birthplace of the Nazi party, were arrested by the Gestapo on charges of treason, a crime that was punishable by death.
Read on.
February 16, 2010
Sixty-seven years ago, on Feb. 18, 1943, three courageous, patriotic German college students from Munich, the birthplace of the Nazi party, were arrested by the Gestapo on charges of treason, a crime that was punishable by death.
Read on.
Monday, February 15, 2010
On Health Care, Dems Lack GOP Grit
By Bruce P. Cameron
February 15, 2010
Over the past quarter century when the Republicans had a priority – from funding the Nicaraguan contras to passing massive tax cuts for the wealthy – they would use whatever legislative means necessary, including bending congressional rules to get their way, a marked contrast to how today’s Democrats are handling health-care reform.
Read on.
February 15, 2010
Over the past quarter century when the Republicans had a priority – from funding the Nicaraguan contras to passing massive tax cuts for the wealthy – they would use whatever legislative means necessary, including bending congressional rules to get their way, a marked contrast to how today’s Democrats are handling health-care reform.
Read on.
Can a Jewish Tradition Help Christians?
By the Rev. Howard Bess
February 15, 2010
Just as I cannot allow my soul to be without worship, neither can I allow the inquiries of my mind to be denied. I have concluded that my spiritual health needs large doses of midrash just as I need regular worship.
Read on.
February 15, 2010
Just as I cannot allow my soul to be without worship, neither can I allow the inquiries of my mind to be denied. I have concluded that my spiritual health needs large doses of midrash just as I need regular worship.
Read on.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
NYT Sees UN-Syria Conspiracy Theory
By Robert Parry
February 15, 2010
The New York Times simply refuses to deal with “enemy” Muslim states with any sense of objectivity or fairness, reaffirming its deep-seated bias again on Sunday with the publication of a one-sided article about the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on its fifth anniversary.
Read on.
February 15, 2010
The New York Times simply refuses to deal with “enemy” Muslim states with any sense of objectivity or fairness, reaffirming its deep-seated bias again on Sunday with the publication of a one-sided article about the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on its fifth anniversary.
Read on.
Cheney Exposes Torture Conspiracy
By Robert Parry
February 14, 2010
If the United States had a functioning criminal justice system for the powerful – not just for run-of-the-mill offenders – former Vice President Dick Cheney would have convicted himself and some of his Bush administration colleagues with his comments on ABC’s “This Week.”
Read on.
February 14, 2010
If the United States had a functioning criminal justice system for the powerful – not just for run-of-the-mill offenders – former Vice President Dick Cheney would have convicted himself and some of his Bush administration colleagues with his comments on ABC’s “This Week.”
Read on.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Joking About Climate Change
By Michael Winship
February 12, 2010
There's a vintage “Bob and Ray” radio sketch in which Bob plays "Mr. Science," a parody of TV's "Mr. Wizard." He's trying to explain to his young protégé Sandy "the miracle of gas refrigeration."
Read on.
February 12, 2010
There's a vintage “Bob and Ray” radio sketch in which Bob plays "Mr. Science," a parody of TV's "Mr. Wizard." He's trying to explain to his young protégé Sandy "the miracle of gas refrigeration."
Read on.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Terror 'Death Lists' Target Americans
By Sherwood Ross
February 11, 2010
Raising troubling comparisons to tactics employed by Josef Stalin and right-wing Latin American dictatorships, the U.S. government has created a “hit list” of Americans abroad marked for murder.
Read on.
February 11, 2010
Raising troubling comparisons to tactics employed by Josef Stalin and right-wing Latin American dictatorships, the U.S. government has created a “hit list” of Americans abroad marked for murder.
Read on.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Why Afghanistan Really Fell Apart
By Bruce P. Cameron
February 10, 2010 (Originally published September 30, 2009)
Much of the U.S. conventional wisdom about how the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989 led to the rise of the Taliban and the creation of al-Qaeda safe havens before Sept. 11, 2001, comes from the popular movie, “Charlie Wilson’s War.” But that represents a dangerous misperception.
Read on.
February 10, 2010 (Originally published September 30, 2009)
Much of the U.S. conventional wisdom about how the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989 led to the rise of the Taliban and the creation of al-Qaeda safe havens before Sept. 11, 2001, comes from the popular movie, “Charlie Wilson’s War.” But that represents a dangerous misperception.
Read on.
Reagan's Bargain/Charlie Wilson's War
By Peter W. Dickson
February 10, 2010 (Originally published January 6, 2008)
What’s left out of a movie about history often interests only a few experts in the field. However, the release of one that chronicles the successful sub rosa American effort to bleed the Soviet Army in Afghanistan in the 1980s may prove to be an exception.
Read on.
February 10, 2010 (Originally published January 6, 2008)
What’s left out of a movie about history often interests only a few experts in the field. However, the release of one that chronicles the successful sub rosa American effort to bleed the Soviet Army in Afghanistan in the 1980s may prove to be an exception.
Read on.
US Ignores UK's Iraq War Evidence
By David Swanson
February 10, 2010
February 10, 2010
Peter Dyer sums up well the sort of conclusions we can draw from the ongoing Chilcot Inquiry into Britain's role as sidekick launcher of aggressive war on Iraq:
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Brits, Dutch Confront Illegal Iraq War
By Peter Dyer
February 9, 2010
On March 18, 2003, on the eve of the invasion of Iraq, Elizabeth Wilmshurst resigned as Deputy Legal Adviser to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the British equivalent of the U.S. State Department.
Read on.
February 9, 2010
On March 18, 2003, on the eve of the invasion of Iraq, Elizabeth Wilmshurst resigned as Deputy Legal Adviser to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the British equivalent of the U.S. State Department.
Read on.
Palin, Psy-Ops & 'Condescending" Libs
By Robert Parry
February 8, 2010
In the 1980s, while a reporter for the Associated Press, I had the opportunity to chat over the phone with legendary CIA psy-war specialist Edward Lansdale. A mutual friend had set up the contact, which I hoped might lead to a more formal interview.
Read on.
February 8, 2010
In the 1980s, while a reporter for the Associated Press, I had the opportunity to chat over the phone with legendary CIA psy-war specialist Edward Lansdale. A mutual friend had set up the contact, which I hoped might lead to a more formal interview.
Read on.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Shunning Howard Zinn's History
By William Blum
February 7, 2010
Progressive activists and writers continually bemoan the fact that the news they generate and the opinions they express are consistently ignored by the mainstream media, and thus kept from the masses of the American people.
Read on.
February 7, 2010
Progressive activists and writers continually bemoan the fact that the news they generate and the opinions they express are consistently ignored by the mainstream media, and thus kept from the masses of the American people.
Read on.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Lobbyists Ply GOP, Dem 'Retreats'
By Michael Winship
February 5, 2010
George Washington's birthday is approaching and with it will come the attendant mythology, hatchet and cherry tree, wooden teeth, throwing a silver dollar across the Potomac River - or the Rappahannock.
Read on.
February 5, 2010
George Washington's birthday is approaching and with it will come the attendant mythology, hatchet and cherry tree, wooden teeth, throwing a silver dollar across the Potomac River - or the Rappahannock.
Read on.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
An Edgy 'Edge of Darkness'
By Lisa Pease
February 4, 2010
While it’s certainly not going to win any awards, I recommend seeing “Edge of Darkness,” starring Mel Gibson, in his first onscreen role in many years.
Read on.
February 4, 2010
While it’s certainly not going to win any awards, I recommend seeing “Edge of Darkness,” starring Mel Gibson, in his first onscreen role in many years.
Read on.
Why Obama Dodges CIA Reform
By Melvin A. Goodman
February 4, 2010
New presidents (and President Barack Obama is no exception) fall in love with three Washington institutions: the Pentagon, the Central Intelligence Agency and Camp David.
Read on.
February 4, 2010
New presidents (and President Barack Obama is no exception) fall in love with three Washington institutions: the Pentagon, the Central Intelligence Agency and Camp David.
Read on.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
The Right Gets Itself 'Wired'
By Robert Parry
February 3, 2010
In past years when I talked to American progressives about the growing media imbalance – as the Right gained dominance in books, magazines, newspapers, talk radio and cable TV – a typical response was, “well, the Left is stronger on the Internet.” But now even that advantage is disappearing, as should have been expected.
Read on.
February 3, 2010
In past years when I talked to American progressives about the growing media imbalance – as the Right gained dominance in books, magazines, newspapers, talk radio and cable TV – a typical response was, “well, the Left is stronger on the Internet.” But now even that advantage is disappearing, as should have been expected.
Read on.
Obama's Budget Ducks Pentagon Cuts
By Ivan Eland
February 2, 2010
February 2, 2010
The results of the special election for the Massachusetts Senate seat once held by Ted Kennedy reverberated like a “shot heard ’round the world” — or at least one heard ’round Washington.
Monday, February 01, 2010
Answering Obama on Health Care
By Kevin Zeese
February 1, 2010
Last Friday – when President Barack Obama vanquished the entire Republican Caucus in question time in Baltimore – he said:
Read on.
February 1, 2010
Last Friday – when President Barack Obama vanquished the entire Republican Caucus in question time in Baltimore – he said:
Read on.
Vietnam Replay on Afghan 'Defectors'
By Douglas Valentine
February 1, 2010
After waging an eight-year “dirty war” against the Taliban, the U.S. government is acknowledging that the “insurgent” enemy is part of the “fabric” of Afghan society and is encouraging low- and mid-level Taliban defectors to switch sides.
Read on.
February 1, 2010
After waging an eight-year “dirty war” against the Taliban, the U.S. government is acknowledging that the “insurgent” enemy is part of the “fabric” of Afghan society and is encouraging low- and mid-level Taliban defectors to switch sides.
Read on.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
America's Sad History with Haiti, Part 2
By Lisa Pease
February 1, 2010
The Haitians have a saying in their native créole language: Piti, piti, wazo fe nich li. “Little by little, the bird builds its nest.”
Read on.
February 1, 2010
The Haitians have a saying in their native créole language: Piti, piti, wazo fe nich li. “Little by little, the bird builds its nest.”
Read on.
Accountability Again Put on Hold
By David Swanson
January 31, 2010
No one disputes that Jay Bybee's name is at the bottom of memos that were, and to some extent still are, treated as laws which legalized aggressive war at the pleasure of a President and a variety of acts of torture.
Read on.
January 31, 2010
No one disputes that Jay Bybee's name is at the bottom of memos that were, and to some extent still are, treated as laws which legalized aggressive war at the pleasure of a President and a variety of acts of torture.
Read on.
Yoo, Bybee Get Pass on Torture Memo
By Jason Leopold
January 31, 2010
January 31, 2010
A long-awaited Justice Department watchdog report has backed off an earlier recommendation that two former senior officials – John Yoo and Jay Bybee – face disciplinary action for providing George W. Bush’s White House with legal advice that opened the door to torturing “war on terror” detainees, according to published reports.
Howard Zinn and Other Heroes
By William Loren Katz
January 31, 2010
In less than a year the battle for truth has lost three of its most innovative and stalwart voices, historians John Hope Franklin, Ivan Van Sertima and Howard Zinn.
Read on.
January 31, 2010
In less than a year the battle for truth has lost three of its most innovative and stalwart voices, historians John Hope Franklin, Ivan Van Sertima and Howard Zinn.
Read on.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
America's Sorry History with Haiti
By Lisa Pease
January 30, 2010
With all the talk of America taking charge of Haiti for a while, it would be prudent for us to take a step back and review the history of our various interventions in Haiti, and the outcomes of those efforts.
Read on.
January 30, 2010
With all the talk of America taking charge of Haiti for a while, it would be prudent for us to take a step back and review the history of our various interventions in Haiti, and the outcomes of those efforts.
Read on.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Remembering Howard Zinn
By Daniel Ellsberg
January 29, 2010
On Wednesday morning, before I learned that my friend Howard Zinn had died, I was being interviewed by the Boston Phoenix, in connection with the February release of a documentary in which he is featured prominently.
Read on.
January 29, 2010
On Wednesday morning, before I learned that my friend Howard Zinn had died, I was being interviewed by the Boston Phoenix, in connection with the February release of a documentary in which he is featured prominently.
Read on.
Howard Zinn's 'War on Terror' Critique
By Sherwood Ross
January 29, 2010
The “largest lie,” wrote historian Howard Zinn who died Wednesday at age 87, is that “everything the United States does is to be pardoned because we are engaged in a ‘war on terrorism.’”
Read on.
January 29, 2010
The “largest lie,” wrote historian Howard Zinn who died Wednesday at age 87, is that “everything the United States does is to be pardoned because we are engaged in a ‘war on terrorism.’”
Read on.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
What's Wrong with US Intell Agencies
By Melvin A. Goodman
January 28, 2010
It is time for serious soul-searching regarding the role of the CIA and the intelligence community. Last month's operational and intelligence failures led to the deaths of seven CIA officers in Afghanistan and might have resulted in nearly 300 deaths on a Northwest Airlines plane headed for Detroit.
Read on.
January 28, 2010
It is time for serious soul-searching regarding the role of the CIA and the intelligence community. Last month's operational and intelligence failures led to the deaths of seven CIA officers in Afghanistan and might have resulted in nearly 300 deaths on a Northwest Airlines plane headed for Detroit.
Read on.
Obama Ignores Key Afghan Warning
By Ray McGovern
January 27, 2010
Nothing highlights President Barack Obama’s abject surrender to Gen. David Petraeus on the “way forward” in Afghanistan more than two cables U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry sent to Washington on Nov. 6 and 9, 2009, the texts of which were released by the New York Times.
Read on.
January 27, 2010
Nothing highlights President Barack Obama’s abject surrender to Gen. David Petraeus on the “way forward” in Afghanistan more than two cables U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry sent to Washington on Nov. 6 and 9, 2009, the texts of which were released by the New York Times.
Read on.
A Hockey Mom for Truth
By Lynne Gillooly
January 27, 2010
As a concerned citizen, mother of four, small-business owner and a hockey mom (with no lipstick), I have studied politics and specifically talk radio for 12 years. It started when the Right impeached President Clinton.
Read on.
January 27, 2010
As a concerned citizen, mother of four, small-business owner and a hockey mom (with no lipstick), I have studied politics and specifically talk radio for 12 years. It started when the Right impeached President Clinton.
Read on.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Supreme Court's Partisanship
By Robert Parry
January 27, 2010
The U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling that lets corporations spend all they want to punish political enemies and reward political friends is a reminder that the panel’s Republican majority has become one more potent weapon in the Right’s already intimidating arsenal.
Read on.
January 27, 2010
The U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling that lets corporations spend all they want to punish political enemies and reward political friends is a reminder that the panel’s Republican majority has become one more potent weapon in the Right’s already intimidating arsenal.
Read on.
Bush Silences a Dangerous Witness
By Robert Parry
January 26, 2010 (Originally published December 30, 2006)
The hanging of Saddam Hussein was supposed to be – as the New York Times observed – the “triumphal bookend” to George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq. If all had gone as planned, Bush might have staged another celebration as he did after the end of “major combat,” posing under the “Mission Accomplished” banner on May 1, 2003.
Read on.
January 26, 2010 (Originally published December 30, 2006)
The hanging of Saddam Hussein was supposed to be – as the New York Times observed – the “triumphal bookend” to George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq. If all had gone as planned, Bush might have staged another celebration as he did after the end of “major combat,” posing under the “Mission Accomplished” banner on May 1, 2003.
Read on.
Shiite Power Play Threatens Iraq Quiet
By Ivan Eland
January 26, 2010
Since taking office, Barack Obama has had to deal with an economy in free-fall, a political crisis over health-care “reform,” and a rising Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. So far, Iraq has been quiet enough that many in the media and public have redirected their attention to the wars du jour of Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia.
Read on.
January 26, 2010
Since taking office, Barack Obama has had to deal with an economy in free-fall, a political crisis over health-care “reform,” and a rising Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. So far, Iraq has been quiet enough that many in the media and public have redirected their attention to the wars du jour of Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia.
Read on.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
First, Fire All the Financial Failures
By Mark Ames
January 24, 2010
If President Obama wants to really understand why he got his ass handed to him in the Massachusetts Senate race — a defeat as shocking and strange as if Joe Lieberman was elected president of Iran — he might want to read one of the thousands of economic horror stories happening around the country every day, stories that have put most Americans in a very foul, desperate mood.
Read on.
January 24, 2010
If President Obama wants to really understand why he got his ass handed to him in the Massachusetts Senate race — a defeat as shocking and strange as if Joe Lieberman was elected president of Iran — he might want to read one of the thousands of economic horror stories happening around the country every day, stories that have put most Americans in a very foul, desperate mood.
Read on.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
US Democracy's End of the Road
By Robert Parry
January 23, 2010
This past week had the feel of “game, set, match,” the end to a long string of miscalculations by the American Left and a crowning victory for the cynical American Right – a triple whammy of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling to unleash corporate campaign spending, Air America’s dissolution, and the Massachusetts Senate election.
Read on.
January 23, 2010
This past week had the feel of “game, set, match,” the end to a long string of miscalculations by the American Left and a crowning victory for the cynical American Right – a triple whammy of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling to unleash corporate campaign spending, Air America’s dissolution, and the Massachusetts Senate election.
Read on.
Friday, January 22, 2010
What Should Progressives Do Now?
By Michael Winship
January 22, 2010
Tragic events continuing out of Haiti make all the bad news for progressives this week wither in comparison. Nonetheless, over these last few days, for liberals in particular, there has been no joy in Mudville - aka American politics.
Read on.
January 22, 2010
Tragic events continuing out of Haiti make all the bad news for progressives this week wither in comparison. Nonetheless, over these last few days, for liberals in particular, there has been no joy in Mudville - aka American politics.
Read on.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Massachusetts' Message of Stupid
By Robert Parry
January 21, 2010
Having grown up in Massachusetts, I never bought into the idea that the state was that much more liberal than most others. The dominant media there is not the center-left Boston Globe but the right and far-right talk radio shows that pervade the Bay State as they do the rest of the country.
Read on.
January 21, 2010
Having grown up in Massachusetts, I never bought into the idea that the state was that much more liberal than most others. The dominant media there is not the center-left Boston Globe but the right and far-right talk radio shows that pervade the Bay State as they do the rest of the country.
Read on.
Hiding War Horrors from Americans
By Sherwood Associates
January 21, 2010
U.S. television networks have given the public a sanitized, largely bloodless view of the war in Iraq, an academic authority on communications writes.
Read on.
January 21, 2010
U.S. television networks have given the public a sanitized, largely bloodless view of the war in Iraq, an academic authority on communications writes.
Read on.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
George W. Bush's Sci-Fi Disaster
By Robert Parry
January 20, 2010 (Originally published January 24, 2009)
In retrospect, George W. Bush’s presidency could be viewed as a science-fiction disaster movie in which an alien force seizes illegitimate control of a nation, saps its wealth, wreaks devastation, but is finally dislodged and forced to depart amid human hope for a rebirth.
Read on.
January 20, 2010 (Originally published January 24, 2009)
In retrospect, George W. Bush’s presidency could be viewed as a science-fiction disaster movie in which an alien force seizes illegitimate control of a nation, saps its wealth, wreaks devastation, but is finally dislodged and forced to depart amid human hope for a rebirth.
Read on.
How Obama Lost His Way
By Robert Parry
January 20, 2010
President Barack Obama spent his first year in office trying to reassure the Washington/New York establishments that he was not going to upset their apple carts too much, that they shouldn’t panic, that he would – despite all the speeches – be more about continuity than change.
Read on.
January 20, 2010
President Barack Obama spent his first year in office trying to reassure the Washington/New York establishments that he was not going to upset their apple carts too much, that they shouldn’t panic, that he would – despite all the speeches – be more about continuity than change.
Read on.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Obama Knows Better on Afghan War
By Ivan Eland
January 19, 2010
President Barack Obama recently expressed a reluctance to send U.S. forces to Yemen and Somalia, two “failed states” where al-Qaeda is active. Obama seemed to realize that such a U.S. military presence might make the terrorism problem worse.
Read on.
January 19, 2010
President Barack Obama recently expressed a reluctance to send U.S. forces to Yemen and Somalia, two “failed states” where al-Qaeda is active. Obama seemed to realize that such a U.S. military presence might make the terrorism problem worse.
Read on.
'Hardball' & Dumbed-Down US Politics
By Robert Parry
January 19, 2010
This past week, grappling with the twin top stories of Haiti’s earthquake tragedy and the Massachusetts Senate race, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews personified the strange mix of puffed-up self-importance and total lack of self-awareness that has come to define America’s media punditocracy.
Read on.
January 19, 2010
This past week, grappling with the twin top stories of Haiti’s earthquake tragedy and the Massachusetts Senate race, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews personified the strange mix of puffed-up self-importance and total lack of self-awareness that has come to define America’s media punditocracy.
Read on.
Monday, January 18, 2010
What Bush Did to Haiti
By David Swanson
January 18, 2010
January 18, 2010
If a group of dedicated scholars, attorneys, journalists, and activists had tried to generate a comprehensive list of impeachable offenses committed by George W. Bush as President, one of them might have read something like this:
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