By Robert Parry
November 30, 2009
Two of President Barack Obama’s most acclaimed Cabinet appointments – keeping Republican Defense Secretary Robert Gates and picking former Democratic rival Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State – set the risky course that his administration is following toward a military escalation in Afghanistan.
Read on.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Prepare for the Obama-GOP Alliance
By Jeff Cohen
November 25, 2009
With Obama pushing a huge troop escalation in Afghanistan, history may well repeat itself with a vengeance. And it’s not just the apt comparison to LBJ, who destroyed his presidency on the battlefields of Vietnam with an escalation that delivered power to Nixon and the GOP.
Read on.
November 25, 2009
With Obama pushing a huge troop escalation in Afghanistan, history may well repeat itself with a vengeance. And it’s not just the apt comparison to LBJ, who destroyed his presidency on the battlefields of Vietnam with an escalation that delivered power to Nixon and the GOP.
Read on.
How Bugliosi Met the Bush Censors
By David Swanson
November 25, 2009
One of the best features of a visit to Los Angeles is the opportunity to hang out with the guy who put Charles Manson in prison, the most successful criminal prosecutor we're ever likely to see, Vince Bugliosi (105 convictions in 106 felony jury trials, 21 convictions in 21 murder trials).
Read on.
November 25, 2009
One of the best features of a visit to Los Angeles is the opportunity to hang out with the guy who put Charles Manson in prison, the most successful criminal prosecutor we're ever likely to see, Vince Bugliosi (105 convictions in 106 felony jury trials, 21 convictions in 21 murder trials).
Read on.
A Jane Goodall Thanksgiving
By Michael Winship
November 25, 2009
Give thanks. Because this isn't one of those Thanksgiving lists of things for which we should be grateful -- although health, family, friends, laughter, etc., would certainly all be on mine.
Read on.
November 25, 2009
Give thanks. Because this isn't one of those Thanksgiving lists of things for which we should be grateful -- although health, family, friends, laughter, etc., would certainly all be on mine.
Read on.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Obama's Profile in Courage Moment
By Ray McGovern
November 24, 2009
November 24, 2009
“It took a lot of courage on Kennedy’s part to defy the Pentagon, defy the military — and do the right thing,” said Col. Larry Wilkerson, USA (ret.), according to Robert Dreyfuss in his recent Rolling Stone article “The Generals’ Revolt.”
Read on.KSM Trial Helps Restore US Principles
By Ivan Eland
November 24, 2009
The Obama administration’s decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and four alleged co-conspirators in civilian court is a laudable return to the rule of law from the Bush administration’s kangaroo military commissions, which convened offshore in Guantanamo to avoid giving defendants full legal rights under domestic or international law.
Read on.
November 24, 2009
The Obama administration’s decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and four alleged co-conspirators in civilian court is a laudable return to the rule of law from the Bush administration’s kangaroo military commissions, which convened offshore in Guantanamo to avoid giving defendants full legal rights under domestic or international law.
Read on.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Why Afghans Dig Empire Graveyards
By Nicolas J S Davies
November 23, 2009
Afghanistan is known as the "graveyard of empires." But just why do empires keep sending thousands of their young people to die in Afghanistan?
Read on.
November 23, 2009
Afghanistan is known as the "graveyard of empires." But just why do empires keep sending thousands of their young people to die in Afghanistan?
Read on.
California Tuition Hikes Spark Protests
By Peter Phillips
November 23, 2009
Police are arresting and attacking student protesters on University of California (UC) campuses again.
Read on.
November 23, 2009
Police are arresting and attacking student protesters on University of California (UC) campuses again.
Read on.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
The Madness Returns
By Robert Parry
November 22, 2009
The hoopla over former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s memoir is the latest sign that the madness, which has dominated American political life for most of the last three decades, has returned – and may be on its way to a political restoration in 2010 and beyond.
Read on.
November 22, 2009
The hoopla over former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s memoir is the latest sign that the madness, which has dominated American political life for most of the last three decades, has returned – and may be on its way to a political restoration in 2010 and beyond.
Read on.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
New Yorkers Resist 9/11 Scare Tactics
By Michael Winship
November 21, 2009
If you want to royally tick off New Yorkers, try telling us what to do.
Read on.
November 21, 2009
If you want to royally tick off New Yorkers, try telling us what to do.
Read on.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Should Obama Fire Gen. McChrystal?
By Ray McGovern
November 20, 2009
It is not too late for President Barack Obama to follow the example of Harry Truman, who fired the famous Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1951 for insubordination. Then, as now, the stakes were high. Then it was Korea; now it is Afghanistan.
Read on.
November 20, 2009
It is not too late for President Barack Obama to follow the example of Harry Truman, who fired the famous Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1951 for insubordination. Then, as now, the stakes were high. Then it was Korea; now it is Afghanistan.
Read on.
The Vision of 'The Blind Side'
By Lisa Pease
November 20, 2009
“The Blind Side” is an amazing true-life story of the rich, white, Republican Tuohy family in Tennessee that adopted a homeless African-American kid named Michael Oher and made him a beloved member of their a family. Oher went on to become a professional football player.
Read on.
November 20, 2009
“The Blind Side” is an amazing true-life story of the rich, white, Republican Tuohy family in Tennessee that adopted a homeless African-American kid named Michael Oher and made him a beloved member of their a family. Oher went on to become a professional football player.
Read on.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Learning All the Wrong Vietnam Lessons
By Douglas Valentine
November 19, 2009
Evan Thomas and John Barry begin their Newsweek article, “The Surprising Lessons of Vietnam,” in a promising way, recounting a recent anecdote in which Afghan War commander Stanley McChrystal gets on the phone with author Stanley Karnow, whose book Vietnam is described as “the standard popular account of the Vietnam War.”
November 19, 2009
Evan Thomas and John Barry begin their Newsweek article, “The Surprising Lessons of Vietnam,” in a promising way, recounting a recent anecdote in which Afghan War commander Stanley McChrystal gets on the phone with author Stanley Karnow, whose book Vietnam is described as “the standard popular account of the Vietnam War.”
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
A Three-Step Afghan Strategy
By Bruce P. Cameron
November 18, 2009
November 18, 2009
No Afghan policy based on securing enemy territory and developing state institutions and a non-narcotics-based economy can be successful in all of Afghanistan without at least 250,000 – and probably 500,000 – soldiers.
KSM and the MSM
By David Swanson
November 18, 209
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and the corporate "mainstream" media make quite a pair.
Read on.
November 18, 209
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and the corporate "mainstream" media make quite a pair.
Read on.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Afghan Lessons from the Iraq War
By Ray McGovern
November 17, 2009
You don’t have to go back 40 years to the Vietnam War to feel the sting of déjà vu. Returning to the Iraq War just three years ago will suffice.
Read on.
November 17, 2009
You don’t have to go back 40 years to the Vietnam War to feel the sting of déjà vu. Returning to the Iraq War just three years ago will suffice.
Read on.
War and Remembrance in London
By Michael Winship
November 17, 2009
In Great Britain, Remembrance Sunday falls on the second Sunday of November, the one closest to November 11th, the anniversary of the end of the First World War in 1918. Once, the world called November 11th Armistice Day. Now, in the United States at least, it is Veterans Day.
Read on.
November 17, 2009
In Great Britain, Remembrance Sunday falls on the second Sunday of November, the one closest to November 11th, the anniversary of the end of the First World War in 1918. Once, the world called November 11th Armistice Day. Now, in the United States at least, it is Veterans Day.
Read on.
The Ugly Truth about Jobs
By Robert Parry
November 17, 2009
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke has given Americans a glimpse of the ugly truth about their future job prospects. Simply put, companies have found that they can shed workers and rely on technological advances and overseas factories to operate with a lot fewer U.S. employees.
Read on.
November 17, 2009
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke has given Americans a glimpse of the ugly truth about their future job prospects. Simply put, companies have found that they can shed workers and rely on technological advances and overseas factories to operate with a lot fewer U.S. employees.
Read on.
History's Bitter Guerrilla War Lessons
By Ivan Eland
November 17, 2009
November 17, 2009
In recent history, very few counterinsurgency wars have ended in success.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Will the Gun Carnage Ever Stop?
By Sherwood Ross
November 16, 2009
Every time the young stick-up man tugged at my companion’s purse with his left hand, she would pull back, causing the muzzle of the pistol he held in his right hand to swing back and forth.
Read on.
November 16, 2009
Every time the young stick-up man tugged at my companion’s purse with his left hand, she would pull back, causing the muzzle of the pistol he held in his right hand to swing back and forth.
Read on.
Facts Behind 'Men Who Stare at Goats'
By Lisa Pease
November 16, 2009
Can people really influence the physical world with thought alone? And if so, dare we use that power for evil, instead of good? Or will the effort come back to haunt us?
Read on.
November 16, 2009
Can people really influence the physical world with thought alone? And if so, dare we use that power for evil, instead of good? Or will the effort come back to haunt us?
Read on.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Shining Light on Roots of Terrorism
By Ray McGovern
November 15, 2009
Media commentary on the upcoming 9/11 trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has raised concern that state secrets may be divulged, including details about how the Bush administration used torture to extract evidence about al-Qaeda.
Read on.
November 15, 2009
Media commentary on the upcoming 9/11 trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has raised concern that state secrets may be divulged, including details about how the Bush administration used torture to extract evidence about al-Qaeda.
Read on.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
On Bended Knee to Bob Gates
By Melvin A. Goodman
November 14, 2009
Michael Crowley of the New Republic is the latest journalist to give absolution to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates for his long record of politicizing intelligence and undercutting conciliatory policy initiatives.
Read on.
November 14, 2009
Michael Crowley of the New Republic is the latest journalist to give absolution to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates for his long record of politicizing intelligence and undercutting conciliatory policy initiatives.
Read on.
Leaving Afghanistan to US 'Experts'
By David Swanson
November 14, 2009
The last time I was on Laura Flanders's GRIT TV I argued that the American public opposed the occupation of Afghanistan, but another guest -- some Washington, D.C., "progressive" -- argued that this had no relevance, since the American public didn't know anything about Afghanistan.
Read on.
November 14, 2009
The last time I was on Laura Flanders's GRIT TV I argued that the American public opposed the occupation of Afghanistan, but another guest -- some Washington, D.C., "progressive" -- argued that this had no relevance, since the American public didn't know anything about Afghanistan.
Read on.
Friday, November 13, 2009
The October Surprise Crystal Balls
By Robert Parry
November 13, 2009
In fall 1980, as President Jimmy Carter struggled to free 52 American hostages in Iran and as American voters focused on a crossroads election, key supporters of Republican candidate Ronald Reagan were confident not only of Reagan’s victory but that the hostages wouldn’t be released until after Reagan was sworn in.
Read on.
November 13, 2009
In fall 1980, as President Jimmy Carter struggled to free 52 American hostages in Iran and as American voters focused on a crossroads election, key supporters of Republican candidate Ronald Reagan were confident not only of Reagan’s victory but that the hostages wouldn’t be released until after Reagan was sworn in.
Read on.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The Real Thanksgiving Day
By William Loren Katz
November 12, 2009
Thanksgiving Day remains a most treasured holiday in the United States. Work comes to a halt, families gather, eat turkey, and count their blessings. A presidential proclamation blesses the day.
Read on.
November 12, 2009
Thanksgiving Day remains a most treasured holiday in the United States. Work comes to a halt, families gather, eat turkey, and count their blessings. A presidential proclamation blesses the day.
Read on.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Another Option for the Public Option
By Robert Parry
November 12, 2009
Since the Democrats have already agreed to water down the health-insurance public option and to set its implementation date as 2013, there might be nothing to lose – and possibly a Republican vote or two to gain – if Democrats agreed to a trigger giving insurance companies the next three years to prove they can hold down costs and meet consumer needs.
Read on.
November 12, 2009
Since the Democrats have already agreed to water down the health-insurance public option and to set its implementation date as 2013, there might be nothing to lose – and possibly a Republican vote or two to gain – if Democrats agreed to a trigger giving insurance companies the next three years to prove they can hold down costs and meet consumer needs.
Read on.
Why the Blase Attitude about Torture
By Ray McGovern
November 11, 2009
November 11, 2009
“We’re going to talk about the policy of torture,” the radio producer said when she called me five years ago. “And you’ll have ten minutes to defend your side.”
Read on.Rev. Moon's Troubled Generation Next
By Robert Parry
November 11, 2009
November 11, 2009
Editor’s Note: In a normal world, the question of who will succeed a crazed cult leader like the 90-year-old Rev. Sun Myung Moon would not be an issue of much public importance. But – incredibly – Moon’s money-laundering empire was allowed to become a major funding source for America’s powerful right-wing media and key Republicans.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
America's Debt to Italian Justice
By David Swanson
November 10, 2009
The United States of America owes much of the hope it has right now of remaining what John Adams called "a nation of laws, not men" to Italian law enforcement.
Read on.
November 10, 2009
The United States of America owes much of the hope it has right now of remaining what John Adams called "a nation of laws, not men" to Italian law enforcement.
Read on.
Why Lieberman Blocks a Public Option
By Robert Parry
November 10, 2009
With the health-reform bill’s “public option” truly reduced to the “sliver” that President Barack Obama once called it – and indeed having become a feature that mostly benefits the insurance industry – the next question must be: why is it still being opposed by industry defenders like Sen. Joe Lieberman?
Read on.
November 10, 2009
With the health-reform bill’s “public option” truly reduced to the “sliver” that President Barack Obama once called it – and indeed having become a feature that mostly benefits the insurance industry – the next question must be: why is it still being opposed by industry defenders like Sen. Joe Lieberman?
Read on.
Monday, November 09, 2009
US Punditry's Anti-Obama Lens
By Michael Winship
November 9, 2009
Last Sunday, we visited the ruins of ancient Delphi, two hours or so from the Greek capital of Athens, an extraordinary site at the base of Mount Parnassus overlooking the Pleistos Valley, almost half a mile below.
Read on.
November 9, 2009
Last Sunday, we visited the ruins of ancient Delphi, two hours or so from the Greek capital of Athens, an extraordinary site at the base of Mount Parnassus overlooking the Pleistos Valley, almost half a mile below.
Read on.
Blaming the 'Dithering' Obama
By Robert Parry
November 9, 2009
Despite House passage of the health-care overhaul bill on Saturday night, the word “dithering” is getting attached to President Barack Obama, much as “hubris” was tagged to George W. Bush and “undisciplined” applied to Bill Clinton.
Read on.
November 9, 2009
Despite House passage of the health-care overhaul bill on Saturday night, the word “dithering” is getting attached to President Barack Obama, much as “hubris” was tagged to George W. Bush and “undisciplined” applied to Bill Clinton.
Read on.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Lost Commandment: Help Strangers
By the Rev. Howard Bess
November 8, 2009
I never cease to be amazed at the teachings of the Bible that are completely ignored. Typically preachers find preaching hobby-horses to ride and meticulously avoid some of the most important and difficult teachings of the Old and New Testaments.
Read on.
November 8, 2009
I never cease to be amazed at the teachings of the Bible that are completely ignored. Typically preachers find preaching hobby-horses to ride and meticulously avoid some of the most important and difficult teachings of the Old and New Testaments.
Read on.
Saturday, November 07, 2009
The American War on Pot Rolls On
By Sherwood Ross
November 7, 2009
Seven million Americans have been arrested since 1995 on marijuana charges and 41,000 of them are rotting in federal and state prisons. Thousands of other pot users and sellers are confined in local jails. But the public is starting to rebel against “the preposterous war on pot,” two political scientists say.
Read on.
November 7, 2009
Seven million Americans have been arrested since 1995 on marijuana charges and 41,000 of them are rotting in federal and state prisons. Thousands of other pot users and sellers are confined in local jails. But the public is starting to rebel against “the preposterous war on pot,” two political scientists say.
Read on.
Friday, November 06, 2009
The Crazy October Surprise Debunking
By Robert Parry
November 6, 2009
Patently absurd reasoning in someone’s argument can often tell you about the strength of the underlying facts. If an argument is deceptive on its face, you might suspect the supporting facts are pretty fragile, too.
Read on.
November 6, 2009
Patently absurd reasoning in someone’s argument can often tell you about the strength of the underlying facts. If an argument is deceptive on its face, you might suspect the supporting facts are pretty fragile, too.
Read on.
Obama Fails to Reset Foreign Policy
By Melvin A. Goodman
November 6, 2009
November 6, 2009
President Barack Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, will go down in history as one of America's worst presidents, squandering diplomatic, international and economic assets that were bequeathed to him.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
A 'Middle Way' on Afghanistan
By Bruce P. Cameron
November 5, 2009
U.S. policymakers may be contemplating some middle way on Afghanistan, but I haven’t seen it yet, at least not from the words and signals coming from President Barack Obama’s administration.
Read on.
November 5, 2009
U.S. policymakers may be contemplating some middle way on Afghanistan, but I haven’t seen it yet, at least not from the words and signals coming from President Barack Obama’s administration.
Read on.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Finding Vietnam War Positives
By William Blum
November 4, 2009
Not the crazy, hateful right wing, not racist or disrupting public meetings, not demanding birth certificates ... but the respectable right, holding high positions in academia and in every administration, Republican or Democrat, members of the highly esteemed Council on Foreign Relations.
Read on.
November 4, 2009
Not the crazy, hateful right wing, not racist or disrupting public meetings, not demanding birth certificates ... but the respectable right, holding high positions in academia and in every administration, Republican or Democrat, members of the highly esteemed Council on Foreign Relations.
Read on.
How Two Elections Changed America
By Robert Parry
November 4, 2009
Two clandestine operations during hard-fought presidential elections of the past half century shaped the modern American political era, but they remain little known to the general public and mostly ignored by historians. One unfolded in the weeks before Election 1968 and the other over a full year before Election 1980.
Read on.
November 4, 2009
Two clandestine operations during hard-fought presidential elections of the past half century shaped the modern American political era, but they remain little known to the general public and mostly ignored by historians. One unfolded in the weeks before Election 1968 and the other over a full year before Election 1980.
Read on.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Will a 'Surge' Work in Afghanistan
By Ivan Eland
November 3, 2009
Although President Barack Obama has more empathy for the opinions of the Islamic world than his predecessor and seems to vaguely understand that those opinions do affect U.S. security, he doesn’t seem to understand specifically that U.S. meddling in and occupation of Muslim countries inflames Islamic radicals and is the main cause of blowback anti-U.S. Islamist terrorism.
Read on.
November 3, 2009
Although President Barack Obama has more empathy for the opinions of the Islamic world than his predecessor and seems to vaguely understand that those opinions do affect U.S. security, he doesn’t seem to understand specifically that U.S. meddling in and occupation of Muslim countries inflames Islamic radicals and is the main cause of blowback anti-U.S. Islamist terrorism.
Read on.
Heeding George Kennan's Sage Advice
By Ray McGovern
November 3, 2009
I can’t remember how many times I have said that the U.S. military adventure in Afghanistan is a fool’s errand.
Read on.
November 3, 2009
I can’t remember how many times I have said that the U.S. military adventure in Afghanistan is a fool’s errand.
Read on.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Chomsky Doubts Change from Obama
By Mamoon Alabbasi
November 3, 2009
November 3, 2009
As civilized people across the world breathed a sigh of relief to see the back of former U.S. President George W. Bush, top American intellectual Noam Chomsky warned against assuming or expecting significant changes in the basis of Washington's foreign policy under President Barack Obama.
Pentagon's Gates Plays Ugly American
By Melvin A. Goodman
November 2, 2009
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates played the "ugly American" in Tokyo, cast in a quasi-diplomatic role he should not be given. This performance speaks to the need for a demilitarized national security policy.
Read on.
November 2, 2009
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates played the "ugly American" in Tokyo, cast in a quasi-diplomatic role he should not be given. This performance speaks to the need for a demilitarized national security policy.
Read on.
The Incredible Shrinking Public Option
By Robert Parry
November 2, 2009
When the U.S. health care debate began last spring, the insurance industry and its congressional defenders fretted over the prospect that 119 million Americans might defect from private insurance to a public option, thus devastating the business model of wealthy insurance companies.
Read on.
November 2, 2009
When the U.S. health care debate began last spring, the insurance industry and its congressional defenders fretted over the prospect that 119 million Americans might defect from private insurance to a public option, thus devastating the business model of wealthy insurance companies.
Read on.
Don't Miss Michael Jackson's 'This is It'
By Lisa Pease
November 2, 2009
Go see “This is It” while you can, even if -- perhaps especially if -- you are not a Michael Jackson fan. Seeing him for yourself allows you to get to know the man, not the media image of him, which is pretty far from the more talented reality.
Read on.
November 2, 2009
Go see “This is It” while you can, even if -- perhaps especially if -- you are not a Michael Jackson fan. Seeing him for yourself allows you to get to know the man, not the media image of him, which is pretty far from the more talented reality.
Read on.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Cheney and the Plame-gate Cover-up
By Robert Parry
November 2, 2009
If Dick Cheney is to be believed, he wasn’t very upset that former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson criticized the Bush administration for having “twisted” intelligence to support its false pre-war claim that Iraq’s Saddam Hussein was seeking uranium from Africa.
Read on.
November 2, 2009
If Dick Cheney is to be believed, he wasn’t very upset that former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson criticized the Bush administration for having “twisted” intelligence to support its false pre-war claim that Iraq’s Saddam Hussein was seeking uranium from Africa.
Read on.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Today's Lessons of Daniel Ellsberg
By David Swanson
October 30, 2009
October 30, 2009
On Thursday night, I had the privilege of viewing a premiere of a film together with its star. The theater was in the U.S. Capitol, and the film was "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers."
Kipling Haunts Obama's Afghan War
By Ray McGovern
October 30, 2009
The White Man’s Burden, a phrase immortalized by English poet Rudyard Kipling as an excuse for European-American imperialism, was front and center Thursday morning at a RAND-sponsored discussion of Afghanistan in the Russell Senate Office Building.
Read on.
October 30, 2009
The White Man’s Burden, a phrase immortalized by English poet Rudyard Kipling as an excuse for European-American imperialism, was front and center Thursday morning at a RAND-sponsored discussion of Afghanistan in the Russell Senate Office Building.
Read on.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Al-Qaeda Outwitted Bush, Neocons
By Robert Parry
October 29, 2009
October 29, 2009
As security worsens in Afghanistan and Pakistan, it is clear that al-Qaeda and its Taliban allies outwitted President George W. Bush and his neoconservative advisers by tying down U.S. forces in Iraq for five years while the Islamic militants rebuilt their forces for the war on their “central front.”
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Letting States Opt-in for Single-Payer
By David Swanson
October 28, 2009
October 28, 2009
The absence of a civilized healthcare system in the United States, almost alone among wealthy nations, results in tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths every year.
Inside Bush's Motivational Speech
WPost Misleads on Afghan History
By Melvin A. Goodman
October 28, 2009
The Washington Post is creating its own facts in order to support its argument for U.S. nation-building in Afghanistan.
Read on.
October 28, 2009
The Washington Post is creating its own facts in order to support its argument for U.S. nation-building in Afghanistan.
Read on.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Afghanistan Tests Obama's 'Patriotism'
By Ivan Eland
October 27, 2009
A recent article in the New York Times reported that the military has become frustrated with President Barack Obama because he hasn’t quickly decided to risk more of their lives in an Afghan war that is likely to be unwinnable.
Read on.
October 27, 2009
A recent article in the New York Times reported that the military has become frustrated with President Barack Obama because he hasn’t quickly decided to risk more of their lives in an Afghan war that is likely to be unwinnable.
Read on.
On Public Option, MSM Got It Wrong
By Robert Parry
October 27, 2009
The American mainstream media is in another snit, having misjudged the prospects for the public option on health care almost as completely as big-time journalists bungled the reporting on the Iraq War and a host of other important stories during George W. Bush’s presidency.
Read on.
October 27, 2009
The American mainstream media is in another snit, having misjudged the prospects for the public option on health care almost as completely as big-time journalists bungled the reporting on the Iraq War and a host of other important stories during George W. Bush’s presidency.
Read on.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
How a Torture Protest Killed a Career
By Craig Murray
October 24, 2009
I was just having dinner in a restaurant that was only a block from the White House. It must have been a good dinner because it cost me $120. Actually it was a good dinner. …
Read on.
October 24, 2009
I was just having dinner in a restaurant that was only a block from the White House. It must have been a good dinner because it cost me $120. Actually it was a good dinner. …
Read on.
Texas, Eyes of Justice Are Upon You
By Bill Moyers and Michael Winship
October 24, 2009
On Oct. 13, we lost a resolute champion of the law, a man who left his impact on the lives of untold numbers of Americans.
Read on.
October 24, 2009
On Oct. 13, we lost a resolute champion of the law, a man who left his impact on the lives of untold numbers of Americans.
Read on.
Friday, October 23, 2009
The High Price of Abu Ghraib Truth
By Sam Provance
October 23, 2009
I wish I could share with you a “success” story as a result of my being a “whistle-blower,” but the reality of things simply do not presently allow it.
Read on.
October 23, 2009
I wish I could share with you a “success” story as a result of my being a “whistle-blower,” but the reality of things simply do not presently allow it.
Read on.
Obama v. Military-Industrial Complex
By Melvin A. Goodman
October 23, 2009
The national security policy inherited by President Barack Obama has been increasingly militarized over the past two decades despite the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the demise of the Warsaw Pact, the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war.
Read on.
October 23, 2009
The national security policy inherited by President Barack Obama has been increasingly militarized over the past two decades despite the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the demise of the Warsaw Pact, the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war.
Read on.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
US Health Insurers Up the Ante
By Robert Parry
October 21, 2009
The chutzpah shown by the U.S. health insurance industry in taking aim at the weakest reform bill in Congress – the one approved by the Senate Finance Committee – reflects the insurers’ sense that they have beaten back other proposals that might have represented significant threats.
Read on.
October 21, 2009
The chutzpah shown by the U.S. health insurance industry in taking aim at the weakest reform bill in Congress – the one approved by the Senate Finance Committee – reflects the insurers’ sense that they have beaten back other proposals that might have represented significant threats.
Read on.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Sorting Out the Facts of Afghanistan
By Ivan Eland
October 20, 2009
Washington’s corridors of power are abuzz with the complexities of the situation in Afghanistan. If only we send 40,000 more troops, say the military brass, the U.S. could have some hope of turning the situation around and preventing Afghanistan from becoming a haven for terrorists yet again.
Read on.
October 20, 2009
Washington’s corridors of power are abuzz with the complexities of the situation in Afghanistan. If only we send 40,000 more troops, say the military brass, the U.S. could have some hope of turning the situation around and preventing Afghanistan from becoming a haven for terrorists yet again.
Read on.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Wilkerson Get Intel Integrity Award
By Coleen Rowley
October 19, 2009
This year's award -- the 7th one given by the Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence -- could not be more timely with regard to the wars being waged in Afghanistan-Pakistan and will be presented to former Chief of Staff at the State Department, Col. Larry Wilkerson, USA (ret.) this Wednesday, Oct. 21, at American University in Washington DC.
Read on.
October 19, 2009
This year's award -- the 7th one given by the Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence -- could not be more timely with regard to the wars being waged in Afghanistan-Pakistan and will be presented to former Chief of Staff at the State Department, Col. Larry Wilkerson, USA (ret.) this Wednesday, Oct. 21, at American University in Washington DC.
Read on.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Riding Obama's Peace Prize on a Rail
By Michael Winship
October 17, 2009
Despite the graciousness of his speech at the White House, President Obama's acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize did have an air slightly reminiscent of Lincoln's story about the man who was tarred, feathered and ridden out of town on a rail -- if it wasn't for the honor of the thing he'd just as soon walk.
Read on.
October 17, 2009
Despite the graciousness of his speech at the White House, President Obama's acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize did have an air slightly reminiscent of Lincoln's story about the man who was tarred, feathered and ridden out of town on a rail -- if it wasn't for the honor of the thing he'd just as soon walk.
Read on.
Pakistan's Double Game
By Bruce P. Cameron
October 18, 2009
The core challenge to President Barack Obama’s Afghan War may not be the Taliban, nor even al-Qaeda, but rather Pakistan’s shadowy intelligence service, the ISI, with its dual loyalties when it comes to fighting Islamic extremists.
Read on.
October 18, 2009
The core challenge to President Barack Obama’s Afghan War may not be the Taliban, nor even al-Qaeda, but rather Pakistan’s shadowy intelligence service, the ISI, with its dual loyalties when it comes to fighting Islamic extremists.
Read on.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Old Testament Brutalities
By the Rev. Howard Bess
October 16, 2009
I decided I needed to do a refresher on basic Old Testament material. I reread the entire books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. I doubt if many folks have read these two documents, but they are in the Bible, so they must be worthy of our attention.
Read on.
October 16, 2009
I decided I needed to do a refresher on basic Old Testament material. I reread the entire books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. I doubt if many folks have read these two documents, but they are in the Bible, so they must be worthy of our attention.
Read on.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Politics of the Public Option
By Robert Parry
October 16, 2009
From the start, the health-reform debate has been about money – who will get the best break and who may have to pay more. That is why the issue of the public option, a less expensive government-run insurance plan, has been so central to both the policy and political debates.
Read on.
October 16, 2009
From the start, the health-reform debate has been about money – who will get the best break and who may have to pay more. That is why the issue of the public option, a less expensive government-run insurance plan, has been so central to both the policy and political debates.
Read on.
Unncessary Death & US Health Care
By Rosemarie Jackowski
October 15, 2009
Forty-three-year-old Edith Rodriguez lost on both of those counts. Her life was needlessly brought to a tragic end. She spent her last time on earth writhing in pain. Why?
Read on.
October 15, 2009
Forty-three-year-old Edith Rodriguez lost on both of those counts. Her life was needlessly brought to a tragic end. She spent her last time on earth writhing in pain. Why?
Read on.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Obama and the Left's Old Schism
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Saying 'No' to a Wider Afghan War
By Ivan Eland
October 13, 2009
Although the politicians, media and public believe few things are more important than preventing another al-Qaeda attack on America, defending the founding principles of the republic would seem to be one of them.
Read on.
October 13, 2009
Although the politicians, media and public believe few things are more important than preventing another al-Qaeda attack on America, defending the founding principles of the republic would seem to be one of them.
Read on.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Insurers Make Case for Public Option
By Robert Parry
October 12, 2009
By demanding that the Baucus health-care bill toughen the coercive penalties to force young Americans to sign up for private insurance, industry lobbyists have inadvertently made the most dramatic argument to date for including a strong public option in any health reform law.
Read on.
October 12, 2009
By demanding that the Baucus health-care bill toughen the coercive penalties to force young Americans to sign up for private insurance, industry lobbyists have inadvertently made the most dramatic argument to date for including a strong public option in any health reform law.
Read on.
Reasoning Behind Obama's Peace Prize
By Robert Parry
October 12, 2009
Okay, I’ll admit that when I first saw on the Internet that President Obama had won the Nobel Peace Prize, I checked to make sure I hadn’t accidentally gone to The Onion’s satirical news site. But the more I think about it – and the more I hear the laughter from Official Washington – the more I appreciate what the prize committee did.
Read on.
October 12, 2009
Okay, I’ll admit that when I first saw on the Internet that President Obama had won the Nobel Peace Prize, I checked to make sure I hadn’t accidentally gone to The Onion’s satirical news site. But the more I think about it – and the more I hear the laughter from Official Washington – the more I appreciate what the prize committee did.
Read on.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Obama's Deserving Peace Prize
By Melvin A. Goodman
October 11, 2009
October 11, 2009
President Barack Obama’s willingness to confront the lawlessness and the calumnies of the Bush administration makes him a worthy and obvious recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Prize has been given in the past to those who fight oppression and restore hope.
Regime Change v. Regime Modification
By Bruce P. Cameron
October 11, 2009
In weighing a future course on the Afghan War, President Barack Obama might want to ponder the lessons of two other recent American interventions, “regime modification” in Nicaragua at the end of the contra war and “regime change” in Iraq achieved though a U.S. invasion and occupation.
Read on.
October 11, 2009
In weighing a future course on the Afghan War, President Barack Obama might want to ponder the lessons of two other recent American interventions, “regime modification” in Nicaragua at the end of the contra war and “regime change” in Iraq achieved though a U.S. invasion and occupation.
Read on.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Revolving Door Shuts on Public Option
By Bill Moyers and Michael Winship
October 10, 2009
On Tuesday, Oct. 13, the Senate Finance Committee finally is scheduled to vote on its version of health care insurance reform. And therein lies yet another story in the endless saga of money and politics.
Read on.
October 10, 2009
On Tuesday, Oct. 13, the Senate Finance Committee finally is scheduled to vote on its version of health care insurance reform. And therein lies yet another story in the endless saga of money and politics.
Read on.
Friday, October 09, 2009
Health Insurers Threaten Rate Hikes
By Robert Parry
October 9, 2009
Though looking forward to millions of new customers who would be compelled by the U.S. government to buy health insurance, the insurance industry is threatening to raise premiums across the board if more of its demands are not met.
Read on.
October 9, 2009
Though looking forward to millions of new customers who would be compelled by the U.S. government to buy health insurance, the insurance industry is threatening to raise premiums across the board if more of its demands are not met.
Read on.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Can US Make Sound Decision?
By Robert Parry
October 8, 2009
As key choices loom for President Barack Obama – from Afghanistan to the economy to health reform – a troubling question must be addressed: Is it possible for the United States with its existing political/media structure to make sound decisions?
Read on.
October 8, 2009
As key choices loom for President Barack Obama – from Afghanistan to the economy to health reform – a troubling question must be addressed: Is it possible for the United States with its existing political/media structure to make sound decisions?
Read on.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Obama's Mideast Peace Dilemma
By Robert Parry
October 6, 2009
President Barack Obama’s quest for Middle East peace must navigate very tricky geopolitical straits, with some traditional American enemies emerging as possibly his best allies and usual U.S. allies arrayed as adversaries.
Read on.
October 6, 2009
President Barack Obama’s quest for Middle East peace must navigate very tricky geopolitical straits, with some traditional American enemies emerging as possibly his best allies and usual U.S. allies arrayed as adversaries.
Read on.
Pramatic Empathy for One's Enemies
By Ivan Eland
October 6, 2009
Empathy is a term that connotes the touchy-feely notion of getting in touch with someone else’s feelings or perspective. That’s what psychotherapists and social workers do.
Read on.
October 6, 2009
Empathy is a term that connotes the touchy-feely notion of getting in touch with someone else’s feelings or perspective. That’s what psychotherapists and social workers do.
Read on.
Monday, October 05, 2009
Afghanistan: Eight Years and Counting
By Dennis Loo
October 6, 2009
Eight years ago, on Oct. 7, 2001, the U.S. launched a war upon Afghanistan.
Read on.
October 6, 2009
Eight years ago, on Oct. 7, 2001, the U.S. launched a war upon Afghanistan.
Read on.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Democrats Ponder Health-Care Suicide
By Robert Parry
October 4, 2009
If Democrats enact something like the health-care bill emerging from the Senate Finance Committee, they may call it a legislative victory and it may keep the campaign donations flowing from the insurance industry, but the Democrats would surely infuriate millions of American voters.
Read on.
October 4, 2009
If Democrats enact something like the health-care bill emerging from the Senate Finance Committee, they may call it a legislative victory and it may keep the campaign donations flowing from the insurance industry, but the Democrats would surely infuriate millions of American voters.
Read on.
WPost Pushes Confrontation with Iran
By Melvin A. Goodman
October 3, 2009
The neocon editorial writers at the Washington Post used the run-up to the Geneva meetings between the United States and Iran to marginalize the significance of the negotiations, to endorse a policy of confrontation against Iran, and even to support steps to bring down the regime in Tehran.
Read on.
October 3, 2009
The neocon editorial writers at the Washington Post used the run-up to the Geneva meetings between the United States and Iran to marginalize the significance of the negotiations, to endorse a policy of confrontation against Iran, and even to support steps to bring down the regime in Tehran.
Read on.
Why Was the Berlin Wall Built?
By William Blum
October 3, 2009
Within a few weeks many of the Western media can be expected to turn on their propaganda machines to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, November 9, 1989.
Read on.
October 3, 2009
Within a few weeks many of the Western media can be expected to turn on their propaganda machines to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, November 9, 1989.
Read on.
Two Writers Depart a Strange Land
By Michael Winship
October 3, 2009
You certainly can argue that the depths to which our so-called democratic dialogue has sunk are nothing new. Politicians and advocates have been slinging mud since the earth was cool enough to hurl.
Read on.
October 3, 2009
You certainly can argue that the depths to which our so-called democratic dialogue has sunk are nothing new. Politicians and advocates have been slinging mud since the earth was cool enough to hurl.
Read on.
Friday, October 02, 2009
WTimes, Bushes Hail Rev. Moon
By Robert Parry
October 2, 2009
Since journalist John Solomon decamped from the Washington Post to become executive editor of the right-wing Washington Times in 2008, the newspaper has tried to shake its image as a political front for its founder, right-wing South Korean theocrat Sun Myung Moon.
Read on.
October 2, 2009
Since journalist John Solomon decamped from the Washington Post to become executive editor of the right-wing Washington Times in 2008, the newspaper has tried to shake its image as a political front for its founder, right-wing South Korean theocrat Sun Myung Moon.
Read on.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Obama and the Afghan Quagmire
By Ivan Eland
October 1, 2009
October 1, 2009
Barack Obama does seem to have much better instincts in foreign policy than George W. Bush. But lest that be seen as damning by faint praise, let’s just say that Obama, like the Washington Redskins football team, is moving the ball down the field but needs to get it over the goal line more often.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
US Press Corps Fails Again on Iran
By Robert Parry
September 30, 2009
The U.S. press corps appears to have learned little or nothing from the Iraq debacle as a new crisis looms with Iran.
Read on.
September 30, 2009
The U.S. press corps appears to have learned little or nothing from the Iraq debacle as a new crisis looms with Iran.
Read on.
Why Afghanistan Really Fell Apart
By Bruce P. Cameron
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 2001 comes from the popular movie, “Charlie Wilson’s War.” But that represents a dangerous misperception.
Read on.
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 2001 comes from the popular movie, “Charlie Wilson’s War.” But that represents a dangerous misperception.
Read on.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
G-20 Protesters Faced New Weapons
By Mike Ferner
September 29, 2009
No longer the stuff of disturbing futuristic fantasies, an arsenal of “crowd control munitions,” including one that reportedly made its debut in the U.S., was deployed with a massive, overpowering police presence in Pittsburgh during last week’s G-20 protests.
Read on.
September 29, 2009
No longer the stuff of disturbing futuristic fantasies, an arsenal of “crowd control munitions,” including one that reportedly made its debut in the U.S., was deployed with a massive, overpowering police presence in Pittsburgh during last week’s G-20 protests.
Read on.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Review: Michael Moore's 'Capitalism'
By Lisa Pease
September 28, 2009
Michael Moore’s latest film, “Capitalism: A Love Story,” is his best, most mature film to date.
Read on.
September 28, 2009
Michael Moore’s latest film, “Capitalism: A Love Story,” is his best, most mature film to date.
Read on.
Intelligence Vets Back Torture Probe
By Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity
Memo to President Obama dated September 27, 2009
We write you, Mr. President, as former intelligence professionals to voice strong support for Attorney General Eric Holder’s authorization of a wider investigation into CIA interrogation. We respectfully disagree with the direct appeal to you by seven former CIA directors to quash that wider investigation.
Read on.
Memo to President Obama dated September 27, 2009
We write you, Mr. President, as former intelligence professionals to voice strong support for Attorney General Eric Holder’s authorization of a wider investigation into CIA interrogation. We respectfully disagree with the direct appeal to you by seven former CIA directors to quash that wider investigation.
Read on.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
The Mystique of 'Free Market' Obama
By Jeff Cohen
September 26, 2009
September 26, 2009
No matter what the facts are, some liberal activists and leaders persist in seeing President Obama as a principled progressive reformer who lives and breathes the campaign rhetoric about “change you can believe in.”
An Insider's View of ACORN
By David Swanson
September 26, 2009
If someone told you that a bunch of low-income people, most of them African-American or Latino, most of them women, most of them elderly, had been victimized by a predatory mortgage lender that stripped them of much of their equity or of their entire homes, you might not be surprised.
Read on.
September 26, 2009
If someone told you that a bunch of low-income people, most of them African-American or Latino, most of them women, most of them elderly, had been victimized by a predatory mortgage lender that stripped them of much of their equity or of their entire homes, you might not be surprised.
Read on.
Friday, September 25, 2009
The Republican War on ACORN
By Jason Leopold
September 25, 2009
In recent days, the Washington Post, the New York Times and other major news outlets have recounted the “troubled” history of the poor people’s advocacy group ACORN, but left out the five-year anti-ACORN campaign waged by White House adviser Karl Rove and other Republican operatives.
Read on.
September 25, 2009
In recent days, the Washington Post, the New York Times and other major news outlets have recounted the “troubled” history of the poor people’s advocacy group ACORN, but left out the five-year anti-ACORN campaign waged by White House adviser Karl Rove and other Republican operatives.
Read on.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
WPost Blasts Obama's Missile Reversal
By Melvin A. Goodman
September 24, 2009
For the past several months, the editorial and op-ed writers of the Washington Post have railed against Russia as expansionist and assertive toward the West and have argued against improving bilateral relations between the United States and Russia.
Read on.
September 24, 2009
For the past several months, the editorial and op-ed writers of the Washington Post have railed against Russia as expansionist and assertive toward the West and have argued against improving bilateral relations between the United States and Russia.
Read on.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Why Obama Must Demand Openness
By Melvin A. Goodman
September 24, 2009
Last week, seven former directors of the Central Intelligence Agency, who made their own contributions to the CIA’s lost esteem over the past 35 years, asked President Barack Obama to make sure there is no criminal investigation of the crimes associated with the Agency’s detentions and interrogations policies over the past eight years.
Read on.
September 24, 2009
Last week, seven former directors of the Central Intelligence Agency, who made their own contributions to the CIA’s lost esteem over the past 35 years, asked President Barack Obama to make sure there is no criminal investigation of the crimes associated with the Agency’s detentions and interrogations policies over the past eight years.
Read on.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Neocon Judge's History of Cover-ups
By Robert Parry
September 23, 2009
Laurence Silberman, a U.S. Courts Appeals Court judge and a longtime neoconservative operative – part of what the Iran-Contra special prosecutor called “the strategic reserves” for convicted Reagan administration operatives in the 1980s – is back playing a similar role for the Bush-43 administration.
Read on.
September 23, 2009
Laurence Silberman, a U.S. Courts Appeals Court judge and a longtime neoconservative operative – part of what the Iran-Contra special prosecutor called “the strategic reserves” for convicted Reagan administration operatives in the 1980s – is back playing a similar role for the Bush-43 administration.
Read on.
Monday, September 21, 2009
The American Doomsday Machine
By Daniel Ellsberg
September 21, 2009
One day in the spring of 1961, soon after my 30th birthday, I was shown how our world would end. Not the Earth, not—so far as I knew then—all humanity or life, but the destruction of most cities and people in the Northern Hemisphere.
Read on.
September 21, 2009
One day in the spring of 1961, soon after my 30th birthday, I was shown how our world would end. Not the Earth, not—so far as I knew then—all humanity or life, but the destruction of most cities and people in the Northern Hemisphere.
Read on.
Was the Iranian Election 'Rigged'?
By Robert Parry
September 21, 2009
It is conventional wisdom in the U.S. press corps that Iran’s June 12 presidential election was rigged, with the word “fraud” now sometimes appearing without the qualifier “alleged.” But a new poll of Iranians uncovered a different opinion, an overwhelming judgment that the election was legitimate.
Read on.
September 21, 2009
It is conventional wisdom in the U.S. press corps that Iran’s June 12 presidential election was rigged, with the word “fraud” now sometimes appearing without the qualifier “alleged.” But a new poll of Iranians uncovered a different opinion, an overwhelming judgment that the election was legitimate.
Read on.
Why Not Look Backwards, with Clarity
By Dennis Loo
September 21, 2009
September 21, 2009
In the Sept. 19 Washington Post, we learn that the Justice Department’s investigation of torture by U.S. personnel will be even narrower than originally proposed by Attorney General Eric Holder.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Review: Reassessing 'The Informant!'
By Lisa Pease
September 20, 2009
I’m always disappointed when the film doesn’t match its advertisements, no matter how good the film or important its message. So I have to admit I was a little disappointed with The Informant! because I was expecting a comedy, but got something quite a bit darker.
Read on.
September 20, 2009
I’m always disappointed when the film doesn’t match its advertisements, no matter how good the film or important its message. So I have to admit I was a little disappointed with The Informant! because I was expecting a comedy, but got something quite a bit darker.
Read on.
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