Ex-Im Bank Is Welfare for the One Percent

This month Congress will consider whether to renew the charter of the Export-Import Bank (Ex-IM Bank). Ex-IM Bank is a New Deal-era federal program that uses taxpayer funds to subsidize the exports of American businesses. Foreign businesses, including state-owned corporations, also benefit from Ex-IM Bank. One country that has benefited from $1.5 billion of Ex-IM … Continue reading “Ex-Im Bank Is Welfare for the One Percent”

The Unknown Whistleblower

Rambo! In my Reagan-era youth, the name was synonymous with the Vietnam War – at least the Vietnam War reimagined, the celluloid fantasy version of it in which a tanned, glistening, muscle-bound commando busted the handcuffs of defeat and redeemed America’s honor in the jungles of Southeast Asia. Untold millions including the Gipper himself, an … Continue reading “The Unknown Whistleblower”

Over 4,000 Killed in Iraq during May

At least 1,094 civilians and security forces were killed during May. This figure is only an estimate as many of the casualties occurred behind the lines in the Ramadi area. Another 640 were wounded, but this figure must be significantly lower than the actual number. Antiwar.com also compiled reported casualty figures for militant forces. At least 2,983 were killed and 257 were wounded. These numbers were generally reported by the Iraqi government and subject to their biases.

Stephen Harper’s Unprincipled and Inconsistent Foreign Policy

Over a year ago, as chaos erupted in Ukraine, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was one of the first voices to join the choir of hyperbole in the refrain that Putin’s invasion of Crimea was analogous to Hitler’s invasion of the Sudetenland. His – at the time – Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said “"The … Continue reading “Stephen Harper’s Unprincipled and Inconsistent Foreign Policy”

Resurgence of the ‘Surge’ Myth

As American politicians and editorial writers resume their tough talk about sending more U.S. troops into Iraq, they are resurrecting the “successful surge” myth, the claim that President George W. Bush’s dispatch of 30,000 more soldiers in 2007 somehow “won” the war – a storyline that is beloved by the neocons because it somewhat lets … Continue reading “Resurgence of the ‘Surge’ Myth”