Month: May 2017

Hundreds of civilians may have been killed in airstrikes on Wednesday.

"The makers of our Constitution … conferred, as against the Government, the right to be let alone – the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilized men." ~ Justice Louis D. Brandeis, 1928 After the Watergate era had ended and Jimmy Carter was in the White House and the Senate’s Church Committee had attempted to grasp … Continue reading “Spying on You, Spying on Me, Spying on the President”

When President-elect Donald Trump sent his talent scouts to the attack-dog kennel run by defense industry giant General Dynamics, in order to recruit former Marine General James “Mad Dog” Mattis to be secretary of defense, cries of apprehension were drowned out by smug one-percent reassurances. Those who “know what’s best for the country” insisted: “NOT … Continue reading “Mad Dog Shows His Bite on Face the Nation”

Scores were killed in several bombing in the capital.

As if he has, overnight, been transformed into a master politician, Donald Trump’s 27-hour trip to Israel has left many analysts mystified. Quoting former Israeli political adviser, Mitchell Barack, the New York Times referred to Trump as the “Liberace of world leaders”, in reference to flamboyant, piano player, Wladziu Valantino Liberace. The latter, known as … Continue reading “Trump’s Visit to Israel: How Palestine Disappeared From US Media Coverage”

Empires are continually confronted with the prospect of rebellions: that is one of the occupational hazards of imperialism. The Romans had to contend with those contentious Judeans, whose revolt arguably gave rise to one of the word’s great religions. The British lost control of their American colonies to a motley crew of libertarians. And now … Continue reading “Angela Merkel’s Tears”

A politician was shot dead in Iraq, but the motive may have had nothing to do with politics.

When the US public was told that Spain had blown up the Maine, or Vietnam had returned fire, or Iraq had stockpiled weapons, or Libya was planning a massacre, the claims were straightforward and disprovable. Before people began referring to the Gulf of Tonkin incident, somebody had to lie that it had happened, and there … Continue reading “Believing the Russian ‘Hacking’ Claim”

President Donald Trump’s politically incorrect behavior at the gathering of NATO leaders in Brussels on Thursday could, in its own circuitous way, spotlight an existential threat to the alliance. Yes, that threat is Russia, but not in the customary sense in which Westerners have been taught to fear the Russian bear. It is a Russia … Continue reading “Europe May Finally Rethink NATO Costs”

In a culture like ours, long accustomed to splitting and dividing all things as a means of control, it is sometimes a bit of a shock to be reminded that, in operational and practical fact, the medium is the message. This is merely to say that the personal and social consequences of any medium – … Continue reading “Our National Bird: The Medium Is the Message”