The likely temporary Israel-Iran ceasefire notwithstanding, if you need proof of how despicable Donald Trump is, consider this: When asked last week if he would ask Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to stop bombing Iran, which had already said it would stop retaliating...
The Military-Industrial Complex Is Riding High
Originally published at TomDispatch. The Senate is on the verge of passing the distinctly misnamed “big beautiful bill.” It is, in fact, one of the ugliest pieces of legislation to come out of Congress in living memory. The version that passed the House recently would...
‘New Middle East’: This is Netanyahu’s Real Goal in the Region
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu persistently declares his ambition to "change the face of the Middle East". Yet, his repeated assertions seem to clash with the unfolding reality on the ground. Netanyahu's opportunistic relationship with language is now...
A Big Beautiful Bill for the Military-Industrial Complex
The US Senate worked through the weekend on the “Big Beautiful Bill.” The goal was to pass it quickly to ensure the House will then pass it and send it to President Trump’s desk before the July 4th holiday. However, disagreements among Republican Senators over...
California Legislation Designed To Protect Israeli Apartheid and Genocide
Pro-Israel California legislators are taking a page out of Trump’s playbook to prevent K-12 educators from presenting a realistic history and accurate portrayal of contemporary Israel/Palestine. Their proposed legislation, AB 715, a would-be model for other states,...
US Bombing of Iran Harms Non-Proliferation
Iran didn’t violate the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the United States did. When the U.S. bombed Iran’s civilian nuclear facilities on June 23, they didn’t just violate the cardinal rule of international law by attacking a sovereign nation, without Security...
Trump’s Dream of Escalation Dominance
The Israel/US Iran offensive is not about nuclear weapons. It is about Iran’s abundant oil and gas reserves. It is a joint effort to overthrow Iranian leaders to restore pre-1979 rule. After just a month in the office, it was abundantly clear that the Trump...
NATO’s 5% Pledge: An Obscene Betrayal of Global Needs
At this week’s NATO summit in The Hague, leaders announced an alarming new goal: push military spending to 5% of nations’ GDP by 2035. Framed as a response to rising global threats, particularly from Russia and terrorism, the declaration was hailed as a historic step....
The Real Winners: The Strategic Fallout of the Israel-Iran War
On June 24, US President Donald Trump announced a truce between Israel and Iran following nearly two weeks of open warfare. Israel began the war, launching a surprise offensive on June 13, with airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, missile installations,...
Resistance Works: How Small Groups Took on Great Powers
Originally published at TomDispatch. At a time when many may feel that good news has gone the way of the dodo, look no further than the homeland of that long-extinct bird – Mauritius – for a dose of encouragement. There, among the islands of the Indian Ocean, news can...