Israel is Crossing All Boundaries as America Tires of its Endless Wars

Last week the Israelis scored a bloody “hat trick” – slaughtering seven international food aid workers, demolishing the last major hospital operating in Gaza, and – perhaps most dangerous – attacking an Iranian diplomatic facility in Damascus, Syria, in which several senior Iranian military figures were killed. There is a very good reason diplomatic facilities … Continue reading “Israel is Crossing All Boundaries as America Tires of its Endless Wars”

Israeli Milestones: From Six-Day Victory to Six-Month Failure

In June 1967 Israel launched surprise attacks on its Arab neighbors and captured Gaza, the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Golan. With military and intelligence support from Lyndon Johnson’s administration, Israel shocked and overwhelmed its neighbors, largely destroying Egypt’s air force on the ground. Israel not only seized possession of these territories, they humiliated their … Continue reading “Israeli Milestones: From Six-Day Victory to Six-Month Failure”

Ending the Second Cold War

It might seem premature to talk about ending the second cold war when it seems that it is barely underway.  Just a few years ago, populations were celebrating the end of the first cold war.  That era of animosity ended with dramatic suddenness.  General Colin Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, observed waggishly … Continue reading “Ending the Second Cold War”

Mitch McConnell Cannot Stop the Non-Interventionist Tide

Even Republican stalwarts like current Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are starting to notice that something is shifting in the party. While McConnell announced recently that he would step down as Republican leader in the US Senate, in an interview last week he was adamant that he would continue to serve out his term in … Continue reading “Mitch McConnell Cannot Stop the Non-Interventionist Tide”

Enlisting in the Military: A Very, Very Bad Idea

If you are a young man wondering what to do with your life, you may consider enlisting in the military. Don’t. Yes, the military has its appeal, or seems to. You may need a job. The uniform looks good. There can be adventure. You might get laid by Asian lovelies in foreign countries.  These things … Continue reading “Enlisting in the Military: A Very, Very Bad Idea”

Ukraine in NATO: What Blinken Says Versus What Blinken Means

NATO is less a defensive alliance than it is a provocative alliance. A quarter of a century ago, the Soviet Union dismantled itself by its own will. With that titanic change, NATO’s sole purpose dissolved. Created to defend its members from a Soviet threat, NATO now self-perpetuated its extinct purpose by provoking the very threat … Continue reading “Ukraine in NATO: What Blinken Says Versus What Blinken Means”

Irremediable Defeat: On Israel’s Other Unwinnable War

Historically, wars unite Israelis. Not anymore. Not that Israelis do not agree with Benjamin Netanyahu’s war; they simply do not believe that the prime minister is the man who could win this supposedly existential fight. But Netanyahu’s war remains unwinnable simply because liberation wars, often conducted through guerrilla warfare tactics, are far more complicated than … Continue reading “Irremediable Defeat: On Israel’s Other Unwinnable War”

Israel Lets AI Decide Who Dies in Gaza

The Israeli military has employed yet another AI-based system to select bombing targets in the Gaza Strip, an investigation by +972 Magazine has revealed. The new system has generated sweeping kill lists condemning tens of thousands of Palestinians, part of the IDF’s growing dependence on AI to plan lethal strikes. Citing six Israeli intelligence officers, … Continue reading “Israel Lets AI Decide Who Dies in Gaza”

US Epic Fail in Niger

This originally appeared at TomDispatch. TomDispatch is distinctly a forever-war creation. When I began it almost 23 years ago, the U.S. had just invaded Afghanistan and, of course, there wasn’t the faintest sense that what had been launched then, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on this country, would still be going on globally … Continue reading “US Epic Fail in Niger”