Month: March 2003

"Bosnia is a country of hatred and fear." – Ivo Andric, 1920 It will soon be eleven years since Bosnia was recognized as an independent state, yet it has never functioned a single day as such. Most of its Croats have long since taken Croatian citizenship, and feel comfortable only in the sliver of land … Continue reading “Alley of the Damned”

Now that George Bush has quit pretending to weigh the pros and cons of war, and has issued an unacceptable ultimatum to Saddam Hussein, we can expect the war to begin before the week is out. Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman was first out of the box with the slogans of appeasement when he said, "It’s … Continue reading “Support Our Boys in Uniform”

Britain’s relationship with America has shaped British politics for thirty years, and it isn’t going to stop now. Just Another Episode In Britain recently politics has entered a rare interesting phase, the Labour Party is turning on its biggest asset and Tony Blair seems to be in real trouble – with yet another record rebellion … Continue reading “A Grand Unified Theory of British Politics”

I write before President Bush’s address, on the assumption that it will offer an ultimatum that will trigger war within days, without offering justifications that persuade me this war is necessary, justifiable or constitutional. So what do we do once the war begins? Polemicists like Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly, of course, argue that once the … Continue reading “Making Lemonade”

As we shiver in the shadow of war, waiting to be shocked and awed by the malevolent magnificence of militarism in action, some in the antiwar movement are calling for "direct action." What this amounts to is what happened the other day in downtown San Francisco, when about 200 people marched to the Pacific Stock … Continue reading “This Isn’t About You”

Before the ink on President Bush’s new budget had dried, one man was already uncorking some bubbly. No, it wasn’t Mitch Daniels. It was Norman Pattiz, Middle East Director at the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the federal panel responsible for beaming American ideals into tens of millions of living rooms worldwide. The reason for … Continue reading “An Aural MOAB for the Middle East”

Jiang is putting the pieces into place to solidify not only his legacy, but the ideas of Old Deng and the position of his protégé, Hu Jintao. The 10th National People’s Congress this month was a showcase for the New Generation of leaders and Jiang’s Three Represents Theory. Lawyers and accountants sit in the Chinese … Continue reading “Soft Power Moves Abroad”

In the midst of a furious debate over the key role of pro-Israel ideologues in pushing us into war, the FBI has announced it is looking into the possibility that “a foreign government is using a deception campaign to foster support for military action against Iraq.” Remember the forged “evidence” the U.S. submitted to the … Continue reading “What’s It All About, Ari?”

Just a day before United States President George W. Bush delivered a fresh diatribe against Iraq in his State of the Union address, India’s Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee did something unexpected. He appealed to the Great Powers to show "great restraint" and "patience" in dealing with Iraq and make "all efforts" to avoid a … Continue reading “India, Pakistan in Diplomatic Maze Over Iraq”

They’re already awarding contracts for the "reconstruction" of Iraq. But who will reconstruct our old republic, once it morphs into an empire? As they test weapons of mass destruction in the midst of one of the most populated states in the union, flexing their muscles and bellowing belligerence, the War Party exudes confidence. The ideologues … Continue reading “Postwar Blues”