Month: May 2006

Untitled Document Now Is the Time for a Left-Right AllianceAlthough I am a devout liberal, it nearly brought tears of joy to my eyes to read your article and realize that the Honorable Conservative was not a myth nor even extinct, but possibly alive and fighting the good fight.In another time and place I would … Continue reading “Backtalk, May 13, 2006”

In the 27 years since the Iranian Revolution, the United States has launched air strikes on Libya, invaded Grenada, put Marines in Lebanon, and run air strikes in the Bekaa Valley and Chouf Mountains in retaliation for the Beirut bombing. We invaded Panama, launched Desert Storm to liberate Kuwait, and put troops into Somalia. Under … Continue reading “‘Comrade Wolf’ and the Mullahs”

Anti-Americanism is a big problem for U.S. business: if people turn against America because of the policies of our government, then that means lost profits. Our proclivity for alienating the citizens of practically every nation is costing us a pretty penny, and Business for Diplomatic Action Inc. (BDA), a non-profit organization founded by advertising executive … Continue reading “American Dominatrix”

As the George W. Bush administration pushes for a showdown over Iran’s nuclear program in the UN Security Council, it has presented the issue as a matter of global security – an Iranian nuclear threat in defiance of the international community. But the history of the conflict and the private strategic thinking of both sides … Continue reading “Iran Nuclear Conflict Is About US Dominance”

With his coalition partners on board, Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is plotting his next move: a partial withdrawal from the West Bank over the next few years that he and his government will declare as the end of the occupation and therefore also any legitimate grounds for Palestinian grievance. From hereon in, Israel will … Continue reading “Israel’s Road to ‘Convergence’ Began With Rabin”

Remember the old cartoons where the character walks off a cliff and continues walking on thin air until he looks down and plunges? America walked off the cliff on April 18, 2006, and has been suspended above the nuclear abyss since, set to plunge down at a moment’s notice. Meanwhile, it is in a catatonic … Continue reading “April 18, 2006: America’s Step Off the Nuclear Edge”

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice couldn’t possibly have been more accurate when she accused Iran of “playing games” with the international community. Rice was specifically referring to an announcement made April 30, by deputy head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Agency Muhammad Saeedi, that his country is willing to allow “snap inspections” by the … Continue reading “Iran vs. US: Nuclear Standoff or Realpolitik?”

It has become fashionable, everywhere from newspaper offices to the pop charts, to argue that British Prime Minister Tony Blair is a poodle to President George W. Bush’s rottweiler, a lapdog who pretty much sits, rolls over, and fetches as his master in Washington demands. In their new hit single "I’m With Stupid," the Pet … Continue reading “Don’t Let Blair Off the Hook”

Us Last Friday I was at the University of Texas, Austin, giving a presentation on Iraq. After dumping an hour’s worth of horrible “real news” about Iraq, I was asked the question I have by now learned to expect: “Is there anything good happening there at all?” I understand why people ask this. There must … Continue reading “All of Us Participate
in a New Iraq”

Most of us are familiar with the saying: “Time flies when you’re having fun.” After all, five hours of flight turbulence feels much longer than five hours on a beach resort. In fact, scientists have demonstrated that patterns of activity in the brain tend to accelerate in response to positive emotional stimulation, and vice versa. … Continue reading “Bush’s Slow Race
in the Last Lap”