Month: December 2006

“It is our true policy to steer clear of entangling alliances with any portion of the foreign world.“ – George Washington Last week, I wrote about the critical need for Congress to reassert its authority over foreign policy, and for the American people to recognize that the Constitution makes no distinction between domestic and foreign … Continue reading “America’s Original
Foreign Policy”

When Colin Powell endorsed the Iraq Study Group report during his Dec. 17 appearance on Face the Nation, it was another curtain call for a tragic farce. Four years ago, "moderates" like Powell were making the invasion of Iraq possible. Now, in the guise of speaking truth to power, Powell and ISG co-chairs James Baker … Continue reading “Powell, Baker, Hamilton – Thanks for Nothing”

Updated at 12:30 a.m. EST, Dec. 19, 2006 At least 97 Iraqis were killed or found dead today and another 58 were wounded. Many of them were hurt and killed when several small bombs rocked Baghdad. Also, four people were kidnapped. One U.S. soldier was killed and another wounded when their Bradley fighting vehicle rolled … Continue reading “Monday: 97 Iraqis, 1 GI Killed; 58 Iraqis, 1 GI Wounded”

Among the Democratic Party’s liberal antiwar wing, hopes were high that Barack Obama would become their voice when he made an impressive speech in which he called attention to the likely consequences of an invasion and characterized the entire project as a “dumb war.” At last! A Democrat with the guts to call out the … Continue reading “O-bomb-a and the War Party”

Imagine you’re selling a product and a large gang – call it Gang A – comes along and tells you to stop and threatens to kill you, or at least destroy your property, if you don’t. Gang A, though far way geographically, is very well-funded: I’ll tell you why in a minute, but I’ll give … Continue reading “How to Undercut Chávez Peacefully With Less Military, Not More”

Libertarian Warmongers? The famous mathematician Kurt Godel long ago proved that no logical system can be both complete and completely consistent at the same time. So why strive for the perfect political purity when no system is attainable? And when it may lead one to embrace morally repugnant positions at the same time? For me … Continue reading “Backtalk, December 18, 2006”

Updated at 9:25 a.m. EST, Dec. 18, 2006 Another mass kidnapping occurred in Baghdad where over two dozen people were kidnapped from the offices of the Red Crescent aid group. At least 69 Iraqis were killed or found dead today and six more were wounded. One American soldier died of natural causes in the United … Continue reading “Sunday: Dozens Kidnapped; 69 Iraqis, 2 GIs Dead”

Updated at 12:15 p.m. EST, Dec. 17, 2006 Today, military authorities reported that three GIs were killed and another wounded by a roadside bomb in Baghdad yesterday. Another U.S. soldier died from small arms gunfire in Ramadi. At least 57 American servicemembers have died in Iraq during December. Also, two UK soldiers were injured in … Continue reading “Saturday: 81 Iraqis, 4 GIs Killed; 10 Iraqis, 3 Coalition Soldiers Wounded”

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.” -President Dwight D. Eisenhower April 16, 1953 Talk about stepping into the abyss. George Bush and his Pentagon allies are considering … Continue reading “Take This War and Shove It”

Two weeks ago, during his Senate confirmation hearings, nominee Robert Gates was asked if he believed the Iranians were trying to acquire a nuclear weapons capability. Gates said he did. He was then asked if he believed “the Iranians would consider using that nuclear weapons capability against the nation of Israel.” Gates said he didn’t. … Continue reading “So Much for Inalienable Rights”