Month: August 2008

Jonathan Gress’ Backtalk “The fact is both the Serbs and the Albanians are nasty pieces of work, just as both the Russians and the Georgians are nasty pieces of work.” This is exactly the attitude in the USA that has lead to so many problems in the world. If we look at what Americans have … Continue reading “Backtalk, August 26, 2008”

Updated at 11:08 p.m. EDT, Aug. 25, 2007At least 16 Iraqis were killed and 14 more were wounded in the latest round of violence. One U.S. soldier was killed in a small arms attack in Baghdad. Meanwhile, conflicting reports over a U.S.-Iraqi security pact are streaming out of Iraq, along with an alarming video of … Continue reading “Monday: 1 US Soldier, 16 Iraqis Killed; 14 Iraqis Wounded”

To anyone who really believed Barack Obama’s candidacy represented “hope” and “change,” the selection of Joe Biden as his running mate should put that illusion to rest. Antiwar activists point to Biden’s vote in favor of authorizing Bush to go to war with Iraq, but even worse was his behavior in the run-up to the … Continue reading “Biden Means Business As Usual”

The U.S. policy of absorbing Georgia and Ukraine into NATO, which was enthusiastically embraced by Barack Obama and his running mate Joseph Biden, has undoubtedly been given a major boost by the Russian military operation in Georgia. In the new narrative of the Russia-Georgia war emerging from op-eds and cable news commentaries, Georgia is portrayed … Continue reading “Georgia War Rooted in US Self-Deceit on NATO”

There’s not much point denying it, even though many people who have long opposed this stupid war might want to do so. One of the reasons, of course, as renegade neocon Francis Fukuyama wrote recently (in the Wall Street Journal, of all places!), is that if you do say that Iraq has become more stable, … Continue reading “Blowing Opportunities”

Updated at 5:18 p.m. EDT, Aug. 23, 2008At least 49 Iraqis were killed or found dead and another 90 were wounded in the latest attacks. A security operation is Diyala province continues to be the source of controversy as troops seemingly spend more time harassing people instead of rounding up criminals. No Coalition deaths were … Continue reading “Sunday: 49 Iraqis Killed, 90 Wounded”

Whatever hopes the George W. Bush administration may have had for using its post-9/11 "war on terror” to impose a new Pax Americana on Eurasia, and particularly in the unruly areas between the Caucasus and the Khyber Pass, appear to have gone up in flames – in some cases, literally – over the past two … Continue reading “A Really Bad Couple of Weeks for Pax Americana”

Updated at 6:25 p.m. EDT, Aug. 23, 2008At least 21 Iraqis were killed and another 14 were wounded in the latest attacks. Nine Iraqis were kidnapped in two separate incidents in Diyala province as well. No Coalition deaths were reported. Meanwhile, U.S. forces released another detained journalist. U.S. forces released a cameraman working for the … Continue reading “Saturday: 21 Iraqis Killed, 14 Wounded, 9 Kidnapped”

We’ve heard how the value of the dollar affects gas prices – and indeed the price of everything. I was pleased that my request for a hearing on such was granted by the Financial Services committee and we were able to hear some very informative testimony. Certainly domestic policies, regarding off-shore oil drilling bans, ethanol … Continue reading “How Foreign Policy Affects Gas Prices”

The U.S. missile defense program, which contributed to the deterioration of U.S.-Russian relations that helped generate the Russian-Georgian conflict, has benefited from that conflict and may cause a further downward spiral in the relationship between these two great powers. Along with the recognition of Kosovo’s independence from Serbia and repeated rounds of an expanding NATO … Continue reading “Missile Defense May Cause Downward Spiral in US-Russian Relations”