As journalist Gareth Porter said in a recent interview with Real News, Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s offensive in Marjah, Afghanistan, is "more of an effort to shape public opinion in the United States than to shape the politics of the future of Afghanistan." Like so much of what we’ve seen in our woeful war on terrorism, …
Continue reading “Marjah Madness”
Everywhere you looked at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington this year, there was Lady Liberty, an eagle soaring, a patriot with fife and drum and a tri-cornered hat. Freedom – everyone and everything declared – was under assault. According to the three-day schedule, it was under attack by socialists, unions, the taxman, …
Continue reading “CPAC Sends Founding Fathers Spinning”
CAIRO – Activists and opposition groups are stepping up pressure on the Egyptian government to stop constructing a barrier along the border with the Gaza Strip. Officials say the barrier will prevent cross-border smuggling, but critics say it will seal the fate of the people on the Gaza Strip. "The Egyptian border was the only …
Continue reading “Opposition Grows Against Egypt-Gaza Barrier”
At least 31 Iraqis were killed and 15 more were wounded in a storm of attacks across the country. Most of the attacks occurred in and around Baghdad, which has been unusually quiet in recent days. Also, Gen. Ray Odierno admitted that there is a “Plan B” for a slower drawdown of U.S. forces should the political landscape remain chaotic after March elections.
The annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), which has been going on for many years, is a bellwether of where the action is on the right side of the political spectrum – and the news from the latest gathering has both the traditional Buckley-style right and the Obama-ite liberal-left in shock. The CPAC presidential polls …
Continue reading “Ron Paul!”
Explain something to me. In recent months, unless you were insensate, you couldn’t help running across someone talking, writing, speaking, or pontificating about how busted government is in the United States. State governments are increasingly broke and getting broker. The federal government, while running up the red ink, is, as just about everyone declares, "paralyzed" …
Continue reading “Fixing What’s Wrong in Washington… in Afghanistan”
Dear Tayler, First I want to say how much I enjoyed seeing you and Bayley and your mom when I visited last week. Aunt Bonnie did a wonderful thing bringing us all together again for Great Grandpa’s 90th birthday. In particular, I am writing to you because of something that happened at Great Grandpa’s home …
Continue reading “Things to Ponder Before You Enlist”
Antiwar sentiment was a major issue for the first time at this year’s giant CPAC meeting in Washington. Thousands of young conservatives attended, some 5,000, and for the first time, Ron Paul was voted the favorite presidential candidate with 31% of the vote. His speech about how governments use wars to take over dictatorial power …
Continue reading “CPAC and the Wars”
Updated at 7:34 p.m. EST, Feb. 21, 2010
At least 10 Iraqis were killed and 20 more were wounded in various attacks across Iraq. Two U.S. helicopter pilots were killed during a hard landing at a base in northern Iraq. Meanwhile, analysts wonder what the withdrawal of a key Sunni group from March elections will mean for Iraq, and whether it will re-ignite the sectarian bloodshed..
Only three Iraqis were reported killed on a very quiet day. Iraqis are still concerned over the fallout of a candidate blacklist that could nullify the legitimacy of the elections. Some Iraqis face a long jail term if they choose to criticize the elections through vandalism.
