The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, in a move initiated by the Obama administration, has voted to waive Bush-era human rights restrictions on military aid to the Islam Karimov dictatorship in Uzbekistan, one of the most brutal and repressive regimes on the...
Washington Loses on Own-Goal Hat Trick
In soccer, an "own goal" is when you screw up royally and kick the ball into your own net. It is the height of embarrassment to lose a game on an own goal. A "hat trick" is when a player scores three goals. No one has ever lost a soccer game on a hat trick of three...
Iraq: Shi’ites Get Apology from US Envoy, Sunnis Get Trouble from Iraqi Premier
10 Factors That May Lead to War With Iran
Over the last several days, much time has been spent speculating about the likelihood of war with Iran. Several encouraging pieces have been written indicating that the war is unlikely thanks to international pressure for the U.S. to back off, particularly from China...
Spending Other People’s Money Usually Leads to Bad Results
A new ABC News/Washington Post poll shows that 80 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with the way their government works and 31 percent are angry about it, an all-time high. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the central problem with government is...
This Is What Defeat Looks Like
How about a moment of silence for the passing of the American Dream? M.R.I.C. (May it rest in carnage.) No, I’m not talking about the old dream of opportunity that involved home ownership, a better job than your parents had, a decent pension, and all the rest of the...
Iran: Five Minutes to Zero Hour
If you wade through the International Atomic Energy Agency’s much-awaited report [.pdf] on Iran’s alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons technology – a fate I wouldn’t wish on anyone – what you’ll find is a studious ambiguity....
Iraq’s Interior Ministry Denies Torturing Prisoner To Death
Is Israel Hoping for a US Attack on Iran?
JERUSALEM — Preceding the U.N. atomic watchdog's report on Iran's nuclear quest, a flurry of reports about Israel increasingly tilting toward preventive military action against Iran highlights U.S. military support of Israel but tests its influence over its ally. On...
Occupy Veterans Day
If only Marine Scott Olsen had behaved himself. If only he had been a "good" Marine, believing in the "correct" universal truths and keeping his mouth shut. He may not have gotten shot. The right-wing blogomob, not to be outdone by its past displays of repulsive...