Month: December 2012

Falling Towards Entropy

Stubborn Balkans Realities “The more things change, the more they stay the same,” wrote a French columnist back in 1849 – but the witticism applies just as well in 2012. Recall, for example, that Barack Obama became Emperor in 2008 by promising Hope and Change, only to embrace continuity instead. His challenger this year campaigned … Continue reading “Falling Towards Entropy”

Israel Rains Fire When UN Votes Against It

Since the Israelis last month exercised the first option, causing devastation in Gaza, they opted for 3,000 new settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank immediately after the 193-member General Assembly adopted a resolution last week elevating Palestine from an “observer” to a “non-member state”. The settlements were condemned not only by the United … Continue reading “Israel Rains Fire When UN Votes Against It”

Washington’s Iranian Future

Imagine, for a moment, a world in which the United States is a regional power, not a superpower.  A world in which the globe’s mightiest nation, China, invades Mexico and Canada, deposing the leaders of both countries.  A world in which China has also ringed the Americas, from Canada to Central America, with military bases.  … Continue reading “Washington’s Iranian Future”

Pearl Harbor: Roosevelt Knew

Today is the seventy-first anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, an act that brought us into World War II, pushed a reluctant America onto the world stage, and ushered in the age of empire. The official history of that event is that it was a "sneak attack" precipitated by war-crazed Japanese militarists, and … Continue reading “Pearl Harbor: Roosevelt Knew”

10 Killed, 22 Wounded in Random Iraq Violence

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said that the central and Kurdish governments have reached an agreement to remove army and Kurdish Peshmerga forces from disputed areas in northern Iraq. Local units, reflecting the ethnic make-up of their respective areas, will replace the soldiers. Meanwhile, at least 10 Iraqis were killed and 22 more were wounded.

The Protocols for Death

The American public has become so desensitized to what its own government is doing abroad that there is only a ripple of interest when the media reports some new outrage. The assassination of expatriate American citizens by drones preceded detailed media accounts of how kill lists are drawn up by the president himself in the … Continue reading “The Protocols for Death”

Left Speechless: Doctors and Medics Operate Under Fire and Siege in Gaza

GAZA CITY — Dr. Majdi Na’eim worked for eight consecutive days at Al-Shifa Hospital throughout Israel’s “Pillar of Cloud” operation in the Gaza strip. With hundreds of wounded pouring into the emergency room, there was no time for him and many of his colleagues to even leave the hospital. On the final and one of … Continue reading “Left Speechless: Doctors and Medics Operate Under Fire and Siege in Gaza”