Month: July 2014

With the party united, the odds are now at least even that the GOP will not only hold the House but also capture the Senate in November. But before traditional conservatives cheer that prospect, they might take a closer look at the foreign policy that a Republican Senate would seek to impose upon the nation. … Continue reading “A GOP Ultimatum to Vlad”

At least 274 people were killed and 96 more were wounded in violence across the country. Over 200 of those reported killed were militants. Most of the wounded were civilians or security personnel.

In history, as in fiction writing, where you decide to start your narrative plays a major role in shaping your story. The story of the causes of a particular historical event can be shaped by the historians and writers who have access to the media and publishers depending on where they decide to start their … Continue reading “Timelines and Historical Creationism”

Remember back in April, 2007, when then-CIA director George Tenet appeared on 60 Minutes, angrily telling the program host, “we don’t torture people”? Remember a few months later, in October, President George W. Bush saying, “this government does not torture people”? We knew then it was not true because we had already seen the photos … Continue reading “End Torture, Shut Down the CIA!”

At least 374 people were killed today, mostly militants. Another 78 were wounded. The numbers may be considering higher, considering that few reports of security personnel deaths are reported by the government. Also, it appears that yesterday’s kidnapping of the Baghdad’s council’s chairman was perpetrated by militiamen. It is unknown whose orders they were following.

At least 312 people were killed today, mostly militants. However, morgue officials in Baghdad suggest the casualty figures are much higher. Also, a senior Sunni politician may have been arrested today. At least 56 were wounded.

The most bizarre conspiracy theory surrounding the recent downing of a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine comes from a leading pro-Russian separatist, Igor Girkin. Relying on secondhand information, Girkin asserted that many of the passengers from the crash had already been dead before the plane had even taken off. His underlings had reported to him that … Continue reading “MH17: Cold War Replay?”

When the Soviet Union imploded in 1991, the United States – and its junior partners in Europe – found itself bereft of an enemy. One scholar, Francis Fukuyama, concluded by 1992 that this represented the "end of history" and the beginning of an age in which "western" values such as capitalism and "liberal democracy" were … Continue reading “A Clash of Civilizations”

At least 45 were killed in prayer day violence, and 28 more were wounded. Meanwhile, Grand Ayatollah Sistani reiterated his desire to see Prime Minister Maliki step down, and militants destroyed two more shrines.

The overwhelming Israeli firepower unleashed on the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the ongoing battle in Gaza is perhaps reminiscent of the Algerian war of independence (1954-1962) when France, the colonial power, used its vastly superior military strength to strike back at the insurgents with brutal ferocity. While France was accused of using its air … Continue reading “Israel’s US-Made Military Might Overwhelms Palestinians”