Month: July 2014

Obama’s Failure and Richard Perle’s Whitewashing of the Iraq War

As Iraq stands on the verge of a complete breakdown into mini sectarian states, former leading neoconservative and Iraq war advocate Richard Perle made a sudden appearance on Newsmax TV. His statements in the interview were yet another testament to the intellectual degeneration of a group that had once promised a "new Middle East," only … Continue reading “Obama’s Failure and Richard Perle’s Whitewashing of the Iraq War”

US Culpability in the Failure of Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks

The murder of three Israeli youth by unknown Palestinians and the less-publicized but equally tragic murder of three Palestinian youth by Israelis, along with Israeli bombing of urban areas in Gaza and the arrest and detention of hundreds of Palestinians by Israeli occupation forces, serves as a reminder that Israeli-Palestinian peace is still a long … Continue reading “US Culpability in the Failure of Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks”

Spying on Innocents

In what appears to be one of Edward Snowden’s final revelations, the former CIA and NSA agent has demonstrated conclusively that the National Security Agency has collected and analyzed the contents of emails, text messages, and mobile and landline telephone calls from nine non-targeted U.S. residents for every one U.S. resident it has targeted. This … Continue reading “Spying on Innocents”

Who Started ‘the Cycle of Violence’ in Palestine?

The latest spate of violence in Israel and the occupied territories has been the occasion for anguished references to the "cycle of violence," as if it were like the procession of the seasons and no one side can be held responsible. This has never been true – one side is indeed responsible – and this … Continue reading “Who Started ‘the Cycle of Violence’ in Palestine?”

Twenty-First-Century Energy Wars

Originally posted at TomDispatch. Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, South Sudan, Ukraine, the East and South China Seas: wherever you look, the world is aflame with new or intensifying conflicts.  At first glance, these upheavals appear to be independent events, driven by their own unique and idiosyncratic circumstances.  But look more closely and they share several key … Continue reading “Twenty-First-Century Energy Wars”

Clinton and Kerry Call On Snowden To Submit to Sham Security State Trial

Edward Snowden submitting to prosecution in the United States, would be like Alice going into the courtroom in Wonderland. Alice stood before the King and Queen of Hearts who served as the judges. Knaves were chained on the ground before them. The jurors, Alice realizes are "stupid things." The first witness against her was the … Continue reading “Clinton and Kerry Call On Snowden To Submit to Sham Security State Trial”

World War I, Rather than World War II, Is Key for Today’s Foreign Policy

The 100-year anniversary of the most important event in the 20th century passed recently with predictably scant notice in the American media. The anniversary can’t be that of the allied D-Day invasion of Normandy during World War II, because that event happened only 70 years ago. And it’s not the anniversaries of the attack on … Continue reading “World War I, Rather than World War II, Is Key for Today’s Foreign Policy”

Debunking Tyler Cowen and Paul Krugman on War Being Good for the Economy

Tyler Cowen has taken a new approach to one of the most dangerous myths around; the old "war is hell, but it’s also sort of good for the economy" canard. And his reasoning is somehow even worse than the typical explanation given by Paul Krugman and the like. Let’s start with that typical explanation asserting … Continue reading “Debunking Tyler Cowen and Paul Krugman on War Being Good for the Economy”