The entry of Bernie Sanders into the presidential sweepstakes is of interest to opponents of American militarism for two reasons: 1) He has a reputation as an “antiwar” figure, and 2) His primary opponent for the Democratic party nomination, Hillary Rodham Clinton, is arguably the most hawkish Democratic White House aspirant since the days of …
Continue reading “Bernie Sanders: The Ron Paul of the Left?”
Originally posted at TomDispatch. Think of this as a little imperial folly update – and here’s the backstory. In the years after invading Iraq and disbanding Saddam Hussein’s military, the U.S. sunk about $25 billion into “standing up” a new Iraqi army. By June 2014, however, that army, filled with at least 50,000 “ghost soldiers,” …
Continue reading “Superpower in Distress”
In recent violence, at least 227 were killed and 59 were wounded, but 470 bodies were exhumed near Tikrit.
The media narrative today would have you believe the simple dichotomy that Republicans are pro-war and Democrats are anti-war. Or more over, that conservatives are pro-war and liberals are antiwar Well, they got the first half right, unfortunately; conservatives – particularly since the neo-conservative movement took hold – have been very pro-war. But the Left …
Continue reading “The Left’s Dubious Antiwar History”
A struggle of some consequence is now being waged in Congress to keep on life support the NSA’s massive spying on the American people. And in this struggle the progressives (aka liberals) are engaged in a massive betrayal of all they profess to believe in. Instead too many of them are scurrying about attacking Rand …
Continue reading “Progressives Betray Struggle Against Surveillance State”
The Patriot Act has a bad pedigree and an evil history. In the fearful days immediately following 9/11, the Department of Justice quickly sent draft legislation to Congress that, if enacted, would have permitted federal agents to violate their oaths to uphold the Constitution by writing their own search warrants. The draft subsequently was revealed …
Continue reading “Saving the Fourth”
Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr criticized the Shi’ite militia groups for naming their Anbar operation with the clearly sectarian “Labaik ya Hussein.” At least 174 were killed and 41 were wounded.
When Ivy Ziedrich, a nineteen-year-old college student, approached Jeb Bush on the campaign trail and zinged him with “Your brother created ISIS!” the media ate it up and the video went viral. Ms. Ziedrich, a member of the College Democrats, talks very fast, and she managed to utter the following diatribe before Jeb could get …
Continue reading “ISIS: An Inside Job?”
When President Barack Obama apologized on April 23 to the families of Warren Weinstein and Giovanni Lo Porto, an American and an Italian, both hostages killed in a drone attack in Pakistan in January, he blamed their tragic deaths on the “fog of war.” “This operation was fully consistent with the guidelines under which we …
Continue reading “Taking Responsibility for Drone Killings: President Obama and the Fog of War”
On Tuesday, Shi’ite militiamen announced the launching of an operation to liberate Ramadi. At least 223 were killed and two were wounded.
