Month: October 2016

Gunmen killed the son of a former deputy PM of Iraq.

Many years ago, Haim Hefer produced a Hebrew adaptation of Norman Byfield Thomas’ “Naughty Little Flea“, depicting an ambitious young flea who, born in the hair of a lousy mouse, kept leaping up from dog to donkey to horse, paving its way all the way up to Cabinet. “Always be a yes-man,” stated the song’s … Continue reading “Peres’ Disputed Funeral”

Across the political spectrum, US leaders insist that they will only go to war “as a last resort.” They want us to believe that they will try every peaceful means to resolve differences with other countries before resorting to war. But if those “peaceful means” mean only ultimatums that are unacceptable to the target country, … Continue reading “America’s Deceptive Model for Aggression”

The death of former Israeli president and prime minister Shimon Peres last week marks the last of the Zionist “old guard” who successfully fought for a UN mandate to establish the state of Israel in what was formerly British Palestine. Much has been written about Peres since his death. He was a peacemaker. He was … Continue reading “After Peres, Is Peace Possible in the Middle East?”

Although Hillary seemed more likable than usual in the first presidential debate and Trump was his old angry and agitated self, they both still have record-breaking unfavorable ratings as candidates. Yet that is because overwhelmingly, people just don’t like their normal personalities. And sadly, most voters never get beyond a superficial grasp of their policy … Continue reading “First Debate Showed That Both Major Candidates Stink on Foreign Policy”

Militants attacked pilgrims in Baghdad, and executed civilians in the north.

As U.S. and Russian officials trade barbed threats and as diplomacy on Syria is “on the verge” of extinction, it is tempting to view the ongoing propaganda exchange over who shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in July 2014 as a sideshow. That would be a huge mistake – easily made by President Obama’s wet-behind-the-ears … Continue reading “Russia-Baiting and Risks of Nuclear War”

The death of former Israeli prime minister and president Shimon Peres (age 93), the last major figure of Israel’s founding generation, has brought an outpouring of tributes for a man who reputedly had, as President Obama put it in his eulogy, “the capacity to see all people as deserving of dignity and respect.” Unfortunately, the … Continue reading “Shimon Peres and the 9/11 Attacks”

Originally posted at TomDispatch. Since 9/11, untold sums of money have gone into building up the national security state. That includes new billion-dollar-plus headquarters for some of its agencies, hiring outside contractors by the bushelful, and creating a system of global surveillance the likes of which would once have been inconceivable even for the rulers … Continue reading “What Actually Keeps Americans Safe: Liberty”

The Clinton smear machine, having finally noticed that Gary Johnson is cutting into what they regard as Hillary’s rightful share of the so-called "millennial" vote, has set its sights on the Libertarian Party’s presidential candidate. It wasn’t supposed to be this way: the conventional wisdom was that the Libertarian ticket of Johnson and former Massachusetts … Continue reading “In Defense of Gary Johnson”