The Coronavirus May be Novel, But It’s the Same Old Foreign Policy

U.S. foreign policy suffers from such tunnel vision that it is unable to change course even with the appearance of something as colossal as the COVID-19 pandemic. The American foreign policy response to the pandemic has ranged from the negative end of the spectrum where the pandemic is ignored and no change is made to … Continue reading “The Coronavirus May be Novel, But It’s the Same Old Foreign Policy”

As Coronavirus Rips Through Yemen, Saudi Bombs Continue to Fall

With an already shattered medical infrastructure due to the five-year US-Saudi siege, Covid-19 has rapidly spread through Yemen. The Arab country lacks the basic necessities for preventative measures like clean water, and a population facing malnourishment is especially vulnerable to the disease. A recent uptick in Saudi bombing might put a country already on the … Continue reading “As Coronavirus Rips Through Yemen, Saudi Bombs Continue to Fall”

If Coronavirus Overwhelms Gaza, Israel Alone Is to Blame

The Palestinians of Gaza know all about lockdowns. For the past 13 years, some two million of them have endured a closure by Israel more extreme than anything experienced by almost any other society – including even now, as the world hunkers down to try to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. Israel has been carrying out … Continue reading “If Coronavirus Overwhelms Gaza, Israel Alone Is to Blame”

China Hawks Exploiting America’s Fear of Coronavirus

Coronavirus has hit the US harder than most countries around the world. A new think-tank made up of the country’s biggest China hawks is using the crisis to turn public opinion against Beijing. An American public living in fear over this crisis is particularly vulnerable to anti-China propaganda. The virus’ Chinese origin may also serve … Continue reading “China Hawks Exploiting America’s Fear of Coronavirus”

Will the Coronavirus Pandemic Help Curb War and Militarism?

Decades ago, when I began teaching international history, I used to ask students if they thought it was possible for nations to end their fighting of wars against one another. Their responses varied. But the more pessimistic conclusions were sometimes tempered by the contention that, if the world’s nations faced a common foe, such as … Continue reading “Will the Coronavirus Pandemic Help Curb War and Militarism?”

National Security State Left US Defenseless Against Coronavirus

Donald Trump’s failure to act decisively to control the coronavirus pandemic has likely made the Covid-19 pandemic far more lethal than it should have been. But the reasons behind failure to get protective and life-saving equipment like masks and ventilators into the hands of health workers and hospitals run deeper than Trump’s self-centered recklessness. Both … Continue reading “National Security State Left US Defenseless Against Coronavirus”

Washington Slams Cuba’s Doctors as US Embargo Blocks Coronavirus Aid

The coronavirus pandemic is exposing the cruelty of US imperialism to the world as Washington’s crippling economic sanctions remain in full effect. The decades-old US embargo on Cuba blocked a coronavirus aid shipment from a Chinese entrepreneur last month, another example in a long list of US policies hampering the world’s efforts to combat the … Continue reading “Washington Slams Cuba’s Doctors as US Embargo Blocks Coronavirus Aid”

Gantz Fears Something More Than Coronavirus or Netanyahu: Palestinians

Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White party, abandoned the central plank of his platform at the weekend – that he would never sit in a coalition with Benjamin Netanyahu, who has led Israel continuously for the past 11 years. A former military general, Gantz justified his dramatic change of course under cover of … Continue reading “Gantz Fears Something More Than Coronavirus or Netanyahu: Palestinians”

Coronavirus Lays Low the Military

Don’t look now but, for all intents and purposes the US war machine has ceased to exist. It’s not the case for defensive purposes. If the United States were to come under attack, the Pentagon would throw everything it has at the problem from ground troops to advanced fighter jets. If "fighting sick" was the … Continue reading “Coronavirus Lays Low the Military”

We Need a Coronavirus Truce

During World War I, soldiers all along the Western front held a series of informal truces in December 1914 to commemorate Christmas. It was early in the war, and opposition had not yet hardened into implacable enmity. The military command, caught by surprise, could not impose complete battlefield discipline. An estimated 100,000 British and German … Continue reading “We Need a Coronavirus Truce”