Forget the Russian ‘Threat’: Mexico Is Our Real Problem

We often hear the Russia-haters accuse Vladimir Putin of murdering journalists: when Oliver Stone recently challenged the veracity of that unproved charge, he was booed by Stephen Colbert’s audience of trained seals hand-raisers. Yet we hear almost nothing about the one country where journalists who report on official corruption are routinely killed, and in such … Continue reading “Forget the Russian ‘Threat’: Mexico Is Our Real Problem”

A Thank You Note

Antiwar.com’s Spring fundraising drive has crossed the finish line – thank to you, our readers and supporters. Every fundraising drive makes me nervous, and this one was no exception. With all the uncertainty that characterizes our present situation, I thought this might impact our effort in a negative way: it turns out my fears were … Continue reading “A Thank You Note”

Beyond ‘Blowback’: Islam and Terror

The latest attack in London – the third to hit Britain within seventy-five days – is once again provoking a debate about the relationship between Islam and terrorism. On one side we have those who say Islam is inherently violent, and is incompatible with the basic canons of Western civilization. On the other side, we … Continue reading “Beyond ‘Blowback’: Islam and Terror”

Haven’t We Had Enough of Afghanistan?

Will there ever be an end to the war in Afghanistan? Apparently not if our generals have anything to say about it – and they do. President Trump has turned over the prosecution of our perpetual “war on terrorism” to the Pentagon, claiming that they’ve been held back by previous administrations. The new policy is … Continue reading “Haven’t We Had Enough of Afghanistan?”

Angela Merkel’s Tears

Empires are continually confronted with the prospect of rebellions: that is one of the occupational hazards of imperialism. The Romans had to contend with those contentious Judeans, whose revolt arguably gave rise to one of the word’s great religions. The British lost control of their American colonies to a motley crew of libertarians. And now … Continue reading “Angela Merkel’s Tears”

Abolish Memorial Day

Author’s note: I had actually started to write a Memorial Day column when I looked up this piece from 2012, which says almost precisely what I intended to say. When you’ve been writing a column covering foreign affairs for over twenty years, as I have, repetition is inevitable, but what follows captures my view of … Continue reading “Abolish Memorial Day”

Deep Six the Deep State

You won’t read about this in what passes for the “mainstream” media, but newly declassified documents reveal that the Obama administration was violating its own rules and spying on Americans with such frequency that even the normally compliant FISA court scolded them: “The National Security Agency under former President Barack Obama routinely violated American privacy … Continue reading “Deep Six the Deep State”

The ‘War On Terrorism’ Isn’t Working

If insanity is doing the same thing over and over in the expectation of a different result, then our foreign policy surely qualifies as madness. Since 2001, in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks, the United States has been in a state of constant warfare: the Afghan conflict has been ongoing since that time, … Continue reading “The ‘War On Terrorism’ Isn’t Working”

Donald of Arabia: A Disgusting Spectacle

Has there been a more disgusting spectacle during the four months of this presidency than the sight of Donald Trump slobbering all over the barbarous Saudi monarch and his murderous family of petty princelings? It’s enough to make any normal American retch, especially when one remembers what Trump said about them during the election: “Saudi … Continue reading “Donald of Arabia: A Disgusting Spectacle”