Two Boys in Aleppo

Oh, it was a very big deal, one of those Defining Moments our media likes to chortle over. There was Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson on “Morning Joe” being interviewed by a panel of pundits including Mike Barnicle. “What,” asked Barnicle, “would you do about Aleppo?” Johnson looked puzzled, because he was: “And what … Continue reading “Two Boys in Aleppo”

Inside the Propaganda Matrix

As I sat there wondering how to explain the latest twist in the US presidential election, this story popped up on my Twitter feed: Bank of America analysts claim there’s a 50% chance we live in a “Matrix reality simulation”. Aha! As I read, it all began to make “sense”: “Top bank analysts claim there’s … Continue reading “Inside the Propaganda Matrix”

9/11 and the Treason of Empire

The fifteenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks has brought us mournful memorials, declarations that we will “never forget,” and outraged realizations that nearly a third of Americans don’t recall what year that signal event occurred. All of this is quite natural, but it isn’t what we need at the moment. Yes, anniversaries are a time … Continue reading “9/11 and the Treason of Empire”

The Other Speech: Hillary the Hawk Spreads Her Wings

While the media and the American people were avidly watching and commenting on Donald Trump’s much-awaited immigration speech, another peroration by a presidential candidate somehow got overlooked: Hillary Clinton’s appearance before the American Legion. Overshadowed by Trump’s visit to Mexico, and his subsequent stem-winder, Hillary’s performance was greeted with tepid applause by her military audience, … Continue reading “The Other Speech: Hillary the Hawk Spreads Her Wings”

The Campaign to Blame Putin for Everything

Hardly a day goes by without some “news” about the Russian “threat,” and in the past twenty-four hours the hate-on-Russia campaign seems to have picked up speed. After learning from Hillary Clinton that Vladimir Putin is not only responsible for the Trump campaign, but also for the “global nationalist movement” that yanked the British out … Continue reading “The Campaign to Blame Putin for Everything”

Clinton’s Crazy Conspiracy Theory

Hillary Clinton’s recent “alt right” speech marks a new and dangerous low in what has become race to the bottom – and, should she be elected, it has ominous foreign policy implications as well. Alarmed that Trump is reaching out to the African-American community, Mrs. Clinton tried to make the case that the GOP candidate … Continue reading “Clinton’s Crazy Conspiracy Theory”

Syrian Flashpoint

Even as top Turkish officials excoriate the United States for supposedly backing the failed coup attempt against President Recip Erdogan, Turkish troops and US Special Forces are coordinating with Syrian Islamist rebels to carry out a de facto invasion of Syria. Under the pretext of fighting the Islamic State, Erdogan’s Janissaries, thousands of “Free Syrian … Continue reading “Syrian Flashpoint”

The Foreign Invasion of American Politics

As one of my Twitter followers put it so succinctly: “Globalization: Where leaders from any country get to pick US Presidents.” As the Clinton campaign’s Robby Mook tears a page out of Joe McCarthy’s book and smears Donald Trump as being “Putin’s puppet,” the irony is that this election has seen foreign interference in American … Continue reading “The Foreign Invasion of American Politics”

Nicholas Kristof: War Crimes Enabler

We all saw the little Syrian boy in besieged Aleppo, wiping blood from his forehead, covered in dust and clearly in shock. How could we help it? Practically every newspaper in the country printed his photo, along with a caption blaming the Syrian military and/or the Russians for his plight. The video is all over … Continue reading “Nicholas Kristof: War Crimes Enabler”