Thomas Knapp

“If Iran wants to fight,” US president Donald Trump tweeted on May 19, “that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again.” The “threat” Trump appears to be responding to is a statement from Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that “[w]e are certain … there will not be a … Continue reading “A US War on Iran Would Be Evil, Stupid, and Self-Damaging”

May 3 was World Press Freedom Day. The annual observance usually focuses on the World Press Freedom Index published each year by Reporters without Borders. Break out the champagne! The United States ranked 48th of 179 countries this year, falling three places from 2018. A day earlier, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared in court in … Continue reading “Julian Assange: An Opportunity for the US and the UK to Change Direction on Press Freedom”

On April 11, the ongoing saga of journalist and transparency activist Julian Assange took a dangerous turn. Ecuador’s president, Lenin Moreno, revoked his asylum in that country’s London embassy. British police immediately arrested him – supposedly pursuant to his “crime” of jumping bail on an invalid arrest warrant in an investigation since dropped without charges … Continue reading “Pardoning Assange Would be the First Step Back Toward Rule of Law”

According to CNN Business, “Facebook, YouTube and Twitter struggle to deal with New Zealand shooting video.” “Deal with” is code for “censor on demand by governments and activist organizations who oppose public access to information that hasn’t first been thoroughly vetted for conformity to their preferred narrative.” Do you really need to see first-person video … Continue reading “Would Social Media Have Censored Video of 9/11 or Kennedy Assassination?”

One of the 21st century’s greatest heroines is behind bars again, held in contempt by federal judge Claude M. Hilton for refusing to help prosecutors trump up charges against the journalists who published information she paid dearly for giving them. Chelsea Manning spent more than six years in prison – 854 days of it in … Continue reading “Chelsea Manning: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished Again”

The US Department of Defense wants to retire an old aircraft carrier early while building two new ones (and adding other goodies to their shopping list). Surprise, surprise – politicians from states with the shipyards and naval bases that employ their constituents want to keep the old carrier AND build the new ones. America and … Continue reading “Aircraft Carriers: Give Truman and Ford a Burial at Sea”

As February draws to an end, rumors abound that we’re about to see Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Or at least that someone – namely, newly confirmed US Attorney General William Barr – is about to see that report. The rest of us, maybe not so … Continue reading “Mueller Report: Secrecy Shouldn’t be an Option”

Washington’s political establishment went berserk when US Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) publicly noted that US-Israel relations are “all about the Benjamins” – slang for $100 bills, referring to money shoveled at American politicians by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Omar was accused of antisemitism – immediately by Republicans, shortly after by members of … Continue reading “The First Rule of AIPAC Is: You Do Not Talk about AIPAC”

I’m not ashamed to admit it: I’m a peacenik. I think war is a bad thing. I’ve seen it up close and personal as an infantryman, and I’d like to see less of it, preferably none at all, either up close or from a distance. In part, this desire also makes me a “non-interventionist.” That … Continue reading “A Preference for Peace: Not the Same Thing as Support for the Bogeyman of the Week”

On January 23, the President of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Juan Guaido, was sworn in as “interim president.” In what was presumably a pre-coordinated move, Guaido’s administration was quickly recognized by the governments of the United States, Canada, and several countries in Latin America. Guaido’s claim rests on a provision in Venezuela’s constitution which allows him … Continue reading “Venezuela: None of Our Business”