Thomas Knapp

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”

US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) thinks – I’m using the term “thinks” very loosely here – that Americans dying in Syria is a compelling reason to continue exposing Americans to the danger of dying in Syria. So do Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), James Inhofe (R-OK), and Jack Reed (D-RI). Ever since US president Donald Trump … Continue reading “Syria: In the History of Bad Excuses, This One’s Top-Tier”

The New York Times reports that “[i]n the days after President Trump fired James B. Comey as FBI director, law enforcement officials became so concerned by the president’s behavior that they began investigating whether he had been working on behalf of Russia against American interests.” That’s an interesting way of putting it, but let’s try … Continue reading “Now More Than Ever, It’s Clear the FBI Must Go”

In March, US president Donald Trump promised the American public that US troops would be leaving Syria “very soon.” Nine months later, he threw Washington’s political establishment into turmoil by finally ordering the withdrawal he’d promised. Politicians like US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who’d never once in four years bestirred themselves to authorize the previous … Continue reading “Trump’s Holiday Gift to America: Hope for a Little More Peace on Earth?”

Bahia Amawi works as children’s speech pathologist for the Pflugerville Independent School District in Texas. Or, rather, she used to work as a children’s speech pathologist for the district. After nine years, Glenn Greenwald reports at The Intercept, the district’s administration declined to renew her contract because she refused to sign a loyalty oath. Not … Continue reading “The Strangest Loyalty Oath You Probably Never Heard Of”

On October 29, US president Donald Trump took to Twitter, warning that a migrant “caravan” approaching the US-Mexico border was “an invasion of our Country and our Military is waiting for you!” On November 18, as the caravan reached Tijuana — and the border — he reiterated the “invasion” claim: “[T]he U.S. is ill-prepared for … Continue reading “Doing Justice to Trump’s ‘Invasion’ Claim”

“[W]e may never know all of the facts surrounding the murder of Mr. Jamal Khashoggi,” US president Donald Trump told the nation on November 20, but “[t]he United States intends to remain a steadfast partner of Saudi Arabia to ensure the interests of our country, Israel and all other partners in the region.” Many find … Continue reading “Two Numbers That Explain Why Trump Won’t Sanction Saudi Arabia”

On September 30, a US Navy destroyer, the USS Decatur, sailed within 12 miles of the Gaven and Johnson reefs in the South China Sea’s Spratly Islands. Twelve miles being the “territorial waters” limit set by the UN’s 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Decatur was met and warned off by a … Continue reading “The US Makes One Too Many Parties to the Spratly Spat”

On September 17, Politico reports, US president Donald Trump partially declassified a government surveillance application targeting former campaign consultant Carter Page and directed the US Department of Justice to publicly release text messages relating to the “Russiagate” probe between former FBI Director James Comey and other DoJ/FBI personnel. Whether or not this is a SMART … Continue reading “Two Cheers for Trump’s Declassification Order”

In a September 10 speech to the Federalist Society, National Security Advisor John Bolton offered “a major announcement on US policy toward the International Criminal Court.” The US government, per Bolton, considers the court “fundamentally illegitimate. … We will not cooperate with the ICC. We will provide no assistance to the ICC. We will not … Continue reading “John Bolton vs. the International Criminal Court: A Simple Solution”