Bush and Cheney have little to lose from spreading the war, but the Republican Party has very much to lose. Its only way out is to impeach Cheney. That would bring Bush back to reality and alleviate the main pressure upon him to expand the wars. A new war, $5/gal....
Oslo Revisited
On these hot, sticky days of the Israeli summer, it is pleasant to feel the coolness of Oslo, even if the visit is only virtual. Fourteen years after the signing of the Oslo agreement, it is again the subject of debate: was it a historical mistake? In the past, only...
The State Perpetuates Itself
by Failing
If a restaurant, dry cleaner, or home-repair business provided inferior goods or shoddy services, it is likely that the concern would go belly-up. Yet when the U.S. government makes a blunder, the more its citizens reward its failure with further money and authority....
Decline and Fall
Is America going the way of Rome? David Walker, the comptroller general of the U.S., has issued a report that basically answers in the affirmative: "The U.S. government is on a 'burning platform' of unsustainable policies and practices," Walker avers,...
Neolibs and Neocons,
United and Interchangeable
When it comes to foreign policy, particularly as it relates to the Middle East, there is not a whole lot of separation between the Democratic and Republican Parties. Republicans tend to be more bellicose in their statements, but Democrats have more than made up for...
Escalation by the Numbers
Someday, we will undoubtedly discover that, in the term "surge" as in the president's "surge" plan (or "new way forward") announced to the nation in January was the urge to avoid the language (and experience) of the Vietnam era. As there were to be no...
A Law and Order Spinoff You Don’t Want to Miss
The successful TV franchise Law and Order has spun off a number of niche crime dramas over the years: Special Victims Unit, which deals with sexual predators; Criminal Intent, which concerns high-profile murders; and Trial by Jury, which takes viewers into the...
Iran Ties Weaken Iraqi Government Further
BAGHDAD - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's increasing ties with Iran have triggered a splintering of his government. Several groups, both Sunni and Shia, have followed the Sunni al-Tawafuq bloc (Iraqi Accord Front) in quitting the U.S.-backed government. But...
Tuesday: 572 Iraqis Killed, 6 GIs; 1562 Iraqis Wounded
Updated at 10:14 p.m. EDT, Aug. 21, 2007At least 572 Iraqis were killed and 1562 more were wounded in the latest round of attacks, which included a major coordinated bombing in northern Iraq. Also, six GIs were killed and three more were wounded in separate events....
China’s ‘Nuclear Option’
Wednesday's article in the Daily Telegraph titled "China Threatens 'Nuclear Option' of Dollar Sales" strikes a raw political and emotional nerve in the U.S. coming just a day before stock markets around the world dipped and sets the stage for...


