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The Israeli lobby and the neoconservatives are beating the drums for war with Iran. I hope the president is not that dangerously stupid. The betting on whether he is that stupid is about even. The neocons – who, being self-centered, seemingly have no concept of human nature – are advancing the premise that a military … Continue reading “Israel: The Dead Roach in America’s Salad”

In the first part of his unique history of the car bomb, “The Poor Man’s Air Force,” Mike Davis (author of the only significant book on the Avian flu, The Monster at Our Door, and Planet of Slums, a startling analysis of the way significant parts of our planet have been rapidly urbanizing and de-industrializing … Continue reading “Car Bombs with Wings”

In just two weeks, six retired U.S. Marine and Army generals have denounced the Pentagon planning for the war in Iraq and called for the resignation or firing of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, who travels often to Iraq and supports the war, says that the generals mirror the views … Continue reading “The Generals’ Revolt”

Editor’s note: The following is the text of a speech delivered to the Yale Political Union on April 13. On this occasion, the Union debated the topic: “Resolved: America should not use force to export democracy.” I have to say, it’s rather odd to be debating this point at such a late date. With Iraq … Continue reading “Exporting ‘Democracy’ – Importing Trouble”

With Jeff Pflueger “I would say 30,000, more or less, have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence against Iraqis.” – George W. Bush, Dec. 12, 2005, Philadelphia, Penn. Does it count? How many Iraqis have died as the result of the Anglo-American invasion and occupation of their country remains … Continue reading “Learning to Count:
The Dead in Iraq”

Led by a familiar clutch of neoconservative hawks, major right-wing publications are calling on the administration of President George W. Bush to urgently plan for military strikes – and possibly a wider war – against Iran in the wake of its announcement this week that it has successfully enriched uranium to a purity necessary to … Continue reading “Neocons Turn Up Heat for Iran Attack”

with Isam Rashid BAGHDAD – The execution of 13 suspected insurgents in March marked a revival of the death penalty in Iraq – and sparked a debate among Iraqis about whether capital punishment should be written into the laws of a modern society. The death penalty was suspended by the US when it took control … Continue reading “Capital Punishment in Iraq Seen Simply As Death, Not Justice”

According to New Yorker columnist Seymour Hersh, the Bush administration is contemplating "the use of a bunker-buster tactical nuclear weapon, such as the B61-11, against [Iran’s] underground nuclear sites." Presumably, the B61-11 nuclear bomb can be configured with yields low enough to be categorized as a mini-nuke, i.e., sub- or only a few kilotons. Currently … Continue reading “Iran: The Nuclear Option”

For about two decades after World War II, a powerful coalition of U.S. congressmen, publishers, businessmen, and military generals operating close to the highest levels of government in Washington tried to ensure that the United States would not recognize “Red China” and would continue backing Taiwan (the Republic of China) in its goal of ousting … Continue reading “From the China Lobby to the Israel Lobby”

In a column on March 23 (“A Vision, Bruised and Dented“), David Brooks of the New York Times wrote about “the rise of what Richard Lowry of the National Review calls the ‘To Hell With Them’ Hawks.” In part, Brooks characterized these hawks as being conservatives who “look at car bombs and cartoon riots and … Continue reading “The Poor Man’s Air Force”