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Remember that Iraq election everyone was hailing last week as a triumph of democracy and a model for the region? A quagmire was transformed almost overnight into a stunning victory: when election day dawned, Iraq turned on a dime and was supposedly rendered relatively quiet. I heard one news anchor declare that only eight attacks … Continue reading “Iraq’s Dodgy Election”

ARBIL, Iraq – Fresh from their success at the polls, Iraq’s two main Kurdish political parties have put forward 72-year-old Jalal Talabani as their candidate for the presidency of Iraq. If he succeeds in winning the post, it will be a fitting coda to one of Iraq’s most colorful careers. Born into a prominent Kurdish … Continue reading “The Next President of Iraq?”

Here were a few headlines from yesterday’s papers: “Bush Urges Congress Join Him on Budget Cuts” (Reuters); “President Offers Budget Proposal With Broad Cuts” (New York Times); “Bush Spending Plan Hits Social Programs” (Boston Globe); “Bush: Budget Cuts Part of Broader Economic Agenda” (Los Angeles Times); “Bush’s Budget Cuts Would Fall Near Main Street” (Christian … Continue reading “Winners and Losers in Iraq”

Bands played, children sang, millions of Iraqis turned out to vote, and the whole world hailed Iraq’s election as an historic epiphany. Success in the voting process means that Iraq will emerge as a peaceful, democratic state. America has won its war. Sorry, but I don’t buy it. Yes, millions voted. But the Kurds voted … Continue reading “More Election Juju”

Even some of President George W. Bush’s most enthusiastic conservative Republican supporters have expressed a sense of alarm over the grandiose and expansive vision of America’s mission in the world – “support[ing] the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world” – … Continue reading “A Spacey Vision for Democracy”

Empire’s Enablers, Paid and Unpaid Several weeks ago, a scandal erupted in the U.S. when it was revealed that several pundits got paid by the Bush government to support its policies. Commenting on the scandal, Lew Rockwell, president of the libertarian Ludwig von Mises Institute, wrote that “it’s not those who lie for money we … Continue reading “Quislings Do It Better”

"Fighting should be reserved for genuine self-defense in the face of imminent attack, when no other help is available. Preemptive strikes and aggression disguised as self-defense won’t pass muster under the Golden Rule." – Jesus on Parenting: 10 Essential Principles That Will Transform Your Family Draft? What draft? Yes, there’s a draft going on right … Continue reading “How to Protect Your Child from the Coming Draft”

Less than a week after U.S. President George W. Bush urged his Egyptian counterpart, Hosni Mubarak, to institute democratic reforms, human rights groups are worried that the long-time leader has instead launched a new crackdown against the political opposition. Since late last month, Egyptian security forces have arrested a number of prominent political activists in … Continue reading “Egyptian Dissidents Arrested on Eve of ‘National Dialogue’”

ARBIL, Iraq – The George W. Bush administration and the Turkish government did their best to kiss and make up this week. After days of saber-rattling from Ankara over Kurdish domination in Kirkuk, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appeared shoulder to shoulder with her Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul, yesterday. "Friends have differences from time … Continue reading “Violence Leaves Long Lines at Gas Pumps”

Why have nearly 1,500 American soldiers died in Iraq? To what purpose have 20,000 been wounded and otherwise put out of commission? Why are we spending billions to put police on the streets of Iraq’s cities, and cutting back by 95 percent on funds that put 100,000 cops on the streets of our own cities? … Continue reading “Americans Die for Sharia in Iraq”