Move On, Already: Bush as Hitler Falls Flat

Dave Lindorff, writing in CounterPunch, accuses the Republican National Committee of “play[ing] the Hitler card” with its recent denunciation of two amateur commercials, posted briefly on the MoveOn.Org website, that compared the sitting President to Adolf Hitler. Lindorff’s position – predictably enough, in the hyperbolic realm CP occupies – is that the “shrill attacks” levied … Continue reading “Move On, Already: Bush as Hitler Falls Flat”

Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Neocons

They’re coming out of the closet, so to speak, faster than David Brooks can deny their very existence: I’m talking about neocons, of course, that dreaded sub-species of right-wing ideologues whose fabulous history has become the stuff of legend. Brooks says that to even breathe the n-word is to flirt with Hitlerian tendencies, and Joel … Continue reading “Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Neocons”

US States Scramble to Hold On to Military Base Pork

Yesterday I found two news items, one from Georgia, one from South Carolina, about local governments trying to prevent their local military bases from facing Rumsfeld’s budget ax. There have also been a few others in recent weeks that I can recall. After a quick Google search, we found stories from about 2/3 of the … Continue reading “US States Scramble to Hold On to Military Base Pork”

The Neoconning of America

Wimpy wonky David Brooks, with his quiet mannerisms and good-little-boy demeanor, was really in danger of boring his readers to death. With his endless columns about nothing all that memorable, the latest addition to the ranks of New York Times columnists, in the words of one reader, “puts one to sleep by seeming reasonable in … Continue reading “The Neoconning of America”

Leave Revolution in Saudi Arabia to the Saudis

In November 2003, George W. Bush described what he termed the third pillar of America’s security: "global democratic revolution.” If Iraq and Afghanistan were the first "beneficiaries" of this revolution, then it seems almost certain that Saudi Arabia will feature somewhere in Bush’s revolutionary plans. The post-September 11 story goes that Saudi Arabia is the … Continue reading “Leave Revolution in Saudi Arabia to the Saudis”

Killings of Journalists Soared in 2003

The news was not good for journalists in 2003, as media workers were killed, jailed and censored at much higher rates than a year earlier, according to reports by two watchdog groups. More journalists were killed in the line of duty in 2003 than in any other year in almost a decade, reported Paris-based Reporters … Continue reading “Killings of Journalists Soared in 2003”

Rebuilding Iraq with Poisoned Bricks

Oral traditions eventually recorded in the Book of Exodus narrate the tales of the ancient Israelites’ escape from bondage in Egypt. A cruel Pharaoh was ruthless in his murderous demands. Already crushed by the work of building monuments to their oppressor, they were then ordered to also gather the straw to make the bricks that … Continue reading “Rebuilding Iraq with Poisoned Bricks”

Violence Begets Violence, Beers Begets Tutwiler

Mid-December saw a flurry of articles about how U.S. tactics in Iraq were beginning to resemble those of Israel in the occupied territories. Then, on December 22, the resemblance became downright eerie. On that day, Voice of Palestine radio reported that the Israeli army had raided various towns, imposing curfews and destroying houses. In Balata … Continue reading “Violence Begets Violence, Beers Begets Tutwiler”