Category: Uncategorized

It’s one of those "only in America" stories sure to moisten every patriotic eye. A babe found wrapped in tobacco leaves, Moses in the Tennessee bulrushes, a disadvantaged lad if ever there was one, transformed, through will and conviction, into one of history’s great leaders. A boy who took up arms for his country, fought … Continue reading “America Needs a Gore News Channel”

It was not supposed to be like this. The Iraqis were supposed to dance in the streets, and to welcome the Americans with flowers. Democracy was supposed to emerge spontaneously, and Iraq was to become a pro-Western beacon in the heart of the Muslim world. Instead, Iraqis take to the streets almost daily to demonstrate … Continue reading “‘All Bush Gave Iraq Was Anarchy – Now He Wants the Same for Iran’”

So Howard Dean and John Kerry are all a twitter over how George W. Bush and his advisors fibbed about "weapons of mass destruction" in Iraq. Welcome to reality, guys, but the really big lie is a lot worse than that. Remember how we were supposed to bringing "democracy," not to mention "freedom," to the … Continue reading “EMPIRE OF LIBERTY?”

"Rare Bosnia Success Story, Thanks to U.S. Viceroy," blares the New York Times headline on a story celebrating Empire that appeared this Tuesday. It has to be read to be believed, but suffice to say that the author unflinchingly uses terms such as "viceroy," "proconsul" and even "colony" while arguing that a bit of occupation … Continue reading “Paragons of Empire”

The "road map to peace" in the Middle East has turned into the highway to hell – and given rise to what, up until a few months ago, would have been unthinkable: the prospect of direct U.S. military intervention in Gaza and the West Bank. How did we get to this point? The "road map," … Continue reading “THE GAZA TRAP”

Commenting on the Aqaba Summit, in an atmosphere of peace and reconciliation, a senior member of Israel’s ruling junta said it all. Major General Amos Gilad – the Government Coordinator in the [Occupied] Territories – told Yedioth Achronoth (5.6.03): "In Mid-Eastern terms, we have not inflicted any suffering on the Palestinians". Yes: Merely 2.500 Palestinians … Continue reading “Mid-Eastern Terms”

When I was younger I used to imagine that the natural function of "public intellectuals" – not necessarily people who are smarter than the average Joe, but reasonably intelligent people with a bent for policy analysis and thinking large thoughts on matters of public consequence – was to speak truth to power, or, in the … Continue reading “Rise of the Apologists”

I didn’t want to write about my recent heart attack, really I didn’t, but such a startling event – and all those pills I have to remember to take every morning – confronts me with intimations of my own mortality, and forces me to face the question: What have we accomplished? Most people like to … Continue reading “WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?”

Since the start of the war in Iraq four months ago, 212 American soldiers have been killed, including 79 who have died since May 1, when President George Bush declared an end to major hostilities in Iraq. It’s unclear how many Iraqi civilians perished during major combat, but estimates say it is “several thousand.” The … Continue reading “‘The Road to Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions’”

The War Party is playing defense these days, and for good reason: in Iraq, there is no sign of those “weapons of mass destruction,” and in Washington, Congress is getting ready to launch an investigation into who lied about what – and why. Meanwhile, one American soldier is getting killed every other day, on average … Continue reading “TROTSKY, STRAUSS, AND THE NEOCONS”