The Palestinian Pimpernel

Yasser Arafat just can’t get no respect. And it isn’t only the Israelis and their international amen corner who hate him. Check out this leftist diatribe in the [UK] Guardian aimed at the President of the Palestinian Authority: "T. E. Lawrence wrote of the Arab revolt of 1918 against Ottoman rule: ‘I had preached to … Continue reading “The Palestinian Pimpernel”

Palestinian Enslavement Entering a New Phase

The Israeli far-right – always the best indicator of Israel’s true intentions – is quite outspoken: its aim is to make Palestinian life unbearable to a point that they would rather get up and go. Asked about his conception of “voluntary transfer” of Palestinians, Minister of Tourism (Rabbi) Benny Eylon compared the “voluntary” element to … Continue reading “Palestinian Enslavement Entering a New Phase”

Don’t Force Taxpayers to Fund Nation-Building in Afghanistan

I rise in opposition to this bill. The President has not asked for this piece of legislation; he does not support it. We do not anticipate that it will be passed in the other body. But there is one good part of the bill, and that is the title, "Freedom Support.” We all support freedom. … Continue reading “Don’t Force Taxpayers to Fund Nation-Building in Afghanistan”

Charlatans In Charge

The unprecedented farce that unfolded at the Hague Inquisition’s "courtroom" last week transcended shocking, pushed the limits of even this kangaroo court’s credibility, and perfectly exemplified the past decade in the former Yugoslavia. What it has shown, and what most people don’t seem to understand, is that Imperial military, political, and economic interventions were just … Continue reading “Charlatans In Charge”

Investigate 9/11

We are now hearing calls for a national "blue ribbon" commission to investigate what really happened on 9/11, and answer the question "what went wrong?" Don’t fall for it. An investigation is the prerogative and responsibility of our elected representatives, and Congress must not shirk its duty. No body, other than Congress, has the legal … Continue reading “Investigate 9/11”

America Awakes

Howard Kurtz characterized the abruptness of the sea-change that has taken place regarding the great mystery of 9/11. "In a single day," he wrote in Friday’s Washington Post, "the capital’s media climate has been transformed," going from wide-eyed acceptance of whatever guff government officials had to dish out to relentless disdain for their every utterance: … Continue reading “America Awakes”

Say No to Conscription

I hope my colleagues who believe that the current war on terrorism justifies violating the liberty of millions of young men by reinstating a military draft will consider the eloquent argument against conscription in the attached speech by Daniel Webster. Then-representative Webster delivered his remarks on the floor of the House in opposition to a … Continue reading “Say No to Conscription”

John Stuart Mill and Liberal Imperialism

In my last column, I told some of the story of Cold War liberalism. Today, I want to look at a similar phenomenon, one which might be considered a forerunner of Cold War liberalism. That phenomenon is liberal imperialism. The fact that there is such an historical category already suggests that “liberalism” was, from a … Continue reading “John Stuart Mill and Liberal Imperialism”

Israel’s Taliban

The Israeli Taliban had its national convention the other day, and the nutballs won out: the Likud party went on record as declaring that it would never accept the legitimacy of a Palestinian state. In a stemwinder of a speech, ultra-rightist Benjamin Netanyahu gave voice to what has been, up to now, a largely unspoken … Continue reading “Israel’s Taliban”