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Perhaps, alongside thankfulness that against the odds nobody was hurt, one should be almost grateful to the national government for clarifying matters. Political scientists define government as the institution in a given society with a monopoly on the legitimate use of force. That means that government authority, when you get to the heart of the … Continue reading “The State’s True Colors”

On the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam war the airwaves are full of special programs, and the op-ed pages are packed to the gills with articles and symposia – all opining about the “lessons” of that conflict. Naturally, the New York Times takes this … Continue reading “Lessons of Vietnam–When Will They Ever Learn?”

From Miami to Mitrovica, from Ruby Ridge to Iraq, the US government propaganda machine is geared up to put the best “spin” on the violence at the core of its power. In the assault on Iraq, TV viewers in the West were entertained by the “Nintendo war” as American missiles launched from ships hundreds of … Continue reading “Propaganda Wars: from Miami to Mitrovica”

I know, at least in theory, that we are governed by criminals: after all, what kind of a person would bomb an aspirin factory in an effort to divert attention from his own sickening perversions? Who else would slaughter thousands in the former Yugoslavia in the name of “human rights”? What sort of government demonizes … Continue reading “Elian’s Persecutors–A Government of Criminals”

One of the pleasures of keeping fat files – sometimes outweighed, sometimes not by the general air of messiness on the desk – is the opportunity to compare what officials said they expected at various times in the past to what has actually occurred. In the case of NATO officialdom’s hopes/expectations/predictions about how things were … Continue reading “NATO’S SHEER INCOMPETENCE: A LARGER MEANING?”

Whatever else they disagree on when it comes to the controversy surrounding Elian Gonzalez, pundits left and right all nod their heads sagely whenever someone says that this is a great “tragedy” and offers up the bromide that “no one is a winner” in this case. This is incomprehensible to most Cuban-Americans, and no doubt … Continue reading “Elian Gonzalez and the Hand of God”

THE STATE OF PLAY A few weeks ago, I dealt with the overblown reaction to the electoral success of Austrian’s "far right." Since then, the watchdogs of Euro morality have taken up other subjects, but "sanctions" remain in place. Some Portuguese fellow who reigns over the EU’s central committee reportedly said lately that there were … Continue reading “Nationalism I: Austria, Nations, States, and Human Scale Revisited”

The BBC headline said it all: “Serb Hackers on the rampage” – or did it? This was the story the media went with in response to last week’s spate of hacking attacks on a number of high profile sites, including Addidas and Viagra, where the content was stripped and replaced with a Serbian double-headed eagle … Continue reading “An Electronic Pearl Harbor?”

With the end of the Cold War, and the implosion of Communism, the political landscape in the US is undergoing a seismic shift. The Left, which had once been antiwar and pro-individual rights (at least in theory) has been infected with a mania for militarism (albeit in the name of “humanitarianism”) and a penchant for … Continue reading “Who Won the Cold War?–The Answer May Surprise You”

It feels oddly like being at a wake in a funeral home. Our four delegation members whisper together as we wait to tour the Al Mansour Children’s wing at the Saddam City Medical Centre. The Director is away, so someone has been sent to find a senior doctor to brief us. As I flip open … Continue reading “What About the Incubators?”