Daniel McAdams

Shortly after World War II, after the Soviet Red Army liberated Hungary from Nazi occupation, the Hungarians held their first election in six years. The November, 1945 vote resulted in an overwhelming victory for a coalition led by the agrarian, anti-communist Hungarian Smallholders Party. This victory at the ballot box infuriated Hungary’s Communist Party and … Continue reading “Bill Clinton to Poland and Hungary: Do As We Say on Immigration, You Dirty Little Putins!”

Adding to suspicions of a US role in the ouster of independent-minded Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff is a revelation making the rounds today that Michel Temer, the opposition leader who will step in as interim president, had met with US embassy officials in Sau Paulo to provide his assessment and spin on the domestic political … Continue reading “Washington Coup in Brazil? Was Incoming President US Embassy Informant?”

If anyone wants a short course on what’s wrong with US diplomacy look no further than US Ambassador to Hungary Coleen Bell’s speech Friday to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Hungarian Parliament. In typical diplo-speak there was plenty of flowery language about shared values, fish swimming together in the same water (?), sappy poetics … Continue reading “US Ambassador to Hungary: Overthrow Assad, Let in Refugees, and Fight Russia… or Else!”

The neocons have been in a panic this election season. One by one, their preferred choice for the Republican presidential nomination has been soundly rejected by the uncooperative American voting public. Sen. Lindsey Graham made a run for the nomination saying, “If you’re tired of war, don’t vote for me,” and nobody did. Perhaps the … Continue reading “Neocons Panting for President ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis”

The history of post Cold War US involvement in Iraq is the story of the enduring power of myths to drive a false foreign policy narrative and achieve the goals of a singularly-focused pressure group (the interventionist neocons). From the 1990 myth that Saddam Hussein had on his own and in opposition to stated US … Continue reading “Deadly Myths: Iraq ‘Surge’ General Calls for ‘Surge 2.0’”

The big news out of Syria over the past couple of days has been that Syrian government forces with the help of the Russian military have taken back control of Palmyra from ISIS. The fall of Palmyra and subsequent destruction of the spectacular Roman ruins there by ISIS horrified the civilized world. The US government … Continue reading “In Syria, Assad Liberates Palmyra While CIA Battles the Pentagon”

As a committed and unapologetic neocon, Michael Rubin loves the idea of the old purges once common practice under his ideological forebears in the Soviet Union. The details of the infraction were unimportant – and to even consider the need for details once the Party has spoken was to court suspicion. So Comrade Rubin is … Continue reading “Comrade Michael Rubin Demands the Gulag for Col. Wilkerson”

On his own and through his proxies in what is called the US “Israel Lobby,” Benjamin Netanyahu expended enormous political and financial capital in attempt to sink President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. Though the deal is already done, the pro-Likud lobby in Washington with the backing of a significant number of elected Members of … Continue reading “Bibi Cancels Meeting With Obama, Demands More Money Instead”

The neocons are renowned for their courage on the battlefield. There is no keyboard they are afraid to finger. No pen they won’t commandeer. When the battle cry is sounded, they unhesitatingly push the “on” button at their computers and saddle up for battle. Off with the loafers and under the desk! “Caution to the … Continue reading “Neocon Armchair Warhawks Panic Over Trump Foreign Policy”

The Syria “cessation of hostilities” agreement seems all the stranger as huge unanswered questions regarding signatories, partners, monitoring, reporting, adjudication, and enforcement are raised. It seems more and more like something cobbled together without much thought as to how it might work in practice. Indeed, the people who are paid to explain to us how … Continue reading “The Incredible Shrinking Syrian ‘Ceasefire’”