During the 1988 campaign, George W. Bush came to the Courthouse in Maryville, TN to speak at a rally for his Dad. As we were leaving, I told my friend and later Chief of Staff, Bob Griffitts, “Bob, he is better than his Dad.” When he ran for President in 2000, then Governor Bush went … Continue reading “Can Trump Slip the Grip of the Neocons?”
Gaza’s Graveyard of Illusions: How Israel’s Narrative Collides With Military Failure
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a skilled salesperson, though the product he peddles is deeply flawed. His current challenge is to convince himself, his people, the region, and the world that, despite significant setbacks, he is winning the strategic war against his adversaries. Former Israeli national security officials, while employing different terminology, essentially convey … Continue reading “Gaza’s Graveyard of Illusions: How Israel’s Narrative Collides With Military Failure”
America’s Weaponization of Space Continues Whilst NASA Sees Budget Cuts
If flagship NASA missions like the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and the Mars Sample Return mission are being cancelled at the same time that defense spending amounts the majority of last year’s increase in global government space investment, that’s a clear signal how the elected officials in Washington view the Final Frontier. At a … Continue reading “America’s Weaponization of Space Continues Whilst NASA Sees Budget Cuts”
Theroux’s Film on Israel’s Violent Settlers Was a Mirror. Resist the Calls to Look Away
Louis Theroux explains in a commentary published by the Guardian why the backlash to his recent film about violent, Israeli state-backed settlers misses the point. His critics say he is unfairly presenting a few marginal “crazies” in Israeli society, who rampage across the West Bank to drive out the native Palestinian population, as significant and … Continue reading “Theroux’s Film on Israel’s Violent Settlers Was a Mirror. Resist the Calls to Look Away”
Western Media Continues to Lie About the Ukraine War
On May 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to restart direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul. Reuters responded by reminding its readers what happened in the first round of Istanbul talks in the first weeks of the war. The article, entitled “What happened the last time Russia and Ukraine held peace talks?” is a tour … Continue reading “Western Media Continues to Lie About the Ukraine War”
Holes in the Constitution
Among the lesser-known holes in the Constitution cut by the Patriot Act of 2001 was the destruction of the “wall” between federal law enforcement and federal spies. The wall was erected in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, which statutorily limited all federal domestic spying to that which was authorized by the Foreign Intelligence … Continue reading “Holes in the Constitution”
Starvation in Gaza Is So Bad Even the BBC Is Covering It – and Reporting It All Wrong
You can tell how bad levels of starvation now are in Gaza – as the population there begins the third month of a complete aid blockade by Israel – because last night the BBC finally dedicated a serious chunk of its main news program, the News at Ten, to the issue. But while upsetting footage … Continue reading “Starvation in Gaza Is So Bad Even the BBC Is Covering It – and Reporting It All Wrong”
Revolving Door: Why Can’t Trump Quit the Neocons?
Reprinted with permission from The Realist Review The term “revolving door” has long been used to describe the practice of Washington lobbyists and defense contractors circling in and out of government, enriching themselves as they impoverish and debase the country they are ostensibly here to serve. Today I’m using the term to refer to something … Continue reading “Revolving Door: Why Can’t Trump Quit the Neocons?”
The Deep State’s Favorite Columnist Just Turned on Bibi
Thomas Friedman’s message to President Trump, published in The New York Times, cuts sharper than most of the foggy, ideologically neutered op-eds that clutter that paper. It is, quite simply, one of the most brutally honest assessments of America’s relationship with Israel in years – from Thomas Friedman, of all people: an institutionalist and a … Continue reading “The Deep State’s Favorite Columnist Just Turned on Bibi”
Free Speech for Me, Deportation for Thee
On May 1, when this site published my OpEd, “The Marketplace of Ideas Only Works if We Leave the Doors Open,” I expected it to be the least controversial piece of my life. It was an old-fashioned, red-white-and-blue libertarian defense of free speech for everyone, regardless of citizenship or viewpoint. It got one supportive comment … Continue reading “Free Speech for Me, Deportation for Thee”