The Banality of Biden’s ‘Exceptional’ Elite Advisers

Danger: President Joe Biden’s sophomores running U.S. foreign policy today live in a dream world on the verge of becoming a nightmare. The nightmare – military confrontation with both Russia and China – now looms. It is scary enough that Biden seems to be out of it. Scarier still is the reality that his advisers … Continue reading “The Banality of Biden’s ‘Exceptional’ Elite Advisers”

America Hangs From a Cross of Iron

Originally posted at TomDispatch. Just in case you were wondering where your tax dollars went in this century, consider the American war, now 20 years old, in Iraq (and after 2014 in Syria as well). Neta Crawford of the invaluable Costs of War Project has just released her latest summary of what that invasion and … Continue reading “America Hangs From a Cross of Iron”

The Myth of a Stronger NATO

Putin badly miscalculated, the US often claims, and his invasion of Ukraine has made NATO stronger and more united than ever. "He thought NATO would fracture and divide. Instead, NATO is more united and more unified than ever – than ever before," Biden said on February 21. "I would argue NATO is stronger than it’s … Continue reading “The Myth of a Stronger NATO”

The Holy Land and Us: BBC Nakba Series Obscures Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine

The BBC’s The Holy Land and Us, a two-part exploration of Israel’s founding that concluded this week, has been what pundits like to call “brave television.” The first episode featured testimony of a notorious massacre by a Zionist militia of more than 100 Palestinians, many of them women and children, in early 1948, weeks before … Continue reading “The Holy Land and Us: BBC Nakba Series Obscures Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine”

Why the Hell Is the US Occupying Syria?

In early March, Syria’s foreign ministry condemned a surprise visit by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley to an army base in northeast Syria, with Syrian media dubbing it “illegal” and a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity" of Syrian territory, adding that the US ought to “immediately” cease support … Continue reading “Why the Hell Is the US Occupying Syria?”

The Military-Intelligentsia Complex: How Higher Education Enables US Militarism

Throughout history, most academics have been the witting or unwitting servants of power. Socrates was accused of failing to honor the gods of Athens and corrupting the youth with his ideas. He was canceled in the ultimate way: sentenced to die. Aristotle, by contrast, tutored the young Alexander the Great, future King of Macedonia, which … Continue reading “The Military-Intelligentsia Complex: How Higher Education Enables US Militarism”

Epitaph for a ‘Cake Walk’: An Iraq Case Study

NOTE: The following is “back-story” to yesterday’s post, which I was tempted to title “All You Ever Wanted to Know About the Attack on Iraq and Now Want to Forget.” I do encourage you to give that posting a look before reading what follows. The attack was launched 20 years ago today. In late February … Continue reading “Epitaph for a ‘Cake Walk’: An Iraq Case Study”

Iraq War Anniversary: Never Back Down on the Only Important Fact

In March of 2003, the United States launched an illegal war of aggression against Iraq. The US regime promoted that illegal war of aggression, starting well in advance, through the manufacture and repetition of falsehoods for the purpose of cultivating fear over non-existent threats, and loathing over nonexistent connections between the Iraqi regime an the … Continue reading “Iraq War Anniversary: Never Back Down on the Only Important Fact”

Reapers and Red Lines: The Downing of an American Drone

On March 14, A Russian jet collided with a US drone, leading to the downing of the drone in the Black Sea. The US says that the drone was flying in international airspace when two Russian Su-27 fighter jets made nineteen high-speed passes near the drone before dumping jet fuel on it in an attempt … Continue reading “Reapers and Red Lines: The Downing of an American Drone”