Backtalk, November 17, 2005

A ‘Legal’ US Nuclear Attack Against IranIt’s much worse than that. This is self-fulfilling prophecy.The Iranians know what’s going on: Whatever evidence Iran provides will be dismissed as lies by the U.S. Like Iraq, no denial or evidence will ever be sufficient. The U.S. will cook up new bogus stories one after another, the Iranians … Continue reading “Backtalk, November 17, 2005”

The Senators’ Rebellion

The recent Senate vote to require regular reports from the White House detailing all the wonderful “progress” we’re making over there was more reflective of a desire to cover their asses as election time approaches than it was of growing antiwar sentiment in the U.S. Congress. This, after all, is substantially the same group of … Continue reading “The Senators’ Rebellion”

Republicans Cut and Run from Iraq and Bush

Although he dislikes foreign travel and formal summits, U.S. President George W. Bush must be relieved to be spending this week as an honored guest in several Asian capitals. According to the stereotype, Asians are unfailingly polite. The same can no longer be said even of the president’s fellow Republicans in Washington – not to … Continue reading “Republicans Cut and Run from Iraq and Bush”

In Praise of ‘Virtual States’

If you are like me and you’ve been following the news on a regular basis for a while, say, 20 or 30 years, the chances are that whether it was 1977 (when you got married), 1986 (when your kid was nine years old), or 2003 (when the grandkid was on the way), you were watching … Continue reading “In Praise of ‘Virtual States’”

What Are They Cooking Up in the White House?

We know one thing about the Bush administration: despite the president’s Veterans Day speech on the “irresponsibility” of “rewriting history,” he and his top officials – possibly the greatest gamblers in our history – had no hesitation about writing their own ticket to history and rejiggering the facts wherever necessary in the run-up to war. … Continue reading “What Are They Cooking Up in the White House?”

Congress Sends Mixed Signals on Detainee Rights

As U.S. President George W. Bush’s poll numbers plummet, questions about how his administration "sold" the invasion of Iraq to the public and its treatment of prisoners seized in the "war on terror" continue to dog the beleaguered president, stalling his second-term agenda. In the Senate, Democrats have mounted a spirited campaign to insist that … Continue reading “Congress Sends Mixed Signals on Detainee Rights”

Other Parties? Whoops!

Well, Judith Miller is no longer spreading neo-crazy lies and misleading statements on the front page of the New York Times. However, David Sanger is still on the job: "The Bush administration and three European allies have approved a new offer to be made to Iran in a last-ditch effort to head off a confrontation … Continue reading “Other Parties? Whoops!”

Hillary in the Holy Land

There really is no way of getting around it. Senator Hillary Clinton may well be future presidential material after all. Sen. Clinton, along with her husband Bill, paid a visit to Israel this past weekend. The former President Clinton was a featured speaker at a mass rally that marked the 10th anniversary of the assassination … Continue reading “Hillary in the Holy Land”

Don’t Blame the Italians

Cornered by their critics, overwhelmed by massive antiwar sentiment, and pursued by the relentless Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the War Party is in full retreat, hiding behind the ramparts of an elaborate edifice of lies. The administration’s defenders are shooting blindly, averring – per Norman Podhoretz – that, since “everybody” believed what the administration was claiming … Continue reading “Don’t Blame the Italians”