Dominoes or Dominance?

Thirty years after the last chopper left the Saigon embassy, Americans still don’t know why this country fought in Vietnam. According to the dominant explanation, U.S. policymakers believed unquestioningly in the “domino theory,” which held that noncommunist countries in Southeast Asia would topple one by one if South Vietnam was lost. According to the conventional … Continue reading “Dominoes or Dominance?”

Rights Group: Repatriated Egyptian Detainees Face Torture

A major rights watchdog warned the United States, Arab League, and European Union against transferring detainees to prisons in Egypt and cautioned them not to seek or accept Egyptian government assurances that prisoners will not be tortured or abused. Human Rights Watch (HRW), in a report released Wednesday, said Washington, Arab, and European governments have … Continue reading “Rights Group: Repatriated Egyptian Detainees Face Torture”

The Once and Present War

World War Two, Still Fought in the Balkans On May 8, 1945 Nazi Germany surrendered, ending what would later be called the Second World War in Europe. For the next 45 years, the victorious Soviets and their erstwhile Atlantic allies faced off across the line dividing Europe, two global empires capable of annihilating humanity, angling … Continue reading “The Once and Present War”

Neocons Exploiting Domestic Unrest in Iran?

Amid rising tension between Iran and the United States, a major U.S. human rights group said Tuesday that at least 50 people were killed during week-long protests in southwestern Khuzestan province last month and urged Iran to permit independent journalists and rights monitors to go to the strife-torn region across the border from Iraq. New … Continue reading “Neocons Exploiting Domestic Unrest in Iran?”

America’s Global Fifth Column

Four nations in five days – not a lot of time for the president of the United States to meet and greet all those diplomats and dignitaries lining up for a handshake. Just enough time, perhaps, to incite the Latvians in Riga, stir up trouble in the Caucasus, and, perhaps, take a spin around Putin’s … Continue reading “America’s Global Fifth Column”

I’m Here for My Bill of Goods

“America must not ignore the threat gathering against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof – the smoking gun – that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud.” – George W. Bush October 7, 2002 Listen to Scott’s interview with Ray McGovern stream download mp3 Whew! Lucky … Continue reading “I’m Here for My Bill of Goods”

US Economic Collapse: The Real Tipping Point?

The American invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq have ignited hopes among Washington’s neoconservatives that the U.S., taking advantage of the post-Cold War unipolar moment and its dominant military power, will gradually transform into a global empire. So the debate among neocons rages over such topics as: Will Iran and/or Syria and/or North Korea be the … Continue reading “US Economic Collapse: The Real Tipping Point?”

Was WWII Worth It?

In the Bush vs. Putin debate on World War II, Putin had far the more difficult assignment. Defending Russia’s record in the “Great Patriotic War,” the Russian president declared, “Our people not only defended their homeland, they liberated 11 European countries.” Those countries are, presumably: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, … Continue reading “Was WWII Worth It?”

Deadlocked Nuclear Talks Resume With Nothing Agreed

UNITED NATIONS – Diplomats charged with halting the spread of nuclear weapons were to reopen negotiations here Tuesday after a three-day break taken after a week of trying but ultimately failing to agree on an agenda for their talks. Delegates at the month-long Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference came close to adopting an agenda last … Continue reading “Deadlocked Nuclear Talks Resume With Nothing Agreed”