Pundits, Heal Thyselves!

Suppose your doctor misdiagnoses your condition – he tells you that six months hence you’ll be stone-cold dead, pushing up the daisies. As it turns out, however, you did not have leukemia after all, but were only suffering from Lyme disease. Would you not consider switching practitioners? Say your stockbroker’s picks leave you with a … Continue reading “Pundits, Heal Thyselves!”

ISP Fights PATRIOT Act

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) yesterday released more information about the heavily censored legal challenge it is bringing against the government’s use of a controversial provision of the USA PATRIOT Act that allows the FBI to obtain from businesses sensitive personal information about their clients. Among the documents unsealed today is a declaration by … Continue reading “ISP Fights PATRIOT Act”

Republicans Can’t Handle the Truth

I used to marvel at James Carville and Paul Begala. Despite the parade of scandals during the Clinton administration – eight years of lies, deceit and power abuses – they never got tired of defending the indefensible. Now I stand in amazement at Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, fast on their way to becoming the … Continue reading “Republicans Can’t Handle the Truth”

Bush Doctrine Breeds Terror and Tyranny

Bush administration policies in the war on terrorism mutated the global threat, mobilizing anti-U.S. sentiment. The crisis in Iraq, coupled with radical shifts in U.S. policy in the Middle East and elsewhere, gave extremists a new focus, allowing radical groups to widen their appeal among Muslims and others. A terrorism alarm sounds everyday somewhere in … Continue reading “Bush Doctrine Breeds Terror and Tyranny”

Major ‘Liberal’ Outlets Clog Media Diets

For many years, health-conscious Americans avidly consumed margarine as a wholesome substitute for artery-clogging butter. Only later did research shed light on grim effects of the partially hydrogenated oil in margarine, with results such as higher incidences of heart disease. Putting our trust in bogus alternatives can be dangerous for our bodies. And for the … Continue reading “Major ‘Liberal’ Outlets Clog Media Diets”

Security, Low Voter Registration Threaten Afghan Polls

UNITED NATIONS, (IPS) – Presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for September in Afghanistan could be jeopardized by rising violence, poor voter registration, a shortfall in funding and a deteriorating security situation in the country, a senior U.N. official warned Thursday. Assuming voting goes ahead as planned, the legitimacy of the next Afghan government could be … Continue reading “Security, Low Voter Registration Threaten Afghan Polls”

Scoping Out the Bushies

Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War on Terror, by Richard A. Clarke, Free Press, 304 pp. 27.00 The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O’Neill, by Ron Suskind, Simon & Schuster, 348 pp., 26.00 When political books come out in an election year it is usually prudent … Continue reading “Scoping Out the Bushies”

Chalabi-gate: None Dare Call It Treason

The fallout from Chalabi-gate continues to rain down on the heads of the War Party, opening up the exciting prospect that some neocons might well wind up behind bars. The charge? Espionage, as Sidney Blumenthal informs us: “At a well-appointed conservative think tank in downtown Washington and across the Potomac River at the Pentagon, FBI … Continue reading “Chalabi-gate: None Dare Call It Treason”

Latest US Terror Warning Raises Questions

Two of the seven suspected terrorists linked by the Bush administration to an impending “hard” attack on the United States are probably not even in North America, said officials Wednesday. After naming the seven suspects – including two Canadians – at a prime-time news conference, top U.S. officials including FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III … Continue reading “Latest US Terror Warning Raises Questions”