No Peace, No Freedom

p>Max Weber must be smiling today, as his much-contested thesis on the Protestant Work Ethic is proved once again in the arguments of those who support a generalized American war against the Islamic world – as opposed to a careful, ongoing hunt for Al-Qaeda terrorists. In pointing to the political and economic backwardness of the … Continue reading “No Peace, No Freedom”

Neocons Busted!

You have to give CIA director George Tenet credit: he managed to pack more obfuscations, evasions, and outright lies into what couldn’t have been more than a half hour speech than one might have thought humanly possible. The purpose of Tenet’s peroration was to get the President, and also his own Agency, off the hook … Continue reading “Neocons Busted!”

New Moves Underway in Nuclear Poker

Pakistan’s government clearly seems to be moving toward putting on trial some of the individuals allegedly involved in clandestine transfer of nuclear weapons technology and components from Pakistan to North Korea, Iran and Libya. This is the signal that Islamabad is sending after the latest official disclosures about the detailed ‘confession’ signed by the ‘Father … Continue reading “New Moves Underway in Nuclear Poker”

New York City Wants Easing of Patriot Act

New York, the city most affected by the 9/11 attacks almost two and a half years ago, has become the latest U.S. municipality to formally urge major reforms to the USA PATRIOT Act to eliminate threats to basic civil rights and due-process protections. The New York City Council voted Wednesday to urge local agencies not … Continue reading “New York City Wants Easing of Patriot Act”

Cambodia’s Crisis Puts UN ‘Success’ Into Question

Over a decade after the United Nations claimed as a success story the restoration of democracy in war-ravaged Cambodia, the Southeast Asian country is exposing this achievement to be much less than what it has been vaunted to be. Democratic processes like elections are meant to create societies that work for a country’s citizens. But … Continue reading “Cambodia’s Crisis Puts UN ‘Success’ Into Question”

Israel Out of Gaza? Not so Fast

Since taking office three years ago, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has made a series of bold political pronouncements, especially for a right-wing prime minister. But questions have arisen over what he meant before, and what he means this time. Sharon has said in the past that he is willing to make "painful compromises" for peace. … Continue reading “Israel Out of Gaza? Not so Fast”

The Deadly Lies of Reliable Sources

Ninety-five days before the invasion of Iraq began, I sat in the ornate Baghdad office of the deputy prime minister as he talked about the U.N. weapons inspectors in his country. "They are doing their jobs freely, without any interruption," Tariq Aziz said. "And still the warmongering language in Washington is keeping on." The White … Continue reading “The Deadly Lies of Reliable Sources”

In the Balkans, Same Old Evil

After spending some time virtually unnoticed, the Balkans is creeping back into the limelight. Events in the peninsula continue to develop along the policy lines drawn with blood and iron over the past decade, demonstrating that the forces intent on establishing an American Empire are active on more fronts than just the Middle Eastern quagmire. … Continue reading “In the Balkans, Same Old Evil”