Antiwar.com

P>I couldn’t help but notice the number of hits coming from an ezboard site, where people post messages and a kind of conversation in cyberspace ensues. Our hit report enables me to click on the url and find out the source of the hits – and, in this case, I was in for a surprise. … Continue reading “PUNDITRY IN THE AGE OF TERRORISM”

You can catch a few items in the newspapers – usually stories about raids or massacres – about Colombia, but not much that puts the latest incident in anything resembling a context. So I was pleased that the Orange County World Affairs Council last week hosted an enlightening (if not especially encouraging) discussion on Colombia. … Continue reading “Colombia: Mapping a Quagmire”

When George W. Bush was invited to speak to the graduating class of Ohio State University, the students were given a few, uh, suggestions: "Immediately before class members filed into the giant football stadium, an announcer instructed the crowd that all the university’s speakers deserve to be treated with respect and that anyone demonstrating or … Continue reading “THE WIMPY AMERICAN”

When George W. Bush was invited to speak to the graduating class of Ohio State University, the students were given a few, uh, suggestions: "Immediately before class members filed into the giant football stadium, an announcer instructed the crowd that all the university’s speakers deserve to be treated with respect and that anyone demonstrating or … Continue reading “THE WIMPY AMERICAN”

The United Jewish Communities of North America has recently decided to give its financial support also to Israeli settlers in the occupied territories (Ha’aretz, 14.6.02). At first, out of warm Jewish solidarity, I got very worried. Persistent rumours, especially since September 11th, say that the US government is not very fond of using charity money … Continue reading “How Jews Can Support Israel”

It is very hard to get a clear reading on the present situation. Oh sure, there are those who write as if they know what is going on, but their commentary, on further analysis, can be seen to rest only on a wide reading of utterly conventional and predictable sources with "official U.S. party line" … Continue reading “Cracks in the Façade of the Civic Religion”

If you pay attention to news about the “War on Terrorism,” you may be a bit confused about what our government is doing. One day Mr. Macho tells us we’re at war and we must put up with the intrusions of liberty that normally accompany war. The next day we’re told this “struggle” may last … Continue reading “Let’s Just Scrap the Bill of Rights”

The welcome commitment made by General Pervez Musharraf to "permanently" stop infiltration of jehadi militants across the Line of Control in Kashmir, and the "calibrated", but tiny, steps announced by New Delhi in reciprocation, have created a new, positive situation: The grim threat of war has receded somewhat; and there is reason to hope that … Continue reading “Building On The Indo-Pak Thaw”

It is often said that the roots of the conflicts in the Middle East, which many U.S. diplomats seem to think can be handled with just one more full-court-press and a conference, – and we’re talking not just of disputes between Israelis and Palestinians but the larger regional hostilities – are centuries-old, even milliennia-old. There … Continue reading “Roots of Discord”

Hollywood did it again last weekend, as the Chris Rock-Anthony Hopkins feature Bad Company revolved around preventing "Yugoslav" terrorists from blowing up New York City with a nuclear weapon. Even the film critics saw through such a pathetic plot setup. But it must have been rather embarrassing when a most unlikely suspect was arrested Monday … Continue reading “Balkans and the Big Picture”