The State of the Army, Part Two

So how did it go? The Mitchell Report recommended a cease-fire and freeze of all settlements activities. As spin, Sharon announced a "cease-fire" to push aside the issue of settlements. Then we had the Palestinian suicide bomb killing 21 young Israelis in Tel-Aviv, and it was Arafat’s turn to announce a cease-fire, which precluded the … Continue reading “The State of the Army, Part Two”

Hegel, Well-Regulated Police States, and Empire

THE CUNNING OF REASON Those who have been keeping track of such things will recall that ten or so years ago, as the Soviet bloc was falling by the wayside, Francis Fukuyama proclaimed "the end of history" in a famous article that he later expanded into a book. There, the neo-conservative writer maintained that history … Continue reading “Hegel, Well-Regulated Police States, and Empire”

IS SELF-DEFENSE A ‘WAR CRIME’?

The saga of the Bytyqi brothers, covered in my last column, is an object lesson in how the War Party exploits every opportunity, no matter how dubious, to make propaganda for their cause. It also epitomizes how the media cooperate, allowing themselves to be used as a transmission belt for lies masquerading as “news” – … Continue reading “IS SELF-DEFENSE A ‘WAR CRIME’?”

Further into the Colombian Morass

The House of Representatives on Thursday will give as much consideration as it is likely to give this year to the ongoing US involvement in Colombia’s civil war and cocaine manufacturing and trafficking crisis. At issue will be the government’s foreign operations budget, which contains some $676 million for Colombian operations (another $80 million or … Continue reading “Further into the Colombian Morass”

BALKAN SET-UP

In digging up evidence that Slobodan Milosevic isn’t exactly Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, the International Criminal Tribunal for War Crimes in the Former Yugoslavia (ICTFY) may be uncovering more than it bargained for – evidence of American covert operations that play a central role in the ongoing destabilization of the Balkans. This was brought home … Continue reading “BALKAN SET-UP”

THE RAPE OF JAPAN

Are Americans barbarians? The Japanese have every right to think so. It wasn’t until Japanese Prime Minister Junichero Koizumi and his government made a concerted effort to pressure Washington that the US military turned over one US Airforce Staff Sergeant Timothy Woodland to Japanese authorities. Woodland is accused of raping a Japanese woman on the … Continue reading “THE RAPE OF JAPAN”

Taiwan Changes More Important Than US Policy?

You can make a case that while Taiwan is mentioned often as a key player in US-China relations, relatively little current reporting is done about the island itself. That’s the impression I got from talking with Ambassador John R. Malott, a retired career diplomat who is currently President of the World Affairs Council of Orange … Continue reading “Taiwan Changes More Important Than US Policy?”