Tag: barack obama

Obama at the Rubicon

If the aphorism holds – the guerrilla wins if he does not lose – the Taliban are winning and America is losing the war in Afghanistan. Well into the eighth year of war, the Taliban are more numerous than ever, inflicting more casualties than ever, operating in more provinces than ever, and controlling more territory … Continue reading “Obama at the Rubicon”

Mission Creepy: The Rise of the ‘Daddy State’

Will recession-induced budget cuts result in the National Guard being deputized as lawmen in Jefferson County, Ala.? While he may be bluffing for effect, Jefferson County Sheriff Randy Christian didn’t seem to be altogether unserious when he suggested that soldiers might be brought in to supplement policing gaps supposedly left by a $4 million budget … Continue reading “Mission Creepy: The Rise of the ‘Daddy State’”

An Evening With Cindy Sheehan

"If we thought [the wars in] Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan were wrong when Bush was president, then they’re still wrong." So began Cindy Sheehan in a speech at the Peace Resource Center in Seaside, Calif. (near Monterey). I had never seen Ms. Sheehan speak, and I found her performance impressive. I’ve always respected her for … Continue reading “An Evening With Cindy Sheehan”

The Ghost of 9/11

The idea that the U.S. must fight in Afghanistan is buttressed by an all-too-familiar theme, whether it be uttered on the Left (Obama) or the neocon Right (Bill Kristol): the former says we must fight to prevent al-Qaeda from reestablishing "safe havens" so they can’t plot another 9/11, while the latter echoes this nonsense in … Continue reading “The Ghost of 9/11”

Luster Is Off Obama’s ‘High Moral Ground’

Back in April, the U.S. government snatched Raymond Azar out of Afghanistan. His waist, wrists, and ankles were shackled; he was stripped naked and photographed, made to wear headphones, blindfolded, hooded, and stuffed into an executive jet and flown to the United States. Azar says his eyeglasses were taken and he was left in an … Continue reading “Luster Is Off Obama’s ‘High Moral Ground’”

The More Things Change

A presidential candidate opposed to the Iraq War is elected and enters the Oval Office. Yet six months later, there are still essentially the same number of troops in Iraq as were there when his predecessor left, the same number, in fact, used in the original invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Moreover, the new … Continue reading “The More Things Change”

Mullen’s Mulligans

In golf and other sports, a "mulligan" is a second chance to get something right, sometimes referred to as a "do-over." In most sports, one do-over is all you get, and sports are just games. In war, humanity’s deadliest undertaking, the folks in charge of the Pentagon keep asking for another mulligan, and the president, … Continue reading “Mullen’s Mulligans”

Kennedy Was a Lion,
but War Remains King

Nearly seven years ago this month a lion roared, attempting, however unavailingly, to compete with the Iraq war drums that had begun immediately after 9/11. Sen. Edward Kennedy said the following on Sept. 27, 2002, at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies: "Let me say it plainly: I not only concede, but … Continue reading “Kennedy Was a Lion,
but War Remains King”

Where to Begin Rebutting the Afghan Blather?

Everything that appears in our mainstream media about foreign policy is blather. Everything we read about Afghanistan and Iraq and Iran floats upon a sea of false premises and lies of omission and commission. Right now the American mainstream media is printing mountains of news stories and editorials and opinion pieces about the Afghanistan "elections." … Continue reading “Where to Begin Rebutting the Afghan Blather?”