Quick Thought: Alawites and Other Religious Minorities
In Syria, the regime is criticized for being from a religious minority. So how do we feel about that issue when it’s the United States we’re talking about?
Osama, Obama, and Us: A Shocking Display of Propaganda from NBC
Would you like to (finally) hear the real inside story of what took place during that raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan, that bagged America’s number one enemy? It was the “biggest day” of Obama’s presidency, in his own words. Well, settle in for NBC’s exclusive….exclusive crap.
Meet the Israeli UnOccupy Movement
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has a dimension that is not often emphasized: the growing conflict between Ultra-Orthodox Israelis and their fellow Jews. A small but growing number of Israelis are speaking out about evictions of Palestinians from their homes. Here’s a documentary trailer on the subject.
Mitt and Barry Spar Over Russia—Whom Can You Trust?
Obama accidentally airs an incautious private remark. Romney accuses Obama of a hidden agenda when it comes to (at least) foreign policy, and gets himself in a bit of hot water. What’s the back story to this squabble over open-air diplomacy, and is Russia really America’s Real “Number One Foe”? Here’s a look at the power politics behind the gaffes.
Nuclear Damage Control
For the first time in 30 years, the United States has just okayed new nuclear reactors. Though this comes with the still unfolding Fukushima disaster as a backdrop, we’re being told everything is under control. It is—damage control.
Fukushima Update: Why We Should (Still) Be Worried
If you thought you didn’t need to pay attention any more to the Fukushima nuclear disaster, well, you’d be wrong. The Japanese government isn’t necessarily taking the right steps. Karen Charman explains.
The Dominique Strauss-Kahn Case Revisited
We never did get resolution on the scandal that brought down a contender for the French presidency. Here are some further elements worth exploring.
Mr. “Climate Hysteria” a Bit of a Hype Himself?
Do we listen to “Lord Monckton” on climate change because he knows what he’s talking about, or because of his title? And what’s that title about, anyway?
What Rupert Murdoch Means For You Personally
Once you get past the shockers of the hacking scandal….it gets worse. Here’s the big picture on how Murdoch’s methods impact the world—Murdoch’s 12 mortal sins.
What Panetta Saw—and What We Got
Wouldn’t the fiscal crisis be a good time to question expensive, superficial “fact-finding” trips that don’t really find any useful facts? We could start with visits to foreign war zones.
Worth Reading: Nasty Rap for Would-be Rep; China’s Toxic Kids; Perry Prays but Won’t Pay
Video Gets Deservedly Bad Rap There are nasty, ugly, racist tv ads. And then there’s this. Click on picture above to watch the video. Story on this from Salon. ——–China’s Poisoned Children The Chinese government is covering up the fact that hundreds of thousands of children living near industrial areas in China are suffering Read More
Did Qaddafi Really Order Mass Rapes? Or is the West Falling Victim to a Viagra-strength Scam?
Pro-invasion elements are whipping up new hysteria against Qaddafi. Now, it’s that he personally ordered hundreds of rapes by troops backing him. Think about it: would that be a wise course of action for someone who needs sympathetic opinion domestically (and internationally) now, more than ever? Who’s fact-checking this headline-making story? No one, it seems.
12 Questions About Bin Laden
The news is breaking fast and furious, but here are a few things to ponder.
This Just in: The Big Crooks Are in Jail! (er, in Egypt)
The leadership in Egypt is in jail, and bravo, says our Paper of Record. Meanwhile, back home, our counterpart establishment is doing just fine, thanks.
Take the Quiz: Qaddafi & Immelt–Good or Bad?
Here’s a quiz: Embattled Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi: Good or bad? How about GE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt? Here are your answers, straight from the top: Qaddafi, way bad. And Immelt? Good guy, business and civic leader. Should be a key adviser to the president. On Qaddafi, we already knew he was a bad Read More
Giving Chase: Egypt, OK – But What About America’s Oligarchs?
With all the attention on crowds of ordinary people rising up and asserting themselves against corruption and self-dealing by an oligarchy, we’re missing what the oligarchs are doing right at home. Take, for example, the activities of one of our biggest banks, JPMorgan Chase. Newly released documents show that high officials of the bank knew Read More
The New Sub-prime Threat?
I continue to be fascinated by the leaks that are coming out of the Pentagon during the Obama administration. On Wednesday, the New York Times published an article that, in the electronic edition, was headlined “Russian Subs Patrolling Off East Coast of U.S.” Pretty ominous. Even more so in the print edition, on page A5, Read More
The End of American Hegemony?
At TruthDig, Chris Hedges, playing off an economist’s piece in the Financial Times, posits a dire future based on the collapse of the dollar, largely on account of the humongous military budget’s role in ballooning the deficit. The article, typically lively and controversial Hedges fare, is worth reading for its analysis, as are Hedges’s comments Read More
The Way of the Warrior: Media Coverage of Gen. McChrystal
On May 12, 2009, Defense Secretary Robert Gates selected Gen. Stanley McChrystal to head our “Af-Pak” military operations. Though the selection was widely praised, two unsettling issues have dogged McChrystal’s ascent to the top of the military hierarchy. First, he participated in the cover-up of Pat Tillman’s mysterious “friendly-fire” death in Afghanistan. Second, as reported Read More
Tortured Rationalizations
In an opinion piece, the Wall Street Journal convincingly argues that top Democrats in Congress have been speaking out of both sides of their mouths in criticizing Bush Administration policy on Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (EITs), also known as torture. These days, Speaker Pelosi insists she heard and saw no evil. “We were not — I Read More