Hagit Borer, an Israeli American, explained in yesterdays Los Angeles Times that his reasons for participating in the aid flotilla headed for Gaza go beyond, as Glenn Greenwald described, "a theatrical, non-threatening form of peaceful protest against the blockade,"...
War Rhetoric: Enforcing Conformity
The rhetoric used to marginalize dissenting opinion and coddle the herd into unity conformity is the same in Libya as it has been in other recent wars. I see two main tactics. The first is the attempt to detract attention and emphasis away from any potential domestic...
Real Numbers of “Troops” in Afghanistan
I'm waiting for Obama's announcement of the new policy of troop levels in Afghanistan to become old news by about Monday, but while it's still the weekend, let's consider further exactly how many people we've got in that country smaller than Texas. From a...
Another Proxy for Imperial Preemption
As has been reported and discussed at length here at Antiwar.com, the national security establishment, in conjunction with the Obama administration and surely whatever succeeds it, is planning on an essentially permanent U.S. military presence in Afghanistan. Secret...
Ron Paul on Libya War Authorization
Today the US House defeated two resolutions on the war on Libya. The first one, to authorize Obama to conduct the war for a year, failed overwhelmingly. The second one, sold as a war limitation measure, actually authorized most of the activities currently being waged...
Congress Split, Weak-Kneed on Libya
This week's news of a resolution from senior Senators to permit military operations in Libya for one year was met with muddled reaction in Congress. The splits within both parties have been preventing clear assertions or definitive action going forward. Today's WSJ...
Israel Eases Blockade, Still No Sign of Progress
News yesterday that Israel is finally allowing building materials into Gaza, which has been deprived of them since Operation Cast Lead reduced much the infrastructure to rubble, was good to hear, but I'm still left slightly skeptical. First of all, it's limited:...
No to War With Syria, Diplomatic Pressure Can Stop Assad
As harsh crackdowns on protests continue in Syria, and as allegedly forced pro-Assad rallies have been orchestrated by the regime, some European countries have been pressing the Assad regime with additional sanctions. This has yet to prove effective in stopping...
Political Calculations of Absurdity on Libya
The attempt on the part of congressional leaders to obstruct growing discontent with Obama's war in Libya by jumping the gun (so to speak) and approving the war without even having been formally asked to approve it brings with it a whole new host of questions. First...
Iraq Violence = Pullout. Afghan Violence = Stay Forever.
During the Bush years, we constantly heard how escalating violence was just Ba'athist or al-Qaeda "dead-enders" mounting their last desperate attempt to crush Democracy. This was proof America's initial occupation or the "surge" was working, Rumsfeld et al said, so we...