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Russ Wellen is the nuclear deproliferation editor for OpEdNews. He's also on the staffs of Freezerbox and Scholars & Rogues.
"It's hard to tell people not to smoke when you have a cigarette dangling from your mouth." -- Mohamed El Baradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
Tuesday, April 8, 2008 The Meekest Democratic Senator (No, Not Harry Reid)
Collaborator on telecom immunity, advocate of warrantless spying, cheerleader for invading Iraq? "That's just Jay being Jay," reports Alexander Zaitchik in a profile on AlterNet of Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WVA).
Tuesday, April 8, 2008 Green Zone Now a Danger Zone
"The Green Zone was once considered an American oasis -- a protected bubble of comfort food, large, American-made sport-utility vehicles and enforced speed limits," reports the Washington Post. But since March 23, four Americans and 14 non-Americans have been killed inside by insurgent shelling.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008 The House That Karl Built
Scott Horton reports on Larisa Alexandrovna of Raw Story, who tracked down Karl Rove's resort home on the border of Florida and Alabama. After talking with locals, she wrote, "I have never seen anyone so unwelcome and unwanted in their own community."
Monday, March 24, 2008 Bet You Didn't Know This About McCain
"Two extraordinary moments in his political past that are at odds with the candidate of the present: His discussions in 2001 with Democrats about leaving the Republican Party, and his conversations in 2004 with Senator John Kerry about becoming Mr. Kerry's running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket." Elisabeth Bumiller reports in the New York Times.
Monday, March 24, 2008 Not Just 4,000 Dead, But 25 in Last Two Weeks
"American forces have just experienced the most violent two-week period in Iraq since September 2007," writes Brandon Friedman at Vet Voice. "Of the two significant numbers this week -- 4,000 killed during war and 25 in the last two weeks -- the latter figure is far more significant with regard to the current situation on the ground."
Monday, March 24, 2008 Sign of the Times: Best Buy, Home Depot Allow Haggling
"Shoppers are discovering an upside to the down economy. They are getting price breaks by reviving an age-old retail strategy: haggling," reports the New York Times. "A bargaining culture once confined largely to car showrooms and jewelry stores is taking root in major stores like Best Buy, Circuit City and Home Depot."
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 Spitzer's Successor Also Weighed Down by Infidelity Baggage
"The thunderous applause was still ringing in his ears when the state's new governor, David Paterson, told the New York Daily News that he and his wife had extramarital affairs."
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 Sheer Number of Suicide Bombers in Iraq Staggering
"Suicide bombers in Iraq have killed at least 13,000 men, women and children," writes Robert Fisk at Britain's Independent. "Our most conservative estimate gives a total figure of 13,132."
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 Spitzer May Be Guilty of Worse (1 comments)
The New York Megaphone received documents recently that indicate Eliot Spitzer's social connections -- WTC baron Larry Silverstein -- may be preventing him from investigating 9/11.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 The Article That Helped Bring Down Admiral Fallon
"If, in the dying light of the Bush administration, we go to war with Iran, it'll all come down to one man. If we do not go to war with Iran, it'll come down to the same man," writes Thomas Barnett at Esquire. "He is that rarest of creatures in the Bush universe: a man of strategic brilliance."
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 Wired's Editor Thinks Free Is the Future of Business
"Once a marketing gimmick, free has emerged as a full-fledged economy. Offering free music proved successful for Radiohead, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, and a swarm of other bands on MySpace that grasped the audience-building merits of zero," writes Chris Anderson.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 Spitzer's Fall Bad for Hillary
"The governor of her state -- who also happens to be one of her highest-profile backers -- is in trouble, big trouble," writes John Nichols at the Nation. "But Hillary Clinton doesn't want to go there."
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 It Wasn't Prostitution Ring That Led to Spitzer, But Vice-Versa
According to Brian Ross's page at ABC News, suspicious financial activity on the part of New York's governor "was initially reported by a bank to the IRS which. . . brought in the FBI's Public Corruption Squad. 'We had no interest at all in the prostitution ring until the thing with Spitzer led us to learn about it,' said one Justice Department official."
Friday, March 7, 2008 Obama Adviser and Pulitzer Prize Winner Calls Clinton a "Monster"
Samantha Power, author of the classic "Problem from Hell," tried to make it off the record. But she said, "She is a monster. . . . The amount of deceit she has put forward is really unattractive."
Monday, March 3, 2008 Bush Further Defunds Nuclear Storage Clean-up
"Buried in President Bush's proposed budget for next year is a story of broken promises," writes Washington's Gov. Chris Gregoire at the Washington Post. "The president wants to increase spending on every major category of our government's nuclear program except one: cleaning up our toxic nuclear legacy." Like the infamous Hanford.
Monday, March 3, 2008 Confronation with Iran Re-ignites
An exhibition by the US of nuclear documents that appeared (operative word) to have come from Iran's military laboratories open the road to more sanctions.
Thursday, February 28, 2008 The Financial Predators Had a Ball
In part V of a Global Research series, the incomparable William Engdahl explains how the multi-trillion dollar US-centered securitization debacle began to unravel.
Thursday, February 28, 2008 Nobe Laureate Ups Price Tag of Wars to $3 Trillion
White House response? "People like Joe Stiglitz lack the courage to consider the cost of doing nothing and the cost of failure. One can't even begin to put a price tag on the cost to this nation of the attacks of 9-11," said White House spokesman Tony Fratto. Sounds like the Edwards's are on the right path, doesn't it?
Thursday, February 28, 2008 McCain's Canal Zone Birth Prompts Queries About Whether That Rules Him Out (1 comments)
"The question has nagged at the parents of Americans born outside the continental United States for generations: Dare their children aspire to grow up and become president? In the case of Senator John McCain of Arizona, the issue is becoming more than a matter of parental daydreaming." Carl Hulse of the New York Times reports.
Thursday, February 28, 2008 Clinton Rebounds -- Picks up Half a Delegate!
"The anomaly happened because the Democrats Abroad will send 22 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, each with a half vote," reports the Associated Press. "The system is designed to enable the group to send more people to the convention, without inflating its voting power."
Thursday, February 28, 2008 Why Did McCain Aid Bud Paxson, His Implacable Foe?
"McCain never wavered from his opposition to the legislation Paxson pushed, which would have diverted those billions into his company's coffers and away from the U.S. Treasury," writes Scott Woolley at Forbes. "Whether McCain did any other, smaller favors for Paxson is a question that will draw new attention as the campaign heats up."
Tuesday, February 26, 2008 John and Elizabeth Edwards Launch Campaign to Link Recession to Iraq (1 comments)
They're "joining a coalition of 4 political action groups: the political arm of the SEIU, VoteVets, Moveon, and the Center for American Progress to launch a 20 million dollar initiative on bringing attention to the economic problems of the Iraq war and how it affects the American pocketbook," reports Open Left.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008 Another Passing Grade for Iran on Nuclear Activity
Once again, the US is dissatisfied with the IAEA and is fixating on a laptop of dubious origin with plans for a nuclear warhead on it in an attempt to institute another round of sanctions. Farideh Farhi at Informed Comment: Global Affairs explains.
Sunday, February 24, 2008 Indian Officials Dread Obama Presidency
Senators Biden, Kerry, and Hagel are in New Delhi trying to close the US-Indian nuclear energy deal -- one that's unlikely to be completed if the antiproliferation Obama is elected president.
Sunday, February 24, 2008 Is Pakistan Election a Win or Loss for Bush Administration?
"Given the administration's staunch backing for Musharraf," writes Jim Lobe at Asia Times Online, "particularly over the past year as he dismissed the supreme court, altered the constitution, and cracked down against the secular opposition -- Monday's vote seemed to be almost as much a rebuff to Washington as to Musharraf himself."
Sunday, February 24, 2008 First B-2 Stealth Bomber Crashes
After take-off from Guam. The crew ejected safely, but that's $1.2 billion (yes, billion -- for one plane) down the drain.
Sunday, February 24, 2008 Did He or Didn't He? (1 comments)
Newly conflicting claims about McCain meeting with communications giant and lobbyist. Either way, looks like he may be on the fast track to Giuliani land.
Friday, February 22, 2008 Quick Reaction Mutes Damage to McCain, Claims ABC
"In less than 24 hours the McCain campaign traveled the long distance from anger and anxiety to calm and confidence." Apparently ABC is taking the McCain campaign's word for it that the issue is resolved. Thanks once again for the objectivity, MSM!
Friday, February 22, 2008 Cluster Bomb Conference Ends on Upbeat Note
"More than 120 nations trying to negotiate a treaty banning most cluster bombs failed to reach agreement in talks that ended Friday in New Zealand," according to the AP. "But Human Rights Watch spokesman Steve Goose said the conference 'has been a rousing success.'"
Wednesday, February 20, 2008 US Accused of Stalling Cluster Bomb Talks
Nobel Peace Prize winner Jody Williams accused the United States on Wednesday of trying to stall negotiations on an international agreement to ban cluster bombs - without even attending talks on the treaty.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 Facebook Is Almost as Tough to Break Free of as the Mob
"Are you a member of Facebook.com?" asks Maria Aspan in the New York Times. "You may have a lifetime contract. Some users have discovered that it is nearly impossible to remove themselves entirely from Facebook, setting off a fresh round of concern over the popular social network's use of personal data."
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 Social Networking: The Next Generation
"Have you ever noticed how social networks don't do a very good job of representing how our personal networks actually function?" asks Dr. Slammy at Scholars & Rogues. "Sure, places like Facebook and MySpace and LinkedIn have their utility, but their flatness is a problem."
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 "Sorry, George, I Need More"
"George W. is going to give us back some money in May -- perhaps as much as $300 or $600 or $1200," writes Linda Seger at Huffington Post. "He thinks that this will make up for his failed economic policies. But isn't this similar to a giving a band-aid to a child who needs a $30,000 operation?"
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 "Our" Terrorist: Luis Posada Carriles
Why is terrorist Luis Posada Carriles enjoying the good life in Miami? Among other things, he's responsible for the 1976 downing of a Cuban passenger plane with 73 people on board, writes CODEPINK's Medea Benjamin.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 The "Folly of Attacking Iran" Tour
Coming to a town near you. Meanwhile, watch the video of top Iran experts at Just Foreign Policy.
Friday, February 8, 2008 Bush Approval at New Low
Or his disapproval is at a new high -- 30% according to a new AP poll. But he can take heart that approval of Congress is even lower -- 22%. Bush, Reid, Pelosi: three peas in a pod.
Friday, February 8, 2008 Max Head-Romney, We Hardly Knew Ye
"Here lieth the campaign of Mitt Romney," writes Howard Fineman at Newsweek, "victim of the mistaken belief that the only way to succeed in national Republican politics was to turn yourself into something you are not."
Friday, February 8, 2008 Krugman: Today's Economy Cross Between Dot-Com Bust and S&L Crisis
"On one side," writes Paul Krugman at the New York Times, "the bursting of the housing bubble is playing the role that the bursting of the dot-com bubble played in 2001. On the other, the subprime crisis is creating a credit crunch reminiscent of the crunch after the savings-and-loan crisis of the late 1980s, which led to recession in 1990."
Friday, February 8, 2008 Shadow War: AT&T Versus Verizon for Control of American Communications (1 comments)
Why is AT&T willing to play Internet cop when Verizon is not? Martin Bosworth at Scholars & Rogues answers a question with a question: "Is AT&T getting preferential treatment or subsidization from the government if it offers itself up as a content policeman for Hollywood and Washington both?"
Sunday, February 3, 2008 Democrat Disaster Debunked
Chris Bowers at Open Left sees John McCain winning the Presidency over Hillary Clinton. Joshua Holland at AlterNet begs to differ.
Friday, February 1, 2008 I Am a Geek in a Jock Culture
"I'm an electrical engineer working in the aerospace industry," writes Brian Angliss at Scholars & Rogues. But "I can speak a few words of Klingon and Elvish, and I think it's totally cool that some people take the time to make their own chain mail."
Friday, February 1, 2008 "Der schwarze Kennedy"
Some Germans are calling Obama the black JFK. "America's extraordinary presidential campaign has captivated politicians and ordinary people around the globe," reports the Boston Globe.
Thursday, January 31, 2008 9/11 Commissioner Zelikow Interfered with Report (1 comments)
ABC reports that Philip Zelikow was holding private discussions with Karl Rove during the course of the 9/11 investigation. Not to mention giving colleague Condi Rice a free pass.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008 Nukes in Space (or at Least Lasers) (6 comments)
As it has in past years, the U.S. government plans to oppose a draft treaty, written by China and Russia, for the "Prevention of Placement of Weapons in Outer Space" when it is introduced Feb. 12 at the international Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. (Courtesy of Nukes of Hazard.)
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Will Obama's Momentum Carry Over to Super Tuesday?
"Super Tuesday is a particular challenge for Obama, who trails Clinton in most national polls," reports the Los Angeles Times. "Three of the biggest states voting -- New York, New Jersey and Connecticut -- are in Clinton's backyard; a fourth, Arkansas, was her home before her husband was elected president."
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Countrywide CEO Foregoes Plush Payoff Package -- But He's Still Smiling
"Lest you think Angelo Mozilo will be on the welfare rolls by next year, fear not -- he's still walking away with retirement funding and deferred compensation totaling $40 million or so," writes Martin Bosworth at Scholars & Rogues. "Oh, the horror! How will he show his face at the country club now?"
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 The Man Who Learned Too Little
"The sad thing about President George W. Bush's eighth and final State of the Union address is that he seems to have learned so little about the crises in which he's immersed his nation so deeply," writes Fred Kaplan at Slate.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Major New Player on the Progressive Web
The Washington Independent. (Still in beta, or testing, stage.) Welcome it to the Web with a page view.
Monday, January 28, 2008 Bad Tempers, Part II: McCain
"He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me," said Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS). "The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine."
Monday, January 28, 2008 Bad Tempers, Part I: Bill Clinton (1 comments)
After Bill Clinton knocked down his former advisor, Dick Morris (now foe of liberals) in 1989, Hillary said, "He only does this to people he loves." How does she know? Did that include her?
Thursday, January 24, 2008 Is the Bush Stimulus Going to Help You?
"The rhetoric surrounding George W. Bush's economic stimulus package," writes Nomi Prins at AlterNet, "indicates a complete lack of comprehension of the difference between this 'national' economy and the 'people's' economy, and the extent of the gap between the two." So what else is new?
Thursday, January 24, 2008 Massive Munitions Blast in Mosul
At least 17 dead. "It reverberated through the city as no explosion ever had before," writes Juan Cole at Informed Comment. "The casualty toll is likely to rise, since there were still people trapped under rubble at the site of the massive explosion."
Thursday, January 24, 2008 Big Dog Is off the Leash and Ripping up the Yard
"Bill Clinton is all over the place -- campaign guru, surrogate candidate, one-man first response team," writes Gail Collins at the New York Times. "By next week, he'll be designing the bumper stickers."
Thursday, January 24, 2008 Kerry Speaks Out on "Swiftboating" (1 comments)
"I hate the term 'Swiftboating,'" writes Sen. John Kerry. "I hate how the name of the boats we honored when we were in uniform in Vietnam has become a verb for the twisted politics of Karl Rove."
But today we need to fight the right wing's tactics not just to reclaim a word, but to reclaim our democracy.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 Nato "Must Prepare to Launch Nuclear Attack" (5 comments)
Nato must prepare to launch pre-emptive nuclear attacks to ward off the use of weapons of mass destruction by its enemies, according to a group of former senior military officials, including John Shalikashvili, the former Nato commander in Europe and chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff. Talk about keeping all options on the table.
Friday, January 18, 2008 Ahmadinejad Fearless in Face of Israeli Ballistic Missile Test
"In an interview with al-Jazeera TV, the Iranian leader said Israel 'would not dare' attack Iran," The BBC reports. "He spoke as Israel announced it had test-fired a ballistic missile."
Thursday, January 17, 2008 White House Recycled Tapes Used to Record Emails
"E-mail messages sent and received by White House personnel during the first three years of the Bush administration were routinely recorded on tapes that were 'recycled,'" reports the Washington Post. Ah, Nixon's legacy.
Thursday, January 17, 2008 CentCom Commander Fallon Says Pakistan to Allow in More US Troops
"Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of U.S. Central Command, said he believes increased violence inside Pakistan in recent months has led Pakistani leaders to conclude that they must focus more intensively on extremist al-Qaida hideouts near the border with Afghanistan," reports the Associated Press. Sneaking suspicion that the Pakistani people may not agree.
Thursday, January 17, 2008 Sequel to Schultz, Perry, Kissinger and Nunn's Anti-Nukes Article
Last year the WSJ published a widely read article by this quartet. In a follow-up they re-asses the state of nuclear disarmament and outline what needs to be done next. Though fossils, they're still influential.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008 US Shamed by Tiny Barbados (3 comments)
"Hats off to Barbados, which both signed and ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) on Monday," writes Jeff Lindemyer at Nukes of Hazard. The U.S. is one of only 10 countries, such as Pakistan, Iran and Israel, to stand in the way of its full implementation.
Monday, January 14, 2008 Investors Flocking to Gold
Gold leapt past 900 dollars for the first time last week. Investors have taken refuge in gold amid economic jitters, particularly concerns that the United States is slipping into recession.
Monday, January 14, 2008 The Incredible Shrinking President (1 comments)
"The diminished George Bush, increasingly irrelevant at home and abroad, is fading into insignificance," writes the incomparable Chris Hedges at TruthDig. "A year from now one half expects to see him stand up at the next presidents inauguration and screech 'I'm melting! I'm melting!' as he sinks into a puddle of slime."
Friday, January 11, 2008 The Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty Is Still Our Best Hope (1 comments)
"The NPT is now at a dangerous tipping point, say experts such as Graham Allison, who warn that unless rapid progress is made on non-proliferation issues, there is a real risk of nuclear weapons being used for the first time since the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki," writes Declan Butler at Nature News. "The issues will come to a head at an intergovernmental meeting in 2010 in Vienna, Austria, of the NPT's 189 members."
Thursday, January 10, 2008 Arms Control Persons of the Year Named
Yes, constructive work in that area is actually being done. The Arms Control Association named Congressmen Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.) and David Hobson (R-Ohio) the winners. Due largely to their efforts, Congress rejected the Bush administration's proposal to fund research on a new, so-called "replacement" warhead. A Democrats and Republican working together -- what a concept!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008 Fewest Tears Yet for Bhutto
Ms. Bhutto, a Pakistani nuclear professor who knew her, reminds us that, "Her two tenures as prime minister were a nightmare of autocratic government and mis-governance. Billions disappeared from foreign aid. A Swiss court found her guilty of money laundering in 2003. Ms. Bhutto owned mansions and palaces across the world."
Wednesday, January 9, 2008 Pakistan Plays Bush Admin for a Fool (1 comments)
"The Pakistani military has diverted half of [US military aid] for use against India, apparently with no reaction from Bush," writes Peter Galbraith in the Boston Globe. "Pakistan's military has learned from experience that the United States does not monitor its assistance." Between that and Iraq, the IT guy for the White House must have forgot to hook it up with Excel and its spreadsheets.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008 We No Longer Have Any Excuse for Ignoring Plight of Iraqis
"McClatchy Newspapers set up a blog exclusively for contributions from its Iraqi staff," writes Michael Massing at the New York Review of Books. "'It's an opportunity for Iraqis to talk directly to an American audience,' says Leila Fadel, the current bureau chief." We can't screen their suffering out any longer. Follow the link for blog's url.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008 An American in Iran
"Traveling this Mexico-sized and intensely proud country, one is impressed by a similar weariness with politics, mixed with resentment at state efforts to stir the embers of revolutionary fervor," writes Max Rodenbeck. "The eye-rolling is not caused by some overpowering attraction to Western culture. Iranians cherish being different."
Tuesday, January 8, 2008 The Chuckabee Show Hits New Hampshire
"The power of Chuck Norris was on display last Sunday when a heckler interrupted Mike Huckabee," writes Alexander Zaitchik at AlterNet. "Don't make me send Chuck back there," deadpanned Huckabee.
Monday, January 7, 2008 Can You Win on Dull?
. . . asks Politico. "Both campaigns have now reduced their themes to single word," writes Roger Simon. "Obama has a sign that says: Hope. Clinton has a sign that says: Ready. But will Clinton get a chance to be ready? Having lost Iowa on Thursday and with the crucial New Hampshire primary just two days away, she chose not to rouse the crowd but bowl it over in a blizzard of policy details."
Monday, January 7, 2008 Krugman: The Economic Levee Has Been Breached
"It's no longer possible to hope that the effects of the housing slump will remain 'contained, as one of 2007's buzzwords had it," writes Paul Krugman at the New York Times. "The levees have been breached, and the repercussions of the housing crisis are spreading across the economy as a whole."
Monday, January 7, 2008 Kucinich Still the Workingman's Best Friend (1 comments)
"Kucinich advocates a full-employment economy, calling for a new version of the 1930s Works Progress Administration (WPA), which employed millions of Americans," Chris Hedges writes on Truthdig. "He wants to put people to work to rebuild the country's crumbling infrastructure, from its roads and bridges to its dams, levies, sewer systems, libraries and mass transit."
Monday, January 7, 2008 Eight Tribal Elders Shot Dead in Pakistan
"Eight tribal leaders attempting to broker a ceasefire in Pakistan's dangerous north-west province have been shot dead by suspected Islamic militants in eight separate killings," reports London's the Guardian. "The eight tribal leaders were scheduled to meet each other on Monday to discuss plans to achieve peace between between security forces and insurgents."
Friday, January 4, 2008 Hillary Abandoned by Iowa Women (1 comments)
"In what is bad news for Clinton, exit polling shows Obama beat the New York senator 35 percent to 30 percent among women caucus goers," reports Bill Schneider at CNN.
Friday, January 4, 2008 What Makes Obama Run? (1 comments)
For those suspicious of his motives, now is a good time to revisit what originally motivated Barack Obama to first run for public service. One from the archives.
Friday, January 4, 2008 Is This the Beginning of the End for Romney?
Romney, writes Susan Davis at the Wall Street Journal, "bet his strategy on victories in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire. In five days, Romney will have to fend off Sen. John McCain. A victory in New Hampshire is now even more critical to Romney's bid, and if his loss here tonight is indicative of anything, it's that message beat money."
Friday, January 4, 2008 Why Did Kucinich Release His Voters to Obama? (1 comments)
Instead of Edwards? "It's hard to think of a single major issue -- including 'the war,' 'health care' and 'trade' -- for which Obama has a more progressive position than Edwards," writes Norman Solomon.
Friday, January 4, 2008 Russia Foiled 120 Cases of Smuggling Nukes Out
The question inevitably arises: How many got away? "A further 722 cases of illegal importing of highly radio-active material into Russia were detected -- possible evidence of a dangerous trade between ex-Soviet states," reports London's the Telegraph.
Thursday, January 3, 2008 John Edwards and His Bundlers of Joy (2 comments)
"John Edwards is the ONLY candidate who has never taken a dime from PACs or Washington lobbyists ever," writes Denny Wilkins at Scholars & Rogues. "He said he would expand public campaign financing and prohibit lobbyists from being campaign 'bundlers.'" Yet, he "has used 665 bundlers -- far more than any other presidential candidate -- en route to raising nearly $30 million" by the end of the third quarter.
Thursday, January 3, 2008 Gore Tried Populism in 2000
"He would fight these powers, and take on in particular 'big tobacco, big oil, the big polluters, the pharmaceutical companies, the HMOs.' John Edwards, 2008?" asks Marie Cocco at TruthDig. "No. Al Gore, 2000."
Thursday, January 3, 2008 Honoring a Departed Blogger: Harlem's Steve Gilliard
Who passed away this year. "By 2003," writes Matt Bai in the New York Times, "Gilliard had become one of the first official 'guest bloggers' on Daily Kos, then on its way to becoming the most influential of the new liberal political blogs, where he informed his indictments of the Iraq war with detailed references to the British occupation of Mesopotamia."
Wednesday, January 2, 2008 NY Times Shoots Itself in Foot by Hiring Kristol
Ian Williams at London's the Guardian writes: "Kristol, deservedly known as 'Quayle's Brain,' is a lightweight. . . whose magazine, the Weekly Standard, makes massive losses for Rupert Murdoch, its owner. These conservatives go on about market disciplines, but it is noteworthy how many of their thinktanks and publications depend on the kindness of eccentric billionaires."
Wednesday, January 2, 2008 Atomic Year in Review
The International Atomic Energy Agency prefaces its year in review: "Nuclear-related events and developments in 2007 reflected some rising stakes when it comes to global security, environmental, and economic issues." Talk about understatements.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008 Suddenly "Regime Change" Isn't Enough for Bush & Co. (2 comments)
"'Regime change with a view to ensuring continuity under military rule is no longer the main thrust of US foreign policy,' writes Michel Chossudovsky at Global Research. "The regime of Pervez Musharraf cannot prevail. Washington's foreign policy course is to actively promote the political fragmentation and balkanization of Pakistan as a nation."
Thursday, December 27, 2007 Benazir Bhutto's Courageous Legacy Marred by Wholesale Corruption
"I have buried a father killed at age 50 and two brothers killed in the prime of their lives," Bhutto wrote in a recent Op-Ed for The Washington Post. "I raised my children as a single mother when my husband was arrested and held for eight years without a conviction -- a hostage to my political career. I did not shrink from responsibility then, and I will not shrink from it now."
Thursday, December 27, 2007 Top 10 Myths About Iraq
Juan Cole demolishes the central myth -- that the surge is working. Read one of the world's leading authorities on Iraq at Informed Comment.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007 Republicans Can't Snake-Handle Evangelicals Any Longer
Sick of broken promises from presidents like Bush, evangelicals are looking to Mike Huckaee to lead them out of the wilderness and replace corporate interests with their own. Chris Hedges reports on the "Huckabites" for Truthdig.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007 The Dark Side of Ron Paul (10 comments)
Over at Scholars & Rogues, Sam Smith stirred up a hornet's nest when he brought to light some of Ron Paul's destructive positions -- including racism. (Scratch a libertarian and that's what you'll often find.)
Wednesday, December 26, 2007 Iran Dedicates Museum to Pursuit of Peace (1 comments)
"The people of Iran always hear about the glories of war, when we were invaded, but they rarely hear of the devastation of war," said its director, as reported by the Christian Science Monitor. Its volunteers "are hardly typical peaceniks. They are former soldiers who have been subjected to Iraqi chemical weapons attacks." Good to see an Iran peace initiative reported in the West.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007 A Crime Foretold: The Charsadda Bombing
"Yesterday's suicide attack that killed 56 people in Charsadda, a village northeast of Peshawar, Pakistan, was not aimed just at the former Interior Minister," writes Barnett Rubin of Informed Comment: Global Affairs. "It was part of a strategy by the Pakistani Taliban, supported by al-Qaida, to surround Peshawar with a ring of destabilization."
Monday, December 24, 2007 Wheee! Waterboarding a Pipeline to Hell
This brave soul actually tried waterboarding -- on himself. But (no pun intended) Scylla at the Straight Dope got in a little over his head. "I have never been more panicked in my whole life."
Monday, December 24, 2007 The True State of the Economy Is Reflected in the State of Our Teeth (1 comments)
"About 1 in 10 residents of Kentucky are missing all their teeth," reports the New York Times. Dr. Edwin Smith, who runs a free clinic, said that "at least once a month he sees a patient who has used Krazy Glue to reattach a broken tooth to the root or to an adjacent tooth." Is this 2007 or the Depression?
Monday, December 24, 2007 Moyers: What Did the Mitchell Report Teach Us? (1 comments)
"Ours is a society on steroids, and we're as blind as baseball's owners were a decade ago," writes Bill Moyers. "We cheer the winners in the game of wealth, the billionaires who benefit from a skewed financial system -- the losers, we kick down the stairs." And neglect to fight for a level playing field.
Monday, December 24, 2007 CIA's Rodriguez Determined Not to Be White House Fall Guy for Torture (1 comments)
According to the Times of London, "he may seek immunity from prosecution in exchange for testifying before the House intelligence committee." Asks Vincent Cannistraro, former head of counterterrorism at the CIA, "Why in the world would Jose Rodriguez -- one of the most cautious men I have ever met - have gone ahead and destroyed the tapes?" Unless, of course, he was ordered to.
Friday, December 21, 2007 Iraq Was a Lose-Lose (and Lose Again) Proposition
Once for Iraq, once for the US, and once for al Qaeda. "Yet the bid to bring the Iraqi resistance groups under the banner of al-Qaida has not just failed. It has spectacularly backfired," writes Jason Burke at London's Guardian.
Friday, December 21, 2007 This Is So Cool: Lakota (Sioux) Secede! (9 comments)
Lakota Sioux Indian representatives declared sovereign nation status today in Washington D.C. following Monday's withdrawal from all previously signed treaties with the United States Government. "This is an historic day for our Lakota people," declared Russell Means, Itacan of Lakota. "United States colonial rule is at its end!"
Thursday, December 20, 2007 Blockbuster Three-Part Series Dissects Hillary Point by Policy Point
"On Iraq: Hillary says she wants the troops out. But does she really?
On International Law: When it comes to human rights around the world, Hillary Clinton is little more than Bush Lite. On her military policy: There's every indication that it closely parallels that of the Bush administration." Courtesy of Foreign Policy in Focus.
