This view is for those who will only vote for Hillary while holding their nose because she will be better than Trump in picking good Supreme Court justices – ed. Michael Murray That sort of “thinking” would fit nicely into a computer which can process only two binary digits: 1 and 0. But as they…
W.J. Astore Greg Grandin has a new book on Henry Kissinger and a new article at TomDispatch.com. Kissinger, writes Grandin, had an affinity (or perhaps an avidity) for power, especially air power, as a way of demonstrating his (and America’s) resolve. Notes Grandin: Henry Kissinger is, of course, not singularly responsible for the evolution of…
W.J. Astore I recently received an update from the National Priorities Project reminding me of this startling fact: “The president announced last week that American troops will remain in Afghanistan beyond the planned withdrawal at the end of 2016. This is a devastating blow. We’ve already spent $716 billion and counting on the war in…
W.J. Astore I read the news today, oh boy. President Obama has decided to keep thousands of U.S. troops in Afghanistan until 2017, effectively kicking the war to the next president. According to the New York Times, “The Obama administration sees the choice to slow down the United States’ Afghan exit as the best of…
Peter Van Buren Editor’s Note: TCP is especially proud to offer an original article by Peter Van Buren, author of We Meant Well, a compelling account of U.S.-led rebuilding efforts in post-invasion Iraq. Van Buren, who worked closely with American troops in Iraq, knows the bloody nature of war, which makes him doubly aware of…
W.J. Astore As David Vine reports for TomDispatch.com, the U.S. has roughly 800 military bases in foreign countries. Maintaining these bases costs upwards of $100 billion each year, more than the federal government spends on U.S. education. The sheer extent and cost of these bases got me to thinking. Each base is basically a “little…
Chris Hedges. Courtesy of Truthdig. Introduction: The rise of Jeremy Corbyn to lead Britain’s Labour Party is heartening. Here’s a man with a heartfelt contrary perspective. Sadly, he has no American equivalent among the major parties’ candidates. Bernie Sanders comes closest, but Sanders supports drone strikes and refuses to take a stand against Israeli aggression.…
The Crash, Burn, Repeat of America’s Militarized Foreign Policy Tom Engelhardt (courtesy of TomDispatch.com) Let’s take a moment to consider failure and its options in Washington. The U.S. has been warring with the Islamic State (IS) for more than a year now. The centerpiece of that war has been an ongoing campaign of bombings and air…
Michael Brenner [Editor’s Note: It’s not footballs that are deflated, notes Michael Brenner. It’s our news, which is deliberately deflated and distorted so as to not disturb the ruling elites. Brenner offers some compelling examples and issues calls for meaningful reforms. His article makes for invigorating reading over this Labor Day Weekend.] An informed public…
W.J. Astore You read it here first: the fatal flaw in U.S. foreign policy is training wheels. Yes, those supplemental wheels you add to your child’s bike when she’s first trying to learn how to balance herself as she pedals. How so? Listen closely to America’s leaders as they talk about helping Iraqis, Afghans, and…
The Contrary Perspective 