In praise of the life-saving bomb. A recent study revealed that over 98 percent of 3-year-olds believe the reason there’s glass on television sets is to keep the people from falling out! Is there a comparably grotesque absurdity among grown-ups? The answer is Yes, and it comes to mind every August when the anniversary of the ... MORE
Israel should be supported. Navi Pillay, U.N. high commissioner for human rights, has accused both Israel and Hamas militants of committing war crimes in the Gaza conflict. Her harshest criticism, as well as that of most nations, has been reserved for the Israeli government, charging that it has committed war crimes in direct violation ... MORE
Just get the job done. Many years ago, on my first trip around the world, I was struck by how the children in the Middle East -- Arab and Israeli alike -- were among the nicest looking little children I had seen anywhere. It was painful to think that they were going to grow up killing each other. But that is exactly what happened. It is ... MORE
Saber rattling doesn't poll well anymore. After a civilian
airline was shot down over Ukraine last week, America's hawks
stepped up their calls for a more muscular intervention in the
country, with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) calling the White House
"cowardly"
because it hasn't armed the government in Kiev. But a new
YouGov survey shows ... MORE
Blood, treasure and soul. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when it happened, but clear evidence can be seen at least in the aftermath of World War II. Some trace the origins back to 1898 and the Spanish-American War, or even earlier to the War of 1812. And still others would say that imperial ambitions were even on the minds of some of ... MORE
Why governments needs an enemy. After 25 years of war on Iraq, the U.S. has what to show for it? A
handful of dust. And at what cost in lives and property? It boggles the
mind to consider the breadth and depth of the suffering. Iraq was the great experiment following the Cold War for how the U.S.
military machine could be used to make ... MORE
by Jacob Hornberger. An indoctrination proclamation. I was at the Washington Nationals baseball game last week. Whenever I attend a Nats game, there is an air of militarism surrounding the game, but attending on Memorial Day helps to remind us what a truly militarized society America has become. After all, what in the world does baseball, a quite ... MORE
by Rob Woodall. It was President James A. Garfield who said, “For love of country they accepted death,” and in that brief sentence we find a simple, solemn truth. It’s a truth for which we set aside a special day each year to pay tribute to the sacrifice of so many. Their sacrifice is a gift for which we are grateful, and on Memorial Day we pause to ... MORE
Why is it that evil proliferates? What mechanism keeps it going? Who is to blame? Why are there so many wars and occupations? Why such huge amounts of theft (“taxes”, fines, fees and “civil forfeiture”)? Why are so many nonviolent people in jail? What keeps the “War on Some Drugs” going? Why does the police state expand and expand? ... MORE
by Gene Healy. It may sound hard to believe, but Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid,
D-Nev., isn't always wrong–at least when he states the obvious:
"9/11 is a long time ago," he
said Wednesday, "and it's something that needs to be
looked at again." The "it" is the post-9/11 Authorization for Use of Military
Force resolution, or AUMF, adopted three days ... MORE
At odds with the GOP, in accord with Americans. GOP hawks are reportedly nervous about the potential level of
support Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) could enjoy if he decides to run for
president in 2016. On Monday Zeke J. Miller wrote in TIME
about how several prominent Republican donors at the Republican
Jewish Coalition suggested ... MORE
What the world's only superpower cannot fix. The United States government and the Taliban don't agree on much, but they have found one point of convergence: Both think someone needs to get a hose and put out the flames engulfing Hamid Karzai's pants. The Afghan president has often criticized the Americans for carrying out ... MORE