“The global trend is sour.” So says Larry Diamond, senior fellow at Stanford University’s conservative Hoover Institution. Continue reading
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A US foreign policy in three simple words: do no harm
When it comes to the worldwide destruction of democracy, Trump is the enabler supreme.
What and who gave us Trump?
Why did Trump look around and think, ‘Hey, I can get away with this.’? Well, take a look around.
Donald J. Trump’s presidential ambition has simmered for decades. He was and is a regular TV watcher and saw the changing political landscape. One by one, previous presidents diminished the integrity of the presidency and violated the rule of law, paving the way for Trump’s candidacy. Continue reading
Madonna’s fake revolution: Eurovision, cultural hegemony and resistance
Rim Banna, a famous Palestinian singer who translated Palestine’s most moving poetry to song passed away on March 24, 2018, at the age of 51. Rim captured the struggle for Palestinian freedom in the most dignified and melodious ways. If we could imagine angels singing, they would sound like Rim. Continue reading
‘Made in America,’ in China
The president pretends to stand up for manufacturing workers while kowtowing to corporations that flagrantly violate Made-in-America laws.
What’s the matter with Donald and The Trumpeteers? Why won’t they stand up for the American workers and business owners who make their products right here in the United States? Continue reading
Freedom Rider: Abortion rights and the power of protest
An abortion rights crisis looms, but Americans have lost their fighting tools, lulled to sleep by the corporate fixers of the Democratic Party. Continue reading
The DNC’s dumbed-down opinion survey
In its recent Official 2020 Issues Survey, DNC Chair Tom Perez solicited input on the ‘top’ issue for the upcoming June debate as the Dems will use that “feedback to shape our electoral strategy.” In other words, the following identified issues will conceivably become questions at the debate and presumably will become the basis for the Dems 2020 platform which its presidential candidate and down-ticket slate will campaign on. Continue reading
The disparity behind anti-abortion laws
Laws restricting reproductive freedom come out of a culture that doesn’t see women’s sexuality as equal to men’s.
In the past few weeks, my Facebook feed has exploded with posts about abortion. If you use Facebook, probably yours has too. Continue reading
Money, media and the climate crisis
Immediate action is needed to save the future
The central problem which the world faces in its attempts to avoid catastrophic climate change is a contrast of time scales. In order to save human civilization and the biosphere from the most disastrous effects of climate change, we need to act immediately. But it is difficult to mobilize public opinion behind urgently needed action because the most severe effects of global warming belong to the long-term future. Continue reading
Why we must legalize marijuana
The federal prohibition on marijuana has been a disaster. For decades, millions of Americans have been locked up and billions of dollars have been wasted. It’s also deepened racial and economic inequality. Continue reading
The retrograde South
In the early 1970s, the Old Confederacy was reborn as the “New South.” Although Richard Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” saw the old Dixiecrat Democrats embrace the Republican Party, a wave of moderate-to-liberal Democrats swept into governors’ mansions across the South. These included Jimmy Carter and Carl Sanders in Georgia, Terry Sanford in North Carolina, Reubin Askew in Florida, Albert Brewer in Alabama, Bill Waller in Mississippi, John West in South Carolina, and Ray Blanton in Tennessee. Even George Wallace, who returned to the Alabama governorship after a 1968 firebrand presidential run geared around segregation and an unsuccessful assassination attempt during his Democratic run for the White House in 1972, became known as one of Alabama’s most progressive and inclusive governors in the state’s history during his third and fourth terms in office. Continue reading
Distance yourself from US Iran policies or be responsible for the next catastrophe in the Middle East
Remember President Trump’s tweet and accompanying statements by the Trump administration officials concerning Iran—as reported here by CNN on May 19, 2019? Continue reading
Attacking Iran would risk global disaster
On Monday, 13 May 2019, the New York Times posted an article with the title “White House Reviews Military Plans Against Iran. in Echoes of Iraq War”. Besides the aircraft carrier and other naval forces already sent to the Persian Gulf, plans include sending as many as 120,000 US troops to the region. There is a great danger that an attack on Iran might be sparked by a Gulf-of-Tonkin-like false flag incident involving Saudi oil ships. Continue reading
A US war on Iran would be evil, stupid, and self-damaging
“If Iran wants to fight,” US president Donald Trump tweeted on May 19, “that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again.” Continue reading
US rage for dominance driving its decline
Throughout the post-WW II era, the US demanded and continues demanding that other countries bend to its will—by pressure, bullying, intimidation, threats, naked aggression and other hostile actions. Continue reading
Bundestag falsely brands BDS movement anti-Semitic
Freedom to shine a light on injustice through boycotts should be upheld
On Friday, Germany’s Bundestag voted to brand support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) as anti-Semitic in response to a motion submitted by the Christian Democratic Party, the Greens and the Free Democrats. The resolution cited stickers urging consumers not to buy Israeli goods and appeals to blacklist Israeli artists as echoing Germany’s dark Second World War history. Continue reading
Unlawful arrests of Venezuelan DC Embassy protectors symbolic of US decadence
Activist embassy protectors were invited into Venezuela’s Washington diplomatic facility by its legitimate ruling authorities in Caracas. Continue reading
The missing step
In Sweden, prosecutors have applied to the Swedish courts to issue a warrant for Julian’s arrest. There is a tremendous back story to that simple statement. Continue reading
Something is wrong with Trump: The insulting names are no longer welcome
Remaining promoters of the concept of Donald Trump as President of the United States cite the fact that he has started no new shooting wars while Russiagate has turned out to be a flop and the economy seems to be doing well. He also seems serious about leaving Syria and Afghanistan, though those initiatives are currently on hold pending the approval of his consigliere “Defender of Israel” award winner John Bolton. Continue reading
Answering the mysterious call of an artist’s spiritual vocation
‘What You Have Heard Is True: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance’ by Carolyn Forché
Myths and popular tales, like life, are replete with accounts of those not answering the call, of locking the door to their hearts and shutting themselves up in sterile and safe lives where the rest of the world is not even an afterthought, where others suffer and die because of one’s indifference. Answering can be very dangerous, for it can take you on a journey from which you may never return, surely, at least, as the same person. Only the courageous heed the call. Continue reading
The Pompeo-Bolton tag team from hell
There was little pretense that when former UN Ambassador John Bolton became President Trump’s National Security Adviser and former Rep. Mike Pompeo moved into the Secretary of State position, that either would bring a professionally credible and respectable presence to world diplomacy or foreign affairs. Continue reading
Trump regime reimprisons Chelsea Manning
Chelsea Manning’s release from unjustifiable imprisonment for 63 days over her constitutional right to remain silent was short-lived. Continue reading
Controversial drug ractopamine is back in the news—and still in your food
A controversial drug allowed in meat production in the U.S.—but banned in 160 other countries—is in the news again. This time, it’s because the Trump administration, as part of a trade deal, is trying to force China to allow imports of U.S. pork raised with ractopamine. Continue reading
Texas state bill would make protesting pipelines a felony on par with attempted murder
‘This needs to be a nationwide story.’
A bill making its way through the Texas legislature would make protesting pipelines a third-degree felony, the same as attempted murder. Continue reading
Trump: importing dangerous medicines and food and keeping consumers in the dark
Messrs. Trump, Azar, and Perdue better wake up before innocent Americans lose their lives due to corporate indentured government officials failing to properly do their jobs
Conservatives favor consumer choice. Consumer information is vital to make that choice meaningful. Corporatists, masquerading as conservatives, do not care about informed consumer choice. Donald Trump is a corporatist, as are the vast majority of Republicans in his Cabinet and in Congress. Corporatists do not even want you to know where products are made. Today, producers and retail sellers do not have to tell you the “country of origin” for meat and pork products. Before 2015, when Congress bowed to the dictates of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Congress had enacted a law that required country of origin labels on meat products. Continue reading
Trump, extortionist-in-chief
Donald Trump fancies himself as a deal-maker. His foreign and economic policies, however, are more akin to those of a Mafia extortionist. At a minute after midnight on May 10, Trump hiked tariffs from 10 to 25 percent on $200 billion of Chinese imports. He also threatened a 25 percent tariff on the rest of the $325 billion of imports from China. Trump, who is as challenged in simple mathematics as he is with the English language, falsely tweeted that Chinese tariffs would be paid directly into the US Treasury. This statement was both comically and tragically wrong. Any increase in US tariffs on foreign goods are charged to the importer, which passes the higher costs on to the American consumer. Trump, in order to stoke his trade war with China, decided to hold the US consumers as hostages to higher costs for goods. Continue reading
Drivers beware: The deadly perils of traffic stops in the American police state
We’ve all been there before. Continue reading
UNRWA: Over one million Gazans to lose food aid in June
Last fall, the UN said 20 million Yemenis are hungry, millions facing starvation—because of US orchestrated aggression, ongoing since October 2001 the world body failed to explain. Continue reading
Israel’s common denominator: Why Israel will continue to bomb Gaza
On May 4, Israel launched a series of deadly airstrikes on the besieged Gaza Strip, prompting a response from various resistance groups. At least 25 Palestinians were killed and nearly 200 people wounded in the Israeli attacks. Four Israelis were also killed by Palestinian rockets. Continue reading
McData: At McDonald’s, you’re on the menu
The company plans to use AI ordering to gather data on your ‘movement patterns’ and license plate number.
The great thing about corporate giants is that they’re such amazing business innovators. For example, in the category of “wheel-spinning” innovation—i.e., trying to change a corporation’s course without actually changing anything—it’s hard to top McDonald’s. Continue reading
The most dangerous time for women’s rights in decades
Merely banning abortion isn't enough for some on the rabid right—a few are even threatening women with the death penalty.
We’re living in the most perilous time for abortion rights and reproductive freedom since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. Continue reading
Media propaganda machine pushing for US war on Iran
Whenever Washington goes to war or plans one, naked aggression every time launched based on Big Lies and deception, US media genuflect supportively, acting as Pentagon press agents—backing what demands denunciation. Continue reading
How to survive the journey ahead: A graduation message for a terrifying age
Posted on May 24, 2019 by John W. Whitehead
Those coming of age today will face some of the greatest obstacles ever encountered by young people. Continue reading →