The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly known as North Korea, has the right to test and develop as many weapons as it likes. It doesn’t need another country’s permission to enhance its arsenal and, given America’s history of aggression, it is wise to do so. Any country deemed an enemy of the United States that doesn’t have a strong defense is in danger of ending up like Iraq or Libya, invaded or destroyed by other means. Continue reading
Wall Street analysts tell us that Amazon’s $14 billion buyout of Whole Foods isn’t only a win-win for both of them, but also for consumers, for Amazon intends to lower the organic grocer’s prices. Continue reading
Just over two years after the Federal Communications Commission, under President Obama, approved rules protecting a free and open Internet accessible to all, net neutrality is once again under fire. And once again, the public is being called upon to stand up and fight for freedom of speech. Continue reading
Following the latest explosive details about Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting with a Kremlin-connected lawyer during last year’s campaign, in which he hoped to receive damaging information about Hillary Clinton, legal experts are saying the encounter could be proof that “collusion”—or even “treason”—took place. Continue reading
Ask most scholars on the U.S. Constitution and they will tell you that the Constitution prohibits American states from seceding. They will point out that the U.S. Civil War settled the issue of secession in fact, as well as in theory. But all the constitutional principles considered does not prevent the United States from devolving from the political center’s authority in Washington, DC, to the state and even large metropolitan levels. Continue reading
A friend of mine from India tells a story about driving an old Volkswagen beetle from California to Virginia during his first year in the United States. In a freak ice storm in Texas he skidded off the road, leaving his car with a cracked windshield and badly dented doors and fenders. When he reached Virginia he took the car to a body shop for a repair estimate. The proprietor took one look at it and said, “it’s totaled.” My Indian friend was bewildered: “How can it be totaled? I just drove it from Texas!” Continue reading
Years ago, a dear and late friend of mine, Bill K. once told me this story: He was a Chicago cop, one of the ‘ good guys ‘ who treated everyone equally. One day, he was driving his young son Nick to school. They were passing a bus stop and saw this guy getting off the bench to board the bus. The man was dressed like a laborer, with his lunchbox in hand. Bill turned to his son and said “Do you see that guy getting on the bus, obviously on his way to work? You see him holding that lunchbox, wearing a winter workman’s coat and hat? Well, son, THAT guy is the hero that you should worship. THAT guy gets up early each morning and shovels off to a job, bringing his ‘brown bag’ lunch with him. He probably puts in his full day, gets on another bus and goes home. Then, he gets up early tomorrow and does it all again. THAT is a hero!” Continue reading
I’ve been writing a lot about the evils of capitalism and its very close partner imperialism. Capitalism is central to most of the suffering in our world today and no matter how much we struggle for higher pay, an end to the many wars, universal healthcare, affordable housing, jobs for all who can work, etc., nothing changes until we squash capitalism and its ethos . . . profit and the accumulation of wealth by any means necessary. Continue reading
On Thursday, 122 UN member states adopted the first ever treaty banning nuclear weapons. It’s legally-binding when taking effect—without an enforcement mechanism to assure compliance. Continue reading
Most responsible rational state actors would shudder when warned by the mighty United States to quit its nuclear weapons programme and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing or risk being attacked. However, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un is neither responsible nor rational. Continue reading
There is a lot of violence in the United States, and if you look at the news it appears that things are getting worse. The nation is armed to the teeth, which means that any out-of-control angry person can vent in lethal fashion. Or, maybe they can choose to vent in the European style by using their car as a battering ram. Continue reading
Funny how so few of us understand the tremendous gap between ‘Dwindling Medicaid and Crapola Private Health coverage.’ This is NOT the exception, rather the rule, folks! Continue reading
President Donald Trump met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin Friday on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) Summit in Hamburg, Germany, but what exactly was said remains unclear. Continue reading
The right-wing Christian-owned store chain Hobby Lobby has settled a federal case that saw the Oklahoma City-based crafts retailer fined $3 million for illegally importing stolen artifacts from Iraq for “the Museum of the Bible” the store’s owner, Steve Green, is building near the National Mall in Washington, DC. Oddly, the title of the civil asset forfeiture case, brought in the U.S. Court for the Eastern District of New York, does not mention the 600-store Hobby Lobby chain or Green as the major culprits. Had the case been criminal, as it should have been since Hobby Lobby violated a 1990 law on trafficking of Iraq, the case would have been United States of America v. Hobby Lobby, Inc. Continue reading
A couple of rotten eggs finally got their due. Well, sort of. Continue reading
We live in traumatic times. The shock waves from wars, terror attacks, and spree shootings reverberate through our society and impact us all. For the direct victims and their family and friends this can be life shattering. Many of them suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a debilitating condition that can last for decades unless properly treated. Continue reading
The vehicles are in the driveway, parked in front of a two-car garage. Both the SUV and the hybrid sedan boast statements of identity, an OBAMA BIDEN bumper sticker and a HILLARY FOR PRESIDENT bumper sticker. Continue reading
The United States is a schizophrenic asylum of extreme paradoxes: While its internal politics reverberates with fake news-mediated recriminations, Americans yet find merit in the same disinformation machinery that facilitates false flags abroad. Continue reading
After the in-your-face Fourth of July “gift” that North Korea delivered to President Trump in the form of an intercontinental ballistic missile test, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see President Trump and the Pentagon retaliate by bombing North Korea. Continue reading
No matter how hard White House officials try, they cannot construct a coherent ‘Trump doctrine’ that would make sense amid the chaos that has afflicted US foreign policy in recent months. Continue reading
A tune was running through my head all this past Fourth of July weekend, and it wasn’t “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy.” No, the earworm that afflicted me was the opening number from the 1980 musical Barnum, a Broadway extravaganza that glorified the master showman and consummate humbug P.T. Barnum, born July 5, 1810. Continue reading
As Republicans in Congress move to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Democrats are moving toward Medicare for All—a single-payer plan that builds on Medicare and would cover everyone at far lower cost. Continue reading
The most encouraging trend in the otherwise bleak landscape of Western politics is the success of the “new kind of politics” unveiled by Bernie Sanders in the U.S., Jeremy Corbyn in the U.K., and parallel movements, parties and candidates in other countries. Continue reading
One of the few things I recall fondly about the Trump campaign—a short list, I’ll admit—was the candidate’s apparent glee in ridiculing the war-mongering of his rivals and predecessors. Continue reading
Trump’s belligerent unpredictability could embroil East Asia in devastating conflict. Continue reading
In cities and towns from New Delhi to New York the socio-political policies that led to the Grenfell Tower disaster in west London are being repeated; redevelopment and gentrification, the influx of corporate money and the expelling of the poor, including families that have lived in an area for generations. Continue reading
I think of freedom in positive, aspirational terms—as in FDR’s “Four freedoms,” or in the uplifting songs of freedom sung by oppressed people everywhere. Continue reading
When I was a young boy, I learned that not all animals are soft and cuddly. Some killed and were dangerous . . . they were called predators. Continue reading
Russia has long been the chief seller of energy—mainly gas and oil—in the world’s largest energy-market: the EU, or Europe. This means that U.S.-based energy companies, such as Exxon and Halliburton, aren’t the ones who dominate in supplying oil, gas, pipelines, and other energy-supplying needs, to the consumers and businesses in the world’s largest energy-market: Europe. Continue reading
Even before its recent “redesign,” which was claimed to provide an “uncluttered” look, Google News was one of the worst news aggregator sites on the Internet. Many longtime Google News users have complained about the site’s quality and dubious “news” content. Google has offered no reasonable explanations for its poor business decisions that have resulted in Google News being a repository for misleading news links. Keeping in mind that Google received its initial seed investment from the CIA’s IN-Q-IT, now known as IN-Q-TEL, the agency’s venture capital firm in the Silicon Valley, the CIA may be playing some sort of massive social network experiment on Google News users. Continue reading
Media scoundrels abhor journalism the way it should be—especially on domestic and geopolitical issues mattering most, notably on virtually everyting related to imperial wars, Russia and Trump. Continue reading
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The destructiveness of America’s alliances
Posted on July 13, 2017 by Eric Zuesse
Alliances between nations are military. Without being military, they would be nothing at all. Trade agreements don’t require alliances. World War I wouldn’t have occurred if there had not been alliances—it was built upon alliances. It was not built on trade agreements. It wasn’t even built on trading-blocs. Continue reading →