For once, I find myself agreeing with the contemptible Rashida Tlaib, the freshman Democratic representative from Michigan. Her vile comment that she gets a “calming feeling” when she thinks about how Palestinians allegedly offered refuge to Jews fleeing the Holocaust indeed was “twisted” and “taken out of context,” as she tweeted over the weekend. In … Continued
U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), following the lead of the insufferable Keith Ellison, opted to be inducted with a copy of the Koran for her congressional swearing-in ceremony. “My swearing in on the (Koran) is about me showing that the American people are made up of diverse backgrounds and we all have love of justice … Continued
A bipartisan consensus among the foreign policy elite holds that America needs to maintain its de facto overseas empire. This includes both preserving stability, as well as fomenting deliberate instability, including regime change in places like Syria. This consensus among elected officials, defense contractors, general officers, talking heads, and various experts is not shared by … Continued
On September 11, 2001, 19 Muslims hijacked four planes and used them to murder 2,977 people. Included in that number are 343 firefighters, 72 law enforcement officers, and nearly 200 military and civilian personnel killed at the Pentagon. Victims could be claimed by more than 90 countries and as many as 10,000 children lost their … Continued
There’s stench rising from the House side of the Capitol this week, and no, it’s not just the usual smell of D.C. in the oppressive summer heat. A months-long probe into a growing House cybersecurity scandal has reached an ignominious end, leaving questions unanswered, substantiated allegations unresolved, and a growing unease with just how easily … Continued
Does the Supreme Court care whether America is free or slave? That was the question 160 years ago, and it remains the question today. The result in Trump v. Hawaii is happier than that of the notorious Dred Scott v. Sanford, but that may only be a happy accident. The 5-4 decision upholding President Trump’s … Continued
Last summer, I had just arrived in Germany and was settling in at my family’s home when news of a yet another Muslim attack flashed across our television screen. The murderer, a 26-year-old Palestinian, had walked into a grocery store minutes from where I was sitting, plucked a knife from a shelf, and stabbed to … Continued
In romantic tones echoing the 2003 Iraq campaign, protests in Iran have inspired maudlin swooning by interventionists. “It’s the West’s job in these coming weeks to support our real allies, the Iranian people demanding freedom,” said Bill Kristol the other day. Former U.N. ambassador John Bolton proclaimed “our goal should be regime change in Iran.” And, … Continued
Recent events invite me to recall my Nazi student. Back in the late 1970s I taught college extension courses at military bases in the Pacific Northwest. I had some outstanding students, one of whom is still in touch with me and gives me lessons on close reading of political texts. One went to Duke law … Continued
There is a larger context concerning the recent controversies among the architects of Trump’s national security team and agenda, and the criticism of National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster. Recall first that the foreign policy of Barack Obama, Ben Rhodes, Susan Rice, and Hillary Clinton could be best termed “provocative appeasement,” and it logically led to … Continued
