London (Middle East Monitors) – The United States warned Iran on Tuesday it will “respond swiftly and decisively” to any attacks by Tehran’s allies in Iraq that resulted in injury to Americans or damage to US facilities, Reuters reports. The statement by the White House press secretary accused Iran of not preventing attacks in recent […]
Archives for September 2018
Global Heating Boosts Hurricane Florence, as Climate Denialist Governors Urge 1.5 Million to Flee
(Watchers.news) – The National Weather Service has issued hurricane and storm surge warnings for portions of the coasts of North and South Carolina on September 11, 2018, as extremely dangerous Hurricane “Florence” continues heading toward the East Coast U.S. Landfall is expected between northern South Carolina and North Carolina’s Outer Banks on September 13. Florence […]
The Irrelevance of Trump: America was a Plutocratic Nat’l Security State and Still Is
Boston ( Tomdispatch.com) – Donald Trump’s tenure as the 45th U.S. president may last another few weeks, another year, or another 16 months. However unsettling the prospect, the leaky vessel that is the S.S. Trump might even manage to stay afloat for a second term. Nonetheless, recent headline-making revelations suggest that, like some derelict ship […]
Did Trump almost start WW III with Russia with Proposed Massive Bombing of Syrian AF?
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – According to Bob Woodward’s just-released book, “Fear,” Donald Trump had been pressed to use 200 cruise missiles to destroy the Syrian Air Force in 2017. Knowing that the Russian Aerospace Forces personnel were all over Syrian air bases, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis became alarmed, and shaped a limited response […]
Could Massive Solar and Wind Farms make the Sahara Green Again?
By Alona Armstrong | – Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy is an important and necessary step towards averting climate change. However, in our efforts to go green, we also need to be mindful of other consequences, both intended and unintended – and that includes how a mass deployment of renewable technology might affect […]
Israeli Right: Oslo Peace Process is Dead, and We Packed down the Earth on the Grave
Amichai (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – A panoramic view of mountains and neighbouring Palestinian villages before him, Avichai Boaran thinks back on the Oslo accords first signed off on 25 years ago and happily declares them dead. “Oslo is buried deep in its grave,” says the 45-year-old resident of Amichai, a new Israeli settlement in the […]
Islam: Compassion and Positive Peace in the Qur’an
One of the early chapters of the Qur’an is “The City,” chapter 90 in the standard version. It gives us a good idea of the verses being recited by the Prophet Muhammad around 613, three years into his ministry, once he started preaching publicly. I discuss this period in Chapter 3 of my new book: […]
In Huge Game-Changer: California commits to 100% Green Electricity within 25 Years
Los Angeles (AFP) – California Governor Jerry Brown signed landmark legislation Monday committing his state to a 100 percent clean electricity grid by 2045. At least 20 countries and twice as many large cities have made similar pledges, but California — the fifth largest economy in the world — is by far the biggest jurisdiction […]
#Plaidshirtguy shows Why Trump likes Mideast Dictators
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The most striking characteristic of the tyrant is pettiness. Trump as president is dangerous. He is volatile. He shouts that he wants people killed, and apparently in large numbers sometimes (“kill them all,” he appears to have said about the Syrian government, and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis just ignored […]