Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Neoconservatives who pushed for the Bush-Cheney war on Iraq in 2003 hoped that by toppling the Arab nationalist dictator Saddam Hussein they could recreate Iraq as a country friendly to US interests and regional allies like Israel. I was told by one military officer that he was in the […]
Turkey wants Anti-Kurdish Pledges in Writing from Finland and Sweden before they can Join NATO
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Turkey is still holding up the application of Finland and Sweden to join NATO over what President Tayyip Erdogan says is the two countries’ support for what he considers Kurdish terrorist organizations and the Gulen sect. Turkey has been a member of NATO since it was formed in 1949 and […]
When it comes to Guns, the US is a Third World Country run by Corporate Lobbyists for a Profit
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – 21 are dead in another mass shooting, including 19 schoolchildren. The white slavers of the Old Souoth used to call US slavery our “peculiar institution.” Nowadays we have another peculiar institution, the gun culture. And we are peculiar. When it comes to gun violence, the United States is less like […]
Extinction Rebellion inspires Shell Consultant to Resign over Company’s Bad Faith on Climate Emergency, Call for More Resignations
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – In a letter of resignation to the Shell executive committee that she posted to her Linkedin page, Caroline Dennett, the director of the Clout consultancy, explained that she was leaving because Shell is “operating beyond the design limits of our planetary systems” and “is not implementing steps to mitigate the […]
Saudi Arabia Snubs US, Rejects Russia Boycott, as Rumors Fly Biden may meet with the Crown Prince
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Even as the possibility of a visit to Riyadh by President Joe Biden after his upcoming trip to Israel is being rumored, Saudi Arabia is signalling that it cannot be brought on board with the NATO effort to sanction Russia. Last week the Saudi Minister of Energy, Abdul Aziz bin […]
Australia’s “Greenslide” Shows the Political Dangers for Conservatives of Downplaying Climate Emergency
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who had headed the conservative Liberal-National Coalition since 2018, has been turned out of office, and the climate emergency played a key role in his defeat. Morrison’s rival, victorious Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese, proclaimed that Australia could become a “renewable energy superpower.” He […]
Portugal Opens Floating Solar Array on Europe’s Largest Artificial Lake as Floatovoltaics Expand Globally
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Europe’s high methane gas prices caused in part by the Russian war on Ukraine are hurting consumers even in countries like Portugal, which don’t import gas from Russia. Shortages are putting the price up for everyone. Portugal has made enormous strides toward greening its electricity grid in recent years. Wind […]
Dumping Russian Gas: 4 European countries seek 65 GW Offshore Wind by 2030, as EU Pledges $314 bn. for Green Energy
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Anyone who follows the climate emergency and extreme weather events would think the serial catastrophes of the past couple years would be enough to put the governments into crisis mode in moving swiftly to green energy. It turns out that for Europe, at least, it took the Russian invasion of […]
George W. Bush denounces “the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq — I mean, Ukraine”
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Michael Williams at the Dallas Morning News reports on George W. Bush’s speech at his presidential center at Southern Methodist University, during which the former president made what MSNBC’s Mehdi Hassan called “one of the biggest Freudian slips of all time.” Bush denounced the rigged elections that produced the dictatorship […]