US politics

Peter Van Buren | (Tomdispatch.com) | – – How can we stop the [so-called] Islamic State [group]? Imagine yourself shaken awake, rushed off to a strategy meeting with your presidential candidate of choice, and told: “Come up with a plan for me to do something about ISIS!” What would you say? What Hasn’t Worked You’d […]

African-Americans

On MLK Day, let’s Remember Ike’s warning about the Military-Industrial Complex

contributors

By Shahid Buttar | Electronic Frontier Foundation [Sunday] marked the 55th anniversary of a world-historical speech by the last war hero to occupy the White House: President Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower. His last speech while in office holds crucial implications for the U.S. today, as well as the history we celebrate . . . on […]

Foreign Policy

Out of Gas in Iranian Waters

contributors

By Michael G. Roskin | (Informed Comment) | – – Why did two U.S. Navy boats drift into Iranian waters? And why was it so easy for Iran to capture them? The best explanation is that the Riverine Command Boats—repurposed for freedom of navigation (FON) operations at sea—ran out of gas. The images of our […]

Barack Obama

Americans more likely to get hit by Lightning than Terrorism, but 51% Fear It

Juan Cole

By Peter Certo | (Foreign Policy In Focus) | – – One in 3.5 million: That’s your annual risk of dying from a terrorist attack in the United States, at least according to Cato analyst John Mueller. Rounded generously, that comes out to roughly 3 one-hundred thousandths of a percentage point, or 0.00003 percent. And […]

Featured

War Talk, Jingoism and White Supremacy at GOP Debate

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The GOP presidential debate last night veered even further right on international issues, given the absence of Ron Paul, who represents the Libertarian wing of the party that is less interested in foreign wars. Ted Cruz started off with a promise of war on Iran over […]

Foreign Policy

US–Saudi relations and the search for leverage

contributors

By Russell E. Lucas | (The Conversation) | – – Russell E. Lucas, Michigan State University The alliance between Saudi Arabia and the United States provides one of the foundations of American foreign policy in the Middle East. This week, tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia have been magnified by the Saudi execution of an […]

Barack Obama

Obama: Islamophobia harms US Interests; Daesh/ISIL a dangerous Fringe

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – President Obama’s last State of the Union address this year was largely lacking in specifics and replete with high ideals and ambitious goals like curing cancer. But he did address some issues in everyday politics. One of the more powerful moments came when he implicitly attacked […]

Foreign Policy

None of the GOP Candidates knows anything about Syria & Why that’s Scary

contributors

By John Kiriakou | (Otherwords.org) | – – “Ending this imbroglio requires robust diplomacy.” One ongoing theme [of the GOP campaign has] bothered me — a lot. It seems to me that none of the Republicans running for president had even the vaguest understanding of what’s happening in Syria. I learned during my nearly 15 […]

Bernie Sanders

New Polls: Is Bernie Sanders more electable than Sec. Clinton?

contributors

Cenk Uygur | (The Young Turks Video Report) | – – “Here comes Bernie! New polls show Hillary Clinton’s Iowa lead is all but gone… within the margin of error. She has been put on Bern notice. Cenk Uygur, host of the The Young Turks, breaks it down . . . “Democrats Hillary Clinton and […]