Did Defense Department general counsel Jeh C. Johnson really think invoking Martin Luther King, Jr.’s name in the service of our presence in Afghanistan would fly?
The Misuse of Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Obits for “Fabled Hero” of Vietnam War, Vang Pao, Omit CIA Drug Connection
Van Pao’s “secret army” was financed by the CIA as part of the war against North Vietnam. Is the U.S. also tolerating and empowering drug lords in Afghanistan?
Thanks to New START, You Too Can “Ride Out” a Nuclear Attack
U.S. nuclear-war policy has always been poised between deterrence — riding out a nuclear attack before responding — and launch on warning — an itchy trigger finger.
Apostate Politics: How Some Recanted Muslims Have Bolstered Militarist US Policies
Recently, there has emerged a cadre of high-profile individuals from the Greater Middle East who, unlike Chalabi, have turned against Islam and embraced their lives in the West. In doing so, they have adopted views strikingly similar to some of the more hawkish factions in U.S. politics.
The Urge to Surge: Washington’s 30-Year High
Just as 2010 ended, the American military’s urge to surge resurfaced in a significant way. It seems that “leaders” in the Obama administration and “senior American military commanders” in Afghanistan were acting as a veritable WikiLeaks machine. They slipped information to New York Times reporters Mark Mazzetti and Dexter Filkins about secret planning to increase pressure in the Pakistani tribal borderlands, possibly on the tinderbox province of Baluchistan, and undoubtedly on the Pakistani government and military via cross-border raids by U.S. Special Operations forces in the new year.
Nuclear Weapons Just Not Sexy Anymore
It’s becoming more and more difficult to interest young officers and scientists in nuclear weapons.
Should Progressives Concern Themselves With Defense Strategy and Line Items?
Due to the economy, the time is rapidly approaching when real cuts to defense spending will become possible. Progressives need to start staking out their positions on doctrine and technology now.
What Would It Take for Americans to React Like “Gaza Youth Breaks Out”?
“Gaza Youth Breaks Out” set an example by pointing a finger at oppression across the political spectrum.
WikiLeaks XXVI: Sea Change in U.S. Policy Toward Latin America? No, Clerical Error
Outgoing Brazilian President Lula isn’t too optimistic about U.S.-Latin America relations.
There Actually Was a 2010 Worth Remembering
Believe it or not, the year offered some outright clear-cut progressive wins.