One of the sticking points I encounter in conversation is when someone challenges me that America does not have, as I allege, a military empire. However, they never seem to be able to rattle off any facts or statistics to the contrary.  This article is my attempt to document facts that he is unaware of for our benefit. The Department of Defense last issued information on troop deployment in December 2008. Obama’s recent troop additions of 21,000 troops to Afghanistan were covered here, but is not factored into the below facts. (photo) Continue reading →

As you mailed out that tax return again this year, it’s time to remember once again how much of your hard-earned bucks are being devoted to destruction, imperialist domination, slaughter and war, to funding ridiculous programs like the failed anti-missile system, and also to supporting a massively bureaucratic and overstaffed military. FULL ARTICLE

President Obama seems to be serious about a major effort to conquer Afghanistan even if it requires military operations in Pakistan without the permission of that ally. Continue reading →

It is difficult, even impossible, to accept President Obama’s “New strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan” as described by him in a formal speech on March 27. It fails by imperial and non-imperial standards. Continue reading →

The Iraqi war was brought against an innocent people who had nothing to do with 9/11, the war was unnecessary to effect regime change, it was ginned up by lies of those who sought a war to open a new profit line, and it is just one of the seven wars that was planned in the early ninety’s, to aid the American Neo-Con vision of Empire in the Middle East. FULL ARTICLE

Imagine for a moment that somewhere in the middle of Texas there was a large foreign military base, say Chinese or Russian.  Imagine that thousands of armed foreign troops were constantly patrolling American streets in military vehicles.  Imagine they were here under the auspices of “keeping us safe” or “promoting democracy” or “protecting their strategic interests.” FULL ARTICLE

I wrote this as a comment to Amy Goodman’s article, “Obama’s Coalition of the Unwilling.” It was suggested by a reader that I nail it to the door of the Oval Office. I’d love to, but I guess this is a good second best.

Amongst other things, we need to change our thinking and our language. For the US government and the press, every person that takes up arms in any way to protect himself and family, or to drive the occupiers out of his country is a “terrorist” or “insurgent” and probably trained by the often sought, but never found, Al-Qaeda. Continue reading →

Barack Obama said last Tuesday night to Congress, ” I will not allow terrorists to plot against the American people from safe havens halfway around the world. We will not allow it.”

I wonder how people in the Middle East felt hearing that, having been bombed as if they are terrorists for most of this decade, either directly by US planes, or with US made weapons, as in Gaza?  An Iraqi in Sikrit, said, “In fact, the US forces achieved one thing: That is destroying Iraq … We hope that the US soldiers will leave our country sooner rather than later in order to put an end to the bloodiest pages in Iraq’s history.” Continue reading →

President Obama indicated through his press secretary that his administration would review its policy toward Afghanistan before making a decision about sending additional troops to fight in that country.

Richard Holbrooke, his envoy, was in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region talking with leaders about how best to address the military and political situation. Obama also met with advisers at the Pentagon and the State Department.

As recently as February 15, it was reported that Obama “is refusing to be rushed into his first decision to send troops into combat…… questioning the time table, the mission and even the composition of the new forces.” Continue reading →

Unlike the unpopular war in Iraq, Afghanistan was widely viewed in the US as a moral war, based on the logic that since al-Qaeda was responsible for the September 11 terrorist attacks, and since the group is hosted by an equally militant Taliban government, both groups must pay. So far, the people of Afghanistan have paid many times over the price expected. Thousands were killed, and an entire generation was scarred by a new civil war, and yet a new foreign military occupation.  FULL ARTICLE