NSA Grabs 75% of All US Internet Traffic
August 21, 2013
According to The Wall Street Journal, new details reveal the NSA’s reach is even broader than we’ve thought in the wake of Snowden’s leaks: The National Security Agency—which possesses only limited legal authority to spy on U.S. citizens—has built a surveillance network that covers more Americans’ Internet communications than officials have publicly disclosed, current and […]
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How Many Governments Has the US Overthrown?
August 21, 2013
Foreign Policy has posted a nifty map of the world noting “the 7 governments the U.S. has overthrown.” It’s cool and all, but this number 7 is a significant undercount. J. Dana Stuster, who posted this map, does specify that these are covert CIA-supported coups only and mentions it doesn’t include “a number of U.S. […]
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Photojournalist on the Human Costs of War
August 20, 2013
Via The Atlantic, this short video on photographer Kate Brooks and her journeys to post-9/11 conflict zones to document the impact of war on civilians is well worth a watch.
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Waging Economic Warfare, Militarily Encircling Iran Won’t Work
August 20, 2013
At The National Interest, Joe Costa claims that, in the wake of Iranian president Hassan Rowhani’s election, “the world is the closest it has been to that fine balance in nuclear negotiations with Iran.” There is a new willingness to reach a deal, he argues, and U.S. pressure is beginning to work. The pressure he refers […]
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US Official: Greenwald’s Partner Was Detained to Send a Message
August 19, 2013
The takeaway from the scandal over the detention by British authorities of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald’s partner, David Miranda, should be obvious: it was an egregious abuse of power by a desperate and cretinous government. Miranda was detained for 9 hours, the maximum allowed under a British anti-terrorism law. Uncontroversially, as Greenwald himself has laid […]
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Bradley Manning Tragedy Captured in One Quote
August 19, 2013
Tom Blanton’s photowork and caption captures the sad finale of Bradley Manning. “Those with proper authority” …. I liked that phrase better when Stephen Colbert uses it. See more of Blanton’s artwork & zippety headlines at http://www.pnar.org.
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Dying For Your Country
August 19, 2013
The Onion has a commentary up by someone bravely pronouncing his willingness to die for his country. Or…a country. As a true patriot, I would gladly die in battle defending my homeland. I love my country more than my own life. But I would also be more than willing to give my last breath in […]
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Hosni Mubarak To Be Released, as US-Backed Military Retains Control
August 19, 2013
Hosni Mubarak, the former U.S.-backed dictator of Egypt who was arrested and tried after being ousted by a popular revolt two years ago, is going to be released from custody within the next two days. I read this news this morning, after a piece of mine was published at the Daily Caller arguing the Obama […]
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The REAL reason Mr. Obama won’t declare Egypt a “coup?”
August 19, 2013
According to The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, The U.S. Government must suspend aid, particularly military aid, to any country suffering a military coup. (Sec. 508). SHARIF ABDEL KOUDDOUS: Egypt — the [Egyptian] military does get this $1.3 billion of [U.S.] aid, but it has to be spent purchasing U.S. weapons. And so, all of […]
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Oiling the War Machinery, From Oslo to Heathrow to Washington
August 19, 2013
In Oslo, the world’s most important peace prize has been hijacked for war. In London, government authority has just fired a new shot at freedom of the press. And in Washington, the Obama administration continues to escalate its attacks on whistleblowers, journalism and civil liberties. As a nation at peace becomes a fading memory, so […]
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