John Glaser

April 28, 2014

In the aftermath of reports claiming John Kerry said Israel will become an apartheid state without a two-state solution, the Secretary of State is being portrayed as far outside the mainstream and his language is being condemned as erroneous in the extreme. To Republicans and Democrats, the word “apartheid” in reference to Israel’s rule over Palestinians is an appalling […]

John Glaser

April 28, 2014

The key to Rand Paul’s tenure as a Senator and to his latent 2016 presidential campaign has been to maintain the libertarian base that helped propel his father’s presidential bids while remaining somewhat within the mainstream Republican Party. That can be a difficult line to walk and Paul has done it reasonably successfully so far. Some […]

Charles Goyette

April 25, 2014

This week Charles Goyette talks with Ron Paul on their weekly podcast about the increasing authoritarianism of the nation-state. From mandating people’s decisions about medical treatment and insurance, to the clandestine gathering of private phone calls, and its deployment of special operations forces around the globe, the state’s heavy hand is everywhere. And as we […]

John Glaser

April 24, 2014

President Obama, who is in Japan today, has announced that the U.S. defense treaty with Japan applies to the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. Japan and China are in dispute over who has sovereignty over the largely uninhabited island chain in the East China Sea, but Obama’s statement, simultaneously meant to reassure Tokyo and threaten Beijing, made clear that the U.S. […]

Russ Wellen

April 24, 2014

In yet another definitive piece for the New Yorker titled What We Left Behind, Dexter Filkins writes about Iraq today, especially Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who the United States helped install. Many Americans blame Iraqis for killing their fellow citizens simply because they’re of a different sect of Islam. But we need to remember: besides […]

John Glaser

April 24, 2014

After seven years of formal separation, the Palestinian parties of Fatah and Hamas have agreed to come together and form a unity government. Since the U.S. and Israel consider Hamas a terrorist group instead of a political party, they both vehemently oppose the agreement. “It is hard to see how Israel can be expected to negotiate […]

John Glaser

April 23, 2014

Over at The Diplomat, Shannon Tiezzi worries that Obama’s trip to Asia this week “will increase perceptions in Beijing that the U.S. seeks to contain China’s rise.” It’s difficult to counter that perception because it happens to be correct. Obama is visiting Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Three of those four countries have formal security […]

John Glaser

April 23, 2014

The Washington Post reports that the U.S. has decided to “partially resume military aid to Egypt”: The United States has decided to resume delivery of Apache helicopters to Egypt, the Pentagon announced late Tuesday, backtracking on a decision officials made last summer following the country’s military coup and its violent aftermath. The Obama administration opted […]

John Glaser

April 22, 2014

“…it would be good to know under what circumstances the White House thinks it can kill Americans without a trial.” If Rip Van Winkle awoke just yesterday, he might be dumbfounded at the above sentence. To Americans in the Obama-era, it is an all too relatable assertion. The sentence comes from The New Yorker‘s Amy […]

John Glaser

April 22, 2014

At least 35 people were killed in Yemen over the weekend in a series of U.S. drone strikes. As usual, government authorities claim those targeted and killed were al-Qaeda members. At least three civilians were confirmed to have been killed, but the true number is unknown because the Obama administration insists on keeping that information […]