National Security State

By James Carroll | (Tomdispatch.com) — Mark these days. A long-dreaded transformation from hope to doom is taking place as the United States of America ushers the world onto the no-turning-back road of nuclear perdition. Once, we could believe there was another way to go. Indeed, we were invited to take that path by the […]

Bill of Rights

The Trial of Richard Bruce Cheney

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | — Satire alert : The hall at the International Criminal Court in the Hague was packed today as the trial began of former US Vice President Richard Bruce Cheney [they always give all three names of suspected felons in the newspaper.] The ICC justices begin with the first charge, that Mr. […]

Central Intelligence Agency

UN Condemns USA for undermining Torture Convention, Calls for Prosecutions

contributors

By Thalif Deen | — UNITED NATIONS, Dec 11 2014 (IPS) – The timing was inadvertently impeccable as two stinging reports on harsh interrogation techniques – by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the United States and former military regimes in Brazil – were released on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the U.N. […]

National Security State

McCain on Torture: A Stain on our National Honor, Produces Misleading Info

contributors

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) | — Candidate for the best American speech of this decade: “As the Senate Intelligence Committee’s CIA torture report roiled Capitol Hill Tuesday, Sen. John McCain framed the argument as one of moral clarity, all the while bumping up against his party leaders. “I rise in support of the release, the […]

Featured

Why the Founding Fathers thought banning Torture Foundational to the US Constitution

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | — I have argued on many occasions that the language of patriotism and appeal to the Founding Fathers and the constitution must not be allowed to be appropriated by the political right wing in contemporary America, since for the most part right wing principles (privileging religion, exaltation of ‘whiteness’ over universal […]

African-Americans

Pundits Blame Eric Garner For His Own Death (TYT Medley of Shame)

contributors

Cenk Uygur, The Young Turks | — “The death of Staten Island man Eric Garner after New York police Officer Daniel Pantaleo put him in a banned choke hold horrified civil rights advocates nationwide. When a grand jury declined to indict Pantaleo earlier this week, despite video evidence clearly showing that his actions led to […]

Barack Obama

Why SecDef Hagel is Really Out: As usual, the War Party Won

Tom Engelhardt

By Tom Engelhardt (Tomdispatch.com) It was the end of the road for Chuck Hagel last week and the Washington press corps couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about writing his obituary. In terms of pure coverage, it may not have been Ferguson or the seven-foot deluge of snow that hit Buffalo, New York, but the avalanche […]

Bill of Rights

Watchdog Says World Internet Freedom In Decline

contributors

By RFE/RL | — A U.S.-based rights watchdog says Internet freedom around the world has deteriorated for the fourth consecutive year, with the steepest declines in Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey. In its “Freedom On The Net 2014” report, released on December 4, Freedom House says that Iran, Syria, and China are the world’s worst abusers […]

African-Americans

Chokehold Victim Eric Garner’s Mother: “Justice System Failed Us”

contributors

AJ+ | — “Dec. 3, 2014, New York City: The widow of Eric Garner, the unarmed black man who died after an NYPD officer killed him by chokehold, says she doesn’t accept the officer’s prayers and condolences. She was speaking at a news conference along with Eric Garner’s mother and Rev. Al Sharpton hours after […]