Peace and Security
Afghanistan’s Corrupt Oligarchy
Our national leaders’ rationale for investing so much money and so many boots on the ground in that awful war in Afghanistan was that we’d leave behind a stable, popular government to assure peace and prosperity for all.
The War on Drugs Is the Dumbest of Them All
America recently commemorated the 40th year of its “War on Drugs.” Celebrations were muted because of the war’s dismal failure. How many candles are appropriate for shooting yourself in the foot? Congratulatory cards from sister nations were sparse, since many are urging us to abandon what was a stupid idea in the first place. Gee thanks, Richard Nixon.
The United Nations is Failing Syria
The United Nations Security Council, which is supposed to be the bulwark of global peace and security, has failed in its response to these popular uprisings, especially in the Middle East and North Africa. Inaction over Syria has left the Council seeming woefully unfit for its primary purpose: maintaining international peace.
Send in the Drones
Whew! The United States finally seems to have gotten the globe pretty much under control. Sure, it’s messy, but empires are like that. There are always malcontents mouthing off about “foreign threats” and the like, but nothing serious. We have the military, the technology, the will, and the oil.
Pentagon Spending Spree
Are you wondering where your tax dollars are going? Then take a look at the $642.5 billion stuffed into the National Defense Authorization Act, which the House of Representatives recently approved.
Diplomacy Is the Only Way Forward with Iran
Negotiators from the United States, the other four permanent members of the UN Security Council, and Germany met with Iranian negotiators in Baghdad to discuss Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Although there’s still a long road ahead, the resumed diplomatic action has made progress that undoubtedly sets the tone for future negotiations.
The State of the Military-Industrial Complex Is Strong
What can you do with a bunch of used generals? If you keep them active, they need new assignments. These can be expensive. But if you let them retire with fat pensions, they’ll go to work for arms producers, lobbying for more weapons and more wars. Either way citizens pay through the nose.
Operation Lip Service
The popular uprising in Bahrain shows no signs of going away.
The Strange Case of Charles Taylor
Former Liberian President Charles Taylor, who was found guilty of 11 charges by a court in the Netherlands, is a man of many firsts. He’s the first head of state to have escaped from a medium-security prison in the United States. He was the first sitting head of state to face charges of international crimes against humanity since the Nuremberg trials. Now, he’s the first head of state since World War II to have been convicted of war crimes by an international tribunal.
U.S. Torturers are Still Awaiting Arrest
Torture isn’t a good subject to fail on one’s moral report card. If you’re an individual, St. Peter is likely to take a dim view. If you’re a nation, it can cost you plenty of international prestige, besides putting hot-headed zealots yearning for revenge on your trail. We acknowledge these determined folks each time we try to board an airplane.
