IRAN: STAY’IN ALIVE

Sure, Iran did that thing in the Gulf of Oman. Why wouldn’t they? They decided its time to demonstrate they didn’t want to get jerked around forever by sanctions designed to strangle their economy. Sanctions for what? For keeping the deal they made with Obama. Yeah, Barack Obama, the guy who could think and talk

FOREIGN RELATIONS IN THE AGE OF TRUMP

One of my mother’s favorite expressions, invariably addressed to me, was “make yourself useful as well as ornamental.” Another helpful bromide, this one of uncertain provenance, is “tell your own story or someone else will tell it for you.” Practical advice for individuals, businesses and governments. How does this relate to Trump as an actor

GAZA: WHO ARE THE TERRORISTS … ISRAEL OR HAMAS?

Before this, Israel's third slaughter operation in Gaza in six years, the average American accepted Israel's propaganda line that, “Hamas terrorists in Gaza are raining down missiles on Israel, which is only exercising its legitimate rights of self-defense.” They accepted this explanation because the pathetically timid American press was afraid to ask logical follow-up questions,

ISRAEL: SLOWLY BEATING A SICK DOG TO DEATH … AGAIN

In the summer of 1982, the Israeli Air Force pummeled the densely-populated and virtually defenseless city of Beirut, Lebanon for nine weeks. A Newsweek Magazine reporter on the scene cabled his New York office … “Watching the Israeli Air Force smashing Beirut was like having to stand and watch a man slowly beating a sick

ISRAEL: IT'S GETTING UGLY

On June 12, 2014, three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped while hitchhiking in the occupied territories about 40 miles from Gaza. They were found dead on June 30. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's immediate response: “Hamas is responsible, and Hamas will pay.” His evidence: None. Netanyahu's right-wing coalition partners want dead Palestinian bodies, and a lot of