We know that Donald Trump is not fit to be sitting in the White House. He is a dangerously disordered president, and we have observed enough aberrant behaviour to fill a psychiatric text book. (more…)
Melvin A. Goodman
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Israel’s duplicity and deceit of the US
“The State of Israel will be judged not by its wealth, nor by its army, nor by its technology, but by its moral character and its human values.” (more…)
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The years 1968 And 2024: Will history repeat itself?
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana, 1905. (more…)
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The mainstream media’s unwillingness to challenge U.S. militarisation
The Washington Post finally conceded in an editorial recently that the United States must “spend smarter” when it comes to defence. Instead of looking for ways to cut defence spending, however, the Post simply wants to spend differently. It favours more spending on conventional and nuclear-armed submarines, despite the huge U.S. advantage in both power projection and lethality in air and naval resources. The Post favours greater investment in cyber defences and secure communications as well as in “predictive analytics” and artificial intelligence. And, of course, the Post joins the chorus of political and pundit voices warning that China “continues to creep toward Taiwan,” currently the main driver of militarisation. (more…)
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Can the United States provide an off-ramp for Putin?
If you believe that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was unprovoked, then perhaps you should read no further. And, if you believe that Vladimir Putin will allow the United States and Europe to bring Ukraine into the Western security orbit, then once again you should read no further. (more…)
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United States and Russia: Dangerous export of democracy and dictatorship
Earlier this month, the Department of State circulated to our embassies around the world its report on Russian efforts to sway elections and exert political influence in more than two dozen countries over the past ten years. According to the study, Russia has covertly given at least $300 million to political parties and politicians in order to “shape foreign political environments in Moscow’s favour.” (more…)
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The dangerous civilian-military chasm in America
Several weeks ago, the mainstream media carried a statement from eight former secretaries of defence and five retired four-star generals that stated the obvious: military officers have a duty to support and defend the Constitution. The statement credited the “civil-military system” with the ability to “respond quickly to defend the nation in times of crisis.” On January 6, 2021, however, the civil-military system deliberated for hours while a seditious mob attacked the Capitol, the citadel of freedom in the United States. We still do not know who was responsible for this failure to act. Nor do we know who was responsible for deleting messages from the cell phones of high-ranking officials at the Secret Service, the Department of Defence, and the Department of Homeland Security. (more…)
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American exceptionalism: Our gun culture at home and abroad
There is an insidious and unspoken connection between our gun culture at home and abroad. U.S. politicians and pundits believe that huge defence budgets provide international security for the United States, and many Americans believe that personal weapons provide safety at home. We don’t question the use of deadly weaponry in unnecessary wars overseas; Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan are the most recent examples. At home, there are more guns than people — 120 guns for every 100 people. The United States is exceptional because some of the same weapons designed for war are available to teenagers fighting their personal demons. (more…)
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A diplomatic end to Ukraine crisis would need US to admit its hypocrisy
There is a diplomatic path to cool the talk of war in Ukraine, but it will require the US admitting that it overplayed its hand.
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The United States can solve the Ukraine crisis
The US should be able to broker a compromise that recognises Ukraine’s sovereignty while limiting the Western military presence on Russia’s borders.