The Glass Houses of Dictators by Jacob G. Hornberger November 18, 2002 President Bush’s reaction to the Iraqi parliament’s rejection of the newly enacted UN resolution authorizing renewed inspections in Iraq provides a fascinating insight into the direction in which our own nation is headed. According to the New York Times, President Bush said, “The Iraqi Parliament is nothing but a rubber stamp ...
I Need Provocation Now by Sheldon Richman November 9, 2002 It’s shocking how the quality of America’s leaders has declined over the decades. Do you believe that the U.S. government is actually contemplating an unprovoked war against Iraq? Think about that: Iraq has staged no attack on the United States. You can’t count the firing on American military aircraft. That’s ...
Pawn Takes Knight by Sheldon Richman November 9, 2002 Yeah, right. Even though Saddam Hussein has now agreed to unconditional weapons inspection, the world is going to support a U.S. war against Iraq because he hasn’t released his political prisoners or returned Kuwaiti property. Those acts of omission aren’t exactly the stuff of a global threat. It’s turning out that ...
Delayed Blowback in Indonesia by Jacob G. Hornberger November 9, 2002 Indonesian reaction to the recent bomb blast in Bali that killed 180 people is another example of the consequences of U.S. interventionist policies. According to an article in the Nov. 7 issue of the New York Times, a common perception among educated Indonesians is that the CIA, not Islamic terrorists, set off ...
Some Nagging Questions by Sheldon Richman October 29, 2002 Some things have been bugging me about President Bush’s efforts to plunge us into full-scale war against Iraq: If Saddam Hussein’s program to develop weapons of mass destruction is so secret, how did Mr. Bush get aerial photos of all those large above-ground buildings that allegedly house Iraq’s nuclear program? ...
Who’s Deterring Whom? by Sheldon Richman October 7, 2002 The key word in analyzing the confrontation between the U.S. government and Saddam Hussein is “deterrence.” When we think of that word, we typically attach it to U.S. policies versus other governments. But I do not mean deterrence by the United States of Iraq. That would be nothing new. The ...
No Reason to Go to War by Sheldon Richman October 7, 2002 The signals coming out of Washington about the impending war against Iraq are ominous. This is not only because it would be an unprovoked and undeclared war against a nation that has not attacked us, but also because of the new reasons being offered. The Bush administration tried its best ...
Listen to the Administration by Sheldon Richman October 7, 2002 The United States will go to war against Iraq. But anyone who thinks the war will be motivated by evidence of Saddam Hussein’s attempt to procure and wish to use evil weapons will be mistaken. Despite the general claims that President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have as-yet ...
Bush, Rumsfeld, and Orwell by Sheldon Richman October 1, 2002 It has long been clear that little of what government leaders say and do makes no sense unless you understand that they think we are idiots, uninformed, or both. Could there be better evidence than recent remarks by President Bush and Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld? Let’s start with the much-admired Secretary ...
Whither Congress? by Scott McPherson September 23, 2002 As President Bush rushes the nation headlong into another foreign war, an important question should be finally and unambiguously answered: What exactly were those old gentlemen talking about in 1787 when they wrote that Congress, not the president, held the power to declare war? Are we to believe that they actually ...
Make Him an Offer He Can’t Accept by Sheldon Richman September 16, 2002 President Bush is no Don Corleone. When the Godfather wanted something, he would make an uncooperative person an offer he couldn’t refuse. Mr. Bush, following his predecessor, makes his adversary an offer he can’t accept. Former President Clinton did this with President Milosevic of Yugoslavia before launching a war over Kosovo. Clinton made demands — including ...
Why Is the Self a Lesser Cause? by Sheldon Richman August 20, 2002 War increases the burdens of government. If you seek evidence, look around. Government does not grow only in obvious ways, for example by gaining the power to hold individuals without charge or to monitor their lawful activities. It also grows through the promotion of a culture of sacrifice. In war, more ...