Author Archives: RagBlog

Cole on the "Swift-Boating" of Climate Change Science

Advice to climate scientists on how to avoid being Swift-boated and how to become public intellectuals By Juan Cole / February 28, 2010 Climate Scientists continue to see persuasive evidence of global warming and climate change when they speak at … Continue reading

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The Pentagon and All Its Suckers (That Would Be Us)

Gargantua’s mouth:The Pentagon and the suckers By Saul Landau and Nelson P. Valdes / February 27, 2010 The perpetual menacings of danger oblige the government to be always prepared to repel it; its armies must be numerous enough for instant … Continue reading

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A History of Relations with Iran

Mohammad Mosaddeq (1882-1967), Iranian Prime Minister and a major political figure in the modern history of Iran. This photograph was taken ca 1965 in Ahmadabad, Iran.Accusing Iran; Ignoring history By Ted Snider / February 26, 2010 Did Hillary Clinton seriously … Continue reading

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Health Care Reform : A Bad Proposal or a Worse One?

Senator Alexander, sitting next to Senator McCain, provided the Republicans’ opening statement at the Health Care Forum at Blair House, and he challenged President Obama and the Democrats “to renounce jamming it through in a partisan way.” Photo: Stephen Crowley/The … Continue reading

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Juan Cole on the U.S. Defense Budget

Gates Wants Europe to Beggar Itself on War Expenditures the Way the U.S. Has By Juan Cole / February 25, 2010 U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates decries Europe for general anti-war sentiment, unwillingness to beggar itself with expenditures on … Continue reading

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Freeland: Banking Goes Broadway

Pay Pals: Getting Big Bucks from BanksBy Bill Freeland / The Rag Blog / October 7, 2009 As MegaBank’s CFO, I’ve prepared the following guidelines for the upcoming meeting of the executive compensation committee. (I say “upcoming” but, of course, … Continue reading

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Iran and the Geneva Talks

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili expressed Tehran’s readiness to cooperate with the international community in all areas, saying he entered the talks with six powers in Geneva with “good will.” Photo: Al Alam.Real Progress With IranBy … Continue reading

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Losing Our Humor Over Guantanamo

On Guantánamo, Lawmakers Reveal They Are Still Dick Cheney’s PawnsBy Andy Worthington / October 6, 2009 I like to believe that, despite studying Guantánamo for four years, I still have a sense of humor, but last Thursday I lost it, … Continue reading

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Understanding the Politics of the Vocal Discontents

Remember Scout and Jem Finch? They who burn books …. will also, in the end, burn people.” — Heinrich Heine Fear, Ignorance and the Summer of Our DiscontentBy John Atcheson / October 4, 2009 Fear To those of us in … Continue reading

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Capitalist Health Care : We Live the Result

This is some considerable evidence that the common folk really don’t have much to say about the kind of health care we are going to get. Until we get this kind of activity and big money out of Congress, there … Continue reading

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Surprising Facts About Who’s Watching What

Fighting Delusion: Attention to Political NewsBy Joel Hirschhorn / October 2, 2009 You may be surprised, as I was, that a recent poll found that more Americans than ever are paying attention to national political news. But this does not … Continue reading

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