Tag Archives: U.S. Military

Jack A. Smith :
Why the U.S. wants to stay in Afghanistan

The U.S. is supposed to withdraw troops by the end of the year, and the American people overwhelmingly want us to leave, but President Obama intends to retain a military presence. By Jack A. Smith | The Rag Blog | … Continue reading

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Rabbi Arthur Waskow : Drop Gas Masks, Not Bombs

Think out of the box. Digital art by Neho / deviantART. Act out of the box: Drop gas masks, not bombs Use the power of the U.S. in nonviolent, non-military, nonlethal ways to counter Assad’s (or the rebels’) possible use … Continue reading

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Ron Jacobs : Cruise Missile Morality

Tomahawk cruise missile launched from the Navy destroyer USS Halsey during a 2007 test. Image from U.S. Navy / NBC News. Here they go again: Cruise missile morality If one examines the overall policy of Washington towards Syria over the … Continue reading

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Steve Russell : Unfriendly Fire at Fort Hood

Police car outside judicial hearing at Fort Hood, Texas, July 9, 2013. Photo by Tony Gutierrez / AP. Workplace violence: Unfriendly fire at Fort Hood, Texas I am gobsmacked by a particular elevation of form over substance being practiced before … Continue reading

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Ron Jacobs : Onward, Through the Fog of War

Syrian refugees in Arsaal, Lebanon, on the Syrian border. Photo by Ed Ou / NYT. Enter Obama:Onward, through the fog of war There will be no progressive secular government in Syria after the bloodshed ends. Indeed, there may not even … Continue reading

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Harry Targ : Waist Deep in the Big Muddy, Again!

Smoke from fighting in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, December 1, 2012. Photo by Javier Manzano / AFP / Getty Images. One more time:Waist deep in the Big Muddy The case is clear that increasing the United States’ military … Continue reading

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Jack A. Smith : Obama, China, and the Middle East

Samantha Powers, Susan Rice (“two cats among pigeons”), and President Obama. Photo by Charles Dharapak / AP. Foreign policy pivot?Obama, China, and the Middle East Obama has transferred the brunt of U.S. foreign/military policy away from the Middle East and … Continue reading

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Tom Hayden : Can Obama ‘Rein In’ His Presidency?

Obama: Who’s making the call? Image from TomHayden.com. Competing forces at play:Can Obama ‘rein in’ his presidency? Obama often follows a confusing pattern of leaning toward the military’s preference while planning in his private chambers to later change course. By … Continue reading

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Lamar W. Hankins : We Must Heal Our Wounded Vets

Wounded Army vet waiting for a prescription for anti-seizure medication at a Colorado Springs doctor’s office. Photo by Michael Ciaglo / Colorado Springs Gazette. We must ‘heal the wounded’:The military’s abuse of enlistees At this point, almost a decade since … Continue reading

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Jack A. Smith : Afghanistan’s Karzai Lets Cat Out of the Bag

Afghan president Hamid Karzai. Photo by Massoud Hossaini / Agence France-Presse / Getty Images. But then, again…Afghan War may end by 2024 Washington evidently was taken aback by Karzai’s unexpected public revelations that made it clear President Obama is anxious, … Continue reading

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Lamar W. Hankins : The Delusions of War Ten Years and Counting

Austin activist David Hamilton demonstrates against the Iraq War in December 2008. Photo by Sally Hamilton / The Rag Blog The delusions of war ten years after the bombing of Iraq began Only the willingly deceitful claim anymore that the war … Continue reading

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Harry Targ : Expanding the ‘Iraq Syndrome’

Image from Democratic Underground. Cooperation over conflict: We need to expand the ‘Iraq Syndrome’ As we reflect on the 10-year anniversary of the launching of the Iraq War, the madmen inside the beltway are talking about increasing U.S. military involvement … Continue reading

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