22 June 2009 | Barack Obama, Empire, Iran, Iraq, John McCain, Sanctions, War party | Matt Barganier
Like Justin, I’m pulling for Iran’s Greenies. No, Mousavi’s worldview and goals aren’t radically different from Ahmadinejad’s; if they were, his candidacy wouldn’t have been approved by the clerics. Nor are the people out in Tehran’s streets good little junior Americans, much less state-hating libertarians like me. But the protesters strike me as decent people [...]
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20 February 2009 | Economics, Empire, Military spending, News, US Military, War on Terror | Tim Swanson
Since the collapse of Lehman, how many times have both politicians and pundits suggested that wars act as economic stimuli? Aren’t we taught that it was World War II that ultimately got the US out of the Depression?
Worried that the US may not find any war(s) big enough to do the trick again? [...]
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10 February 2009 | Afghanistan, Culture, Draft, Empire, US Military, War on Terror | Tim Swanson
Over at Foreign Relations, William Hauser and Jerome Slater have a new idea on how to win the war on terror.
It doesn’t involve eleventy trillion dollars. It doesn’t involve hydrogen filled zeppelins. And it doesn’t involve nuclear-powered rail-guns or telekinetic dolphins. At least not yet.
Give up?
It’s reinstating the draft.
Ah, but you’re opposed [...]
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01 January 2009 | China, Empire | Tim Swanson
While the Obama administration will be shifting troops from Iraq to Afghanistan and continue maintaining more than 700 US military bases throughout the world, another country is using diplomacy to build peaceful relationships — without the use of troops.
This week, China not only signed a land border treaty with Vietnam but has now come out [...]
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30 September 2008 | China, Empire, Intervention, Iran, non-violence | Tim Swanson
CNN recently interviewed Premier Jiabao and no topic was considered too taboo. And while they probably wouldn’t call themselves libertarians, Wen Jiabao and Hu Jintao are arguably much more level-headed and diplomatic than many Western politicians like Obama, McCain or much of the G7 leadership.
In particular, Wen discusses a nuclear Iran and supports a peaceful, [...]
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27 August 2008 | Caucasus, Empire, George W. Bush, Intervention, US Military | Tim Swanson
One would think that a coast guard vessel has a fairly straight forward task: patrol the littoral waters surrounding the country.
However, it appears that the US coast guard, like the national guard, has a history of being used in imperial warfare. For instance, the USCGC Dallas, the largest coast guard ship currently in commission, has [...]
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15 August 2008 | CIA, Covert Action, Empire, Iran, Propaganda, US Military | Tim Swanson
The US military recently accused Iran of training “death squads” whose primary goal is carrying out assassinations. The information is being made public to supposedly “pressure” Iranian leadership into halting these operations.
So if Iranian assassins are called “death squads” what are similarly trained operatives from the CIA or Army called?
Perhaps the euphemisms that Pentagon officials [...]
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21 July 2008 | Barack Obama, Empire, Media, Propaganda | Tim Swanson
It would be an interesting case study to pin point the exact moment in time in which the political class was given a free pass by the press regarding visits to foreign countries.
For instance, one of the recent headlines that continues to run across the network tickers is Barack Obama’s visit to Europe and the [...]
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28 May 2008 | Empire, George W. Bush, Military spending, News, US Military | Tim Swanson
If you have a chance be sure to read the latest TomDispatch piece from the Highlights section.
Researcher Frida Berrigan copiously details the geometric rise of the Pentagon’s budget and omnipotence through the concerted efforts of the current administration. As Tom notes, it is perhaps the most powerful and concise overview on the breadth [...]
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27 May 2008 | Empire, Iraq, Media, Oil | Scott Horton
And check out Antiwar Radio’s new YouTube channel!
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04 May 2008 | Empire, Media, News, Propaganda, US Military | Tim Swanson
Not content with using former military officers to justify their modus operandi, or funding academic research to further their agenda, the State Department is now purchasing text ads through Google’s AdSense program.
The Bureau of International Information Programs has created, at taxpayers expense, an entire website devoted to “Telling America’s Story,” or rather whitewashing the foreign policies enacted by [...]
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27 April 2008 | Antiwar movement, Empire, Military spending | Scott Horton
The Libertarian Longhorns have invited me to speak at their meeting this Monday, the 28th at 8:00 PM on the subject of America’s biggest big government program: Empire.
The room is Mezes 1.306 (the Mezes Auditorium). Here is the link to the campus map.
Hope to see you there.
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