Ron Paul Says Iran Sanctions Will Backfire

Wednesday, in the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas explained to his colleagues the reasons for his opposition to the Iranian sanctions legislation and wondered why Congress would try to undermine the president when he’s in the middle of trying to reach a deal with them (Via DailyPaul.com):

Ron Paul: Iran War Could Break Dollar

Listen as Ron Paul explains the danger that the dollar could be pushed passed its breaking point by any war the U.S. might start with Iran.

Doing 55 in a 54

Kelley Vlahos has a great piece today on the Henry Gates affair and the larger problems of which it’s a symptom. One such problem is the ever increasing number of pretexts on which the authorities can interrogate, search, assault, and arrest citizens. The authority figure, equipped with endless excuses to initiate an interaction with the [...]

American Narcissism Quote of the Week

“Who is at the helm? The way Iran is acting up, and what about weather catastrophes? Hopefully no decision has to be made.”
- South Carolina state Sen. Jake Knotts (R-Lexington), Tuesday, on then-missing Gov. Mark Sanford

The Suffrage Green Preservation Society

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 [...]

I Love the Smell of Vindication in the Morning

Lord knows, I tried to warn you: Andrew Sullivan is no peacenik. In the last 24 hours of his hysterical Iran!revolution!fascism!democracy!whiskey!sexy! typeathon, Sullivan has relapsed and rediscovered all his old drinking buddies from the Saddam!liberation!fascism!democracy!whiskey!sexy! days: Michael Ledeen, Glenn Reynolds, Michael Totten, Christopher Hitchens… What, no Laurie Mylroie yet?
Sure, sure, he also links to a [...]

Did Ahmadinejad Win Fair & Square – and Cheat, Too?

Juan Cole presents a compelling case that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stole the Iranian presidential election altogether, pointing to the sheer lopsidedness of the results, both nationally and in specific areas, as proof of their absurdity. Robert Fisk, on the other hand, cites an Iranian friend arguing that Ahmadinejad’s victory isn’t really that hard to believe:

“The election [...]

Not only are they better capitalists, but better peacemakers too?

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, [...]

Extrude Mahmoud

In an interview in Der Spiegel, former Mossad agent and current cabinet minister, Rafi Eitan suggested that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad might find himself in front of an International Criminal Court in The Hague if he doesn’t watch himself. Anyone with even modest knowledge of the 81-year-old Eiten’s activities, in particular his role in Adolf [...]

The CIA is training landscapers, poolmen, and interior designers

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 [...]

Should the Israelis Arrest Benny Morris?

As Justin Raimondo points out in his article this morning, “A Brazen Evil,” noted Israeli scholar Benny Morris wrote an op/ed in Friday’s New York Times, “Using Bombs to Stave Off War,” in which he advocated that the U.S. government or the Israeli government attack Iran. In his op/ed, Morris wrote, “if the attack [...]

China – Taiwan: trade and prosperity

A round of applause to the AWC researchers that copiously scour the internet looking for stories.
One of the gems on the frontpage involves a recent timeline of economic relations between China and Taiwan since the election of Ma.  Notice how it is almost the exact opposite of what the current US administration has towards Iran.
There [...]