Author: Cory Massimino

On April 22, the Saudi-led coalition used American-made bombs in an airstrike on a Yemeni wedding that killed at least 33 people, including the bride. This comes not long after Senators condemned the Trump administration’s recent arms deals to Saudi Arabia for over $2 billion in artillery and maintenance.

The Senate came close to stopping these military handouts last month, but the tripartisan bill failed by a 55-44 margin after Secretary of Defense Mattis implored the Senate to reject the bill because ending US arms sales "could increase civilian casualties, jeopardize cooperation with our partners on counterterrorism, and reduce our influence with the Saudis – all of which would further exacerbate the situation and humanitarian crisis."

It’s hard to see how ending support for a regime that has killed over 10,000 people since 2015 could "increase civilian casualties." And what good is our cooperation doing to combat terrorism if Saudi Arabia blockades have left three out of four Yemenis (more than 20 million people) in need of humanitarian assistance? The UN Human Rights Council says Yemeni civilians have been victim to “unrelenting violations of international humanitarian law."

Continue reading “Any Resistance Worth Its Name Must Fight Trump’s Militarism”

Tragedies lead to emotions running high. The terrorists that murdered 130 people in Paris are not to be taken lightly. Those 130 lives deserve much more than passive apathy in response to this brutality. But they also deserve more than hasty recklessness.

A foreign policy that rationally assesses its prior successes and failures, looks at the long-term consequences of its actions, and prioritizes the safety of people against terrorism is the answer to the recent barbaric Paris attacks. The temptation to immediately retaliate by bombing ISIS targets in Syria should not be pursued without careful consideration of the costs. Reason must temper our anger.

Public policy, guided by politicians focused on short-term public opinion, is often shortsighted and brash, especially in the wake of tragedies. Responding to pressure that we “must do something,” and motivated by anger and hate, people pursue thoughtless vengeance, rather than deciding on a course of action through rational deliberation.

Yes, justice should be swift, but we must figure out what justice is before acting.

Continue reading “More Bombs in Syria Aren’t the Answer”