Thomas Paine on War and Empire

This past weekend, General Mark Milley, Chairman of the JCS, said U.S. troops would remain in Syria for another few years, ostensibly to prevent an ISIS resurgence, and that troops would also continue to fight the Afghan War for several years to come. This should have...

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William J. Astore: My Dad’s Silver Dollars

My dad left me two silver dollars. They’re worth much in sentimental value (I’ll explain in a moment), but they also teach us something about how America has changed.Here’s a photo of them. Lady Liberty is on the front, an eagle is on the back.These...

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William J. Astore on Torture USA

Five years ago, President Obama infamously said, "We tortured some folks." And no one was held accountable; indeed, as Tom Tomorrow put it in a cartoon from that time, "The only government official who went to jail for it [John Kiriakou] was the whistleblower who...

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US Folly in Afghanistan and Media Complicity

On NBC News Saturday, I came across the following, revealing, headline:The U.S. is eager to end its longest war. In interview, Taliban gives little sign it’s ready to change.Aha! The US military is allegedly seeking an end to its Afghan war, but it’s being...

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