Many Americans were shocked by how the Bush administration treated “war on terror” detainees and others were startled when the Obama administration abused suspected WikiLeaks leaker Bradley Manning in a military brig. But the larger scandal may be how common…
American Right and Limits of Logic
American politics is increasingly defined by a struggle that pits religious fundamentalism and anti-government true-belief against rationality and liberalism, with the former combination gaining gradual dominance over the latter. But poet Phil Rockstroh says both sides fail to grasp the coming collapse of…
Fixing a Glitch on Comments
A number of readers had trouble making comments at the end of Consortiumnews.com stories, a glitch that came from the format we were using. We have switched to a different format that, we hope, should make commenting simpler. Our apologies for…
The Why Behind the Gaza Mission
Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern has submitted these two YouTube videos to help explain why he considered challenging the Israeli blockade of Gaza as important enough to become a passenger on the U.S. boat named The Audacity of Hope.
The Rise of Pro-Democracy Journalism
The old idea of journalism arming the people with facts they need for democracy to work has been betrayed by major U.S. news outlets, like the New York Times and Washington Post, which have instead aligned themselves with national power under…
Not Looking in the Mirror
Americans generally see their country as a great moral force in the world and thus reject evidence of U.S. crimes, even when they’re obvious, like George W. Bush’s Iraq invasion or his use of torture. This delusional self-righteousness often leaves the United States at…
Mixed Signals on US Troops in Iraq
Anti-American Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has stood in the way of proposals to extend U.S. troop presence in Iraq beyond the end of this year, and some of his backers have attacked American forces as a reminder of the looming deadline. But Gareth…
Neocons Fume Over US Boat to Gaza
Exclusive: At the behest of Tel Aviv and Washington, Greek authorities stopped a small flotilla from sailing to Gaza in a challenge to Israel’s four-year blockade of the narrow strip of land and its 1.6 million people. Now, apologists for…
The Complexity of Mandela
Nelson Mandela was one of the last century’s great freedom fighters, taking on the evils of white supremacy in South Africa and defying the cold-hearted Realpolitik of Washington. But his triumph meant that the Western media would water down his…
Time to Leave Iraq
Arguably, the Iraq War has been headed for defeat from its earliest days, when it became clear the Iraqis would resist a U.S. occupation, but President George W. Bush didn’t want the blame, thus the “surge.” Now, President Barack Obama…
Where Rachel Maddow Dares Not Tread
High-profile U.S. journalists often like to boast that they are free to cover whatever they want, but that is often because they choose not to cross certain lines that would otherwise upset powerful people or interests. Marquette professor Daniel C.…
New Gift Offer for Fund Drive
Filmmaker William Brandon Shanley has offered DVDs of his documentary on Campaign 1980 as a premium gift for donors. Narrated by actor Martin Sheen, “The Made for TV Election,” examines the media manipulation that was a key part of that…
October Surprise Evidence Surfaces
Special Report: Among newly released archival records is the first U.S. documentary evidence that William Casey took a trip to Madrid possibly related to the 1980 October Surprise conspiracy. Doubts that Ronald Reagan’s campaign chief went to Madrid fueled a media frenzy in 1991 to debunk allegations…
The Real Scandal of US Justice
Right-wing judges now dominate the American legal system, from the state level where corporate donations help elect them to the U.S. Supreme Court where ideologues tip the scales in favor of big business. To Michael Winship, that’s the true scandal…
Ray McGovern on the Gaza Blockade
Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, back from Greece where he was part of an effort to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza, describes his experiences on the U.S. boat, “The Audacity of Hope.” Part One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjudlGlYJbI; and Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPaaaOliY8o&feature=relmfu
Inside the October Surprise Cover-up
Special Report: The George H.W. Bush Library in Texas has just released thousands of pages of documents on the October Surprise mystery, revealing how Bush’s inner circle handled allegations that the Reagan-Bush campaign in 1980 struck a treacherous deal with Iran.…
Blockades from Boston to Gaza
American leaders have a different view of punishing blockades today than they did after the British authorities imposed one on Boston in retaliation for the Boston Tea Party. Then, collective punishment of Massachusetts spurred the Revolutionary War; but now, Israel’s…
South Africa’s Corruption Cancer
South Africa is often viewed as the model for Africa’s future, an inspiring country that shed the curse of apartheid and white supremacy in a largely peaceful transition to majority black rule. But the corrupt economic culture of that earlier era…
Bachmann’s Aide Hides $10M Secret
Exclusive: When Rep. Michelle Bachmann landed Ed Rollins as her campaign manager, the move gave a shot of credibility to her presidential bid. Washington pundits adore Rollins and his blunt style, so much so that they have ignored the fact…
Putting Torturers Above the Law
In another example of how Democrats deal timidly with Republican crimes, the Obama administration has closed the book on the vast majority of George W. Bush’s torture scandals, including high-level approval of waterboarding and other forms of physical coercion. Only two…