Pundits talk about presidential Inaugurals as celebrations of democracy, but the pomp and circumstance attended by Marine guards and punctuated by cannon fire carry an implicit message of intimidation that is closer to monarchy than a people’s government, writes Joe…
Tag: Joe Lauria
Democracy on the Ballot
What’s left of American democracy is on the Nov. 6 ballot, with the Republicans hoping that a combination of voter suppression and attack ads bought by billionaires will secure the White House and Congress. Investigative reporter Greg Palast describes the…
In Case You Missed…
Some of our special stories in June focused on the misguided framing of Campaign 2012, continued misreporting on Iran’s nuclear program, the misunderstood history of Watergate, and mistaken beliefs about human nature.
What Russia Fears in Syrian Conflict
The U.S. government condemns Russia for blocking aggressive steps to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. But Moscow fears Sunni extremists in the Syrian opposition and recalls how the West’s tolerance of such radicals before — in Afghanistan and the Balkans — led…
In Case You Missed…
Some of our special stories in October dealt with the spread of Occupy Wall Street protests across America; the ending of the U.S. military occupation of Iraq; the pounding of new war drums regarding Iran; Republican confusion; and more.
Convicting Iran Outside a Courtroom
The hard-to-believe accusation about an Iranian assassination plot in Washington may be thin on actual evidence but that has not stopped the Obama administration from using it to stir up animosity toward Iran within the American public and at the…
Why Palestine Already Is a State
Palestinian officials have appealed for membership at the United Nations, prompting angry retorts from Israel and a veto threat from the Obama administration. But the UN issue is membership, not statehood, which Joe Lauria writes is already a de facto…