Tomgram: Erik Edstrom, Teaching Revisionist History 101 at West Point

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Born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth, a former businessman who had helped run companies into the ground, he was widely considered ill-prepared for the presidency, out of his depth, a lightweight in a heavyweight world. Still, having won the Republican nomination and then a uniquely read more

Tomgram: Robert Lipsyte, Trump Tackles the NFL

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Gladiatorial contests were the “sport” of choice of the Roman Empire for more than 650 years.  Losing gladiators were regularly wounded or killed, outcomes in which the audience often had the final say (thumbs up or down or a closed fist with two fingers extended). Such decisions were reportedly accompanied by screams of “let him go!” or “slay him!”  These days, read more

Petition asks Charlottesville to keep weapons out of rallies

A new petition, signed by over 8,000 people and just sent to Charlottesville’s City Council, asks Charlottesville to keep weapons out of rallies. The petition, found at https://diy.rootsaction.org/p/cville , reads:

“Make clear that in permits for any rallies in public spaces in Charlottesville, guns, knives, and sticks shall not be allowed.”

Activists, including nonviolent peace activists, are often forbidden to carry posters on sticks, having to use hollow carboard tubes, at events around read more

Congress Can Stop War with North Korea

We live in a world where North Korea presents the possibility of retaliatory strikes on the US main land and our Republican administration is throwing around wildly bellicose and recklessly threatening words that risk all of us having to pay the price of a nuclear exchange. It is time for congress to fulfill their constitutional responsibility (Article I, Section 8, Clause 11) to be the only body in the US that may start a war. Congress now allows the President an emergency exemption to take action read more

Focus: The FBI, Clinton and the Russian Uranium Deal – Oct 18, 2017

Tomgram: Engelhardt, Nixon’s Children

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“Tell Me How This Ends?”
David Petraeus Finally Answers His Own Question
By Tom Engelhardt

It took 14 years, but now we have an answer.

It was March 2003, the invasion of Iraq was underway, and Major General David Petraeus was in command of the 101st Airborne Division heading for the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.  Rick Atkinson, Washington Post journalist and military read more

Focus: Tax Reform – Oct 16, 2017

Wrongful Rhetoric and Trump’s Strategy on Iran

October 14, 2017

Mordechai Vanunu was imprisoned in Israel for eighteen years because he blew the whistle on Israel’s secret nuclear weapons program. He felt he had “an obligation to tell the people of Israel what was going on behind their backs” at a supposed nuclear research facility which was actually producing plutonium for nuclear weapons. His punishment for breaking the silence about Israel’s capacity to manufacture nuclear weapons included eleven years of solitary confinement.

Yesterday, read more