Saudi Arabia’s Other War Against Its Own People – ERIC DRAITSER

The Saudi war on Yemen has understandably come to dominate the headlines since it began in late March 2015. The international scope of the conflict – nominally including the participation of nearly a dozen Gulf countries – coupled with the obvious political and geopolitical implications, all but assured that nearly all mention of Saudi Arabia in the news would be …

Ray McGovern – Russia Impinges on Israeli ‘Right’ to Bomb Iran

The front page of the neocon flagship Washington Post on Tuesday warned that the Russians have decided, despite U.S. objections, “to send an advanced air-defense system to Iran … potentially altering the strategic balance in the Middle East.” So, at least, says the lede of an article entitled “Putin lifts 5-year hold on missile sale to Iran” by Karoun Demirjian, …

The Numbers Are Staggering: U.S. Is ‘World Leader’ in Child Poverty – Paul Buchheit

America’s wealth grew by 60 percent [3] in the past six years, by over $30 trillion. In approximately the same time, the number of homeless children has also grown by 60 percent [4]. Financier and CEO Peter Schiff said [5], “People don’t go hungry in a capitalist economy.” The 16 million kids [6] on food stamps know what it’s like to go hungry. Perhaps, some in Congress would say, those …

Hyping the Iranian ‘Threat’

The idea of Iran as a regional marauder that is gobbling up other countries in the Middle East and against which pressure must therefore be unrelenting has become one of the favorite themes of those determined to kill the nuclear agreement with Tehran. As an argument for rejecting the nuclear deal, this approach has always suffered from major factual and …

How America Became an Oligarchy – Ellen Brown

“The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don’t. . . . You have owners.” —George Carlin, The American Dream According to a new study from Princeton University, American democracy no longer exists. Using data from over 1,800 policy initiatives from 1981 to 2002, researchers Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page concluded that rich, well-connected individuals on …

Iran’s Ayatollah Khameini Derides GOP Letter as ‘Collapse of Political Ethics’

Iran’s highest leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday sharply rebuked an open letter released by GOP senators last week, charging that the missive demonstrates “the collapse of political ethics in the United States.” The letter, organized by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and signed by 47 Republican senators, directly threatened Iranian leaders that, if a nuclear deal were reached, it would not last …

The Israeli Elephant in the US Congress

It’s astonishing that in the breathless run-up to Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s appearance before a joint session of the U.S. Congress to warn of a nuclear-armed Iran, no one—politicians, editorial writers, media pundits—point out that there already is a nuclear power in the Middle East—Netanyahu’s Israel. Estimates are that Israel has about 80 nukes, roughly the same number as Pakistan and India. …