Chalmers Johnson on the Cost of Empire

BLANK May 15, 2009 Author, scholar and Truthdig contributor Chalmers Johnson passed away Nov. 20. In his honor, we are reposting this 2009 book review, which, like much of Johnson's work, remains relevant to this day. Dig deeper ( 16 Min. Read )

‘The American Way of War’ in 2009

Staff / Truthdig Mar 23, 2009 We certainly saw evidence that President Eisenhower's famous warning about the dangers of an insatiable U.S. "military-industrial complex" rang true during the Bush administration, but how about now? Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

War in Iraq: 2003-2010

Staff / Truthdig Feb 27, 2009 Updated: Well, not exactly a real pullout, but a plan to be announced by the Obama administration on Friday is expected to withdraw "combat" troops from Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010, officially ending U.S. combat operations in the war-torn country while keeping 50,000 ambiguously labeled "support troops" there. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Judge: Iraqi Shoeman Beaten

Staff / Truthdig Dec 20, 2008 Although allegations of physical abuse against reporter Muntazer al-Zaidi, better known as the guy who chucked his shoes at the head of the guy who invaded his country, were widely reported in recent days, it took until today for an Iraqi judge to officially rule that al-Zaidi was beaten while in custody. The system works! Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Latin Leaders Rebuke U.S.

Staff / Truthdig Dec 17, 2008 In a summit that celebrated the absence of the US on its guest list, Latin American leaders met in Brazil to discuss a post-U hegemonic world The talks, which centered on the "demise" of the capitalist model, also snubbed former colonizing nations Portugal and Spain in a further demonstration of the increasing political autonomy of the region. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Mugabe’s Last Stand?

Staff / Truthdig Dec 6, 2008 The U.S. has finally decided that it is "well past time" for Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe to be shown the door. This after he stole an election in June, subverted a power-sharing arrangement and run his once-prosperous nation into the ground. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Anti-War Group Supports U.S.-Iraq Agreement

Staff / Truthdig Nov 26, 2008 The anti-Iraq war organization Council for a Livable World has announced its support for the recently completed U.S.-Iraq security agreement. The group's news release urges support for the resolution, which it believes is "the best way for the United States to leave Iraq promptly and responsibly.” Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.S. Hegemony on the Outs

Staff / Truthdig Nov 21, 2008 Maybe it was the past eight years, or maybe it was the past three months, but a new report by the U.S. intelligence community estimates that American global power is on the decline, and will be for the next two decades as upcoming powers like China and India gain greater international standing. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Thousands Protest U.S. Pact

Staff / Truthdig Nov 21, 2008 Nothing says "go home" like 10,000 people yelling at you in a language you don't quite understand. And nothing says "go home" with more irony than an effigy of your president hanging at the very spot where a statue of Saddam was famously toppled after the fall of Baghdad in 2003. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

How Bloody Can Bush’s Legacy Be?

Staff / Truthdig Nov 12, 2008 The legacy of George Bush's two "wars of liberation" may already be judged as foreign policy blunders, but the real costs of war remain even after the truism of failed empire In Afghanistan, acid attacks on at least 15 female students mark a worrisome trend in women's rights there And in Iraq, an Iraqi soldier opened fire on a patrol of US troops, killing two. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Powell Busts a Move

Staff / Truthdig Oct 15, 2008 Former Secretary of State and current dance sensation Colin Powell graced the stage of a London hip-hop concert "in celebration of African culture." The song he sang and danced to? A Nigerian hit about people spending money gleaned from U.S. Internet scam victims. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Latin Leaders Blast Bailout

Staff / Truthdig Sep 25, 2008 The most explicit anti-capitalist analysis of the US's proposed bailout of major finance firms is not domestic, but rather international A cadre of left-leaning leaders in Latin America is ramping up criticism of Bush's crony capitalism, arguing that the U economic crisis was caused by the driving logic of American imperialism: fast money at the expense of the poor. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )