Iran and nuclear weapons

One of the ways that political discourse is controlled is by limiting the range of options that are considered ‘reasonable’. In the case of Iran’s nuclear program, it is taken for granted that for that country to obtain a nuclear weapon means the end of the world, that the country’s leadership is committed to doing so, and so the only options are whether we should bomb them immediately or [Read more…]

The presidential right to murder

Attorney general Anthony Holder finally came out yesterday with a speech that ‘justified’ the Obama administration’s claim that it can summarily murder American citizens. And, no surprise, it reveals an administration that has nothing but contempt for the rule of law and fundamental constitutional protections of life and liberty, provided for by the right to due process. [Read more…]

Rick Santorum is our Captain Ahab

I have to say that Rick Santorum is the most interesting candidate, psychologically speaking, in the presidential race. And this is in the face of stiff competition from Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, and Newt Gingrich, all of whom would make fascinating studies of deluded thinking.

One thing that you must concede in favor of Santorum is that when it comes to his anti-women, anti-sex, anti-contraception, anti-gay, anti-secular agenda, he is [Read more…]

Israel revs up war propaganda against Iran

The annual conference of AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee), America’s premier pro-Israel lobbying group, began over the weekend and we will see the familiar ritual of leading American politicians, including the US president, dutifully attending and swearing their undying loyalty to Israel. It is really quite an extraordinary spectacle to see the leading political figures of one state swearing their unwavering devotion to the interests of another. Even [Read more…]

Another example of how religion poisons everything

The absurd fuss over contraception in the US is a classic example of religions abusing the language of ‘freedom of religion’ to advance their anti-women agenda. It turns out that Israel is also experiencing a similar phenomenon. Orthodox soldiers are apparently objecting to having to hear women sing at military functions.

The army’s insistence on men hearing women sing is such a serious attack on religious freedom, according to one prominent far-right rabbi, that “we’re close to a situation in which we will have to tell soldiers, ‘You have to leave such events even if a firing squad is set up outside, which will fire on and kill you.'”

Some see a more sinister agenda at work than [Read more…]