Tag: foreign policy

Loujain al-Hathloul, Saudi Activist for Women’s Rights, Released– But U.S. Must Keep Up Pressure on Saudi Arabia

Happy news, rare in the realm of human rights in Saudi Arabia, occurred on Wednesday when it was learned that Loujain al-Hathloul, held in a Saudi prison for more than three years on what human rights observers agree were ridiculous, trumped-up, politically-motivated charges was released by the Saudi government under certain autocratic conditions. As reported… Read More Loujain al-Hathloul, Saudi Activist for Women’s Rights, Released– But U.S. Must Keep Up Pressure on Saudi Arabia

John Kaufman

Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Becomes International Law

Today most of the world is celebrating a new international treaty, now in force, that bans all nuclear weapons. So far, 52 nations have ratified the treaty, and 50 nations ratifying is what is needed to become law. The United States, in case you’re wondering, has not signed the treaty and currently possesses 5,800 nuclear… Read More Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Becomes International Law

John Kaufman

Rumple Oxbridge: “Trump’s ‘major, major’ getting tough with the Koreas”

By Rumple Oxbridge, radical rhymer The president says diplomacy is “very difficult” so we may have a “major, major conflict” [war] (lots of majors, lots of gore) with Koreans of the North.   As for Koreans of the South, Trump says they owe us for the clout of the new missile system “THAAD.” Besides, our… Read More Rumple Oxbridge: “Trump’s ‘major, major’ getting tough with the Koreas”

John Kaufman

In Guns We Trust, Again and Again

Surely it’s time to refute the great American myth our elected representatives in Washington, D.C. so believe in: an armed citizenry and war abroad will protect us from criminal and terrorist violence.  There is a sort of mass mental incongruity going on, a splitting of the political brain in which the epidemic of “mass shootings” is deplored and denounced but ignored while generally… Read More In Guns We Trust, Again and Again

John Kaufman

U.S. Bombing of Syria Begins (and so do civilian casualties)

Claiming that the United States already has the legal authority under both U.S. and U.N. law, President Obama notified Congress that he has ordered  more airstrikes in Iraq and, for the first time, dropped bombs and fired missiles into Syria against ISIS and another terrorist group. We will have to wait for Congress to return… Read More U.S. Bombing of Syria Begins (and so do civilian casualties)

John Kaufman