Essays and Speeches
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The myth of America’s “booming economy”
You cannot escape it. You read it and hear it everywhere. From every news medium, every politician—the economy is booming ... thriving ... soaring ... the leading economic indicators are looking great ... stock market is going through the roof ... “economy showed signs of continued strength last month as Americans’ personal income rose by a robust .7 percent” ... prosperity everywhere ... the world’s richest country ... Keep reading →
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Treason: None dare call it nothing
The case of the United States vs. Theresa Squillacote and her husband Kurt Stand ended on October 23, 1998 in Alexandria, Virginia, with the jury finding the Washington, D.C. political activist couple guilty of “conspiracy to commit espionage”, “attempted espionage”, and related charges having to do with classified documents. They were sentenced to 22 years and 19 years in prison although they were not found guilty of—nor were they even charged with—doing harm to a single creature on the face of the earth. Keep reading →
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The United States vs. Iraq—A Study in Hypocrisy
Today, Secretary of State Albright travels around the world to gather support for yet more bombing of Iraq. The price, apparently, is still worth it. The price is of course being paid solely by the Iraqi people—a million or so men, women and children, dead and a previously well-off nation plunged into poverty, disease, and malnutrition from the previous bombings and seven years of sanctions. Keep reading →
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How the US provoked the Soviet Union into invading Afghanistan and starting the whole mess
Interview with Zbigniew Brzezinski, Le Nouvel Observateur (France), Jan 15-21, 1998, translated from the original French by William Blum. Keep reading →
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Peru: Their Terrorists, Our Freedom Fighters
Imagine that what happened in Peru were to take place in Cuba—14 Cuban dissidents taking over a large social gathering and holding a few hundred people hostage, including Fidel Castro’s brother Raœl and other prominent officials, as well as foreign ambassadors and businessmen. Imagine that the Cuban rebels made demands similar to those of the MRTA in Peru—raising the standard of living of the masses, bettering prison conditions, freeing a number of political prisoners, and improving the state of civil liberties. Keep reading →
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Will humans ever fly? Smashing socialism in the 20th century.
Imagine that the Wright brothers’ first experiments with flying machines all failed because the automobile interests sabotaged each and every test flight. And then the good and god-fearing folk of the world looked upon this, took notice of the consequences, nodded their collective heads wisely, and intoned solemnly: Humans shall never fly. Keep reading →
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Die Berliner Post-Times, 1943
Written in response to the US press reaction in 1996 to charges by journalist Gary Webb of the San Jose Mercury of a CIA connection to the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles. Keep reading →
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Hiroshima: Last military act of World War II or first act of the Cold War?
Does winning World War II and the Cold War mean never having to say you’re sorry? The Germans have apologized to the Jews and to the Poles. The Japanese have apologized to the Chinese and the Koreans, and to the United States for failing to break off diplomatic relations before attacking Pearl Harbor. The Russians have apologized to the Poles for atrocities committed against civilians, and to the Japanese for abuse of prisoners. The Soviet Communist Party even apologized for foreign policy errors that “heightened tension with the West”. Keep reading →