Citizen vs. Government (Vol. 2)
More depressing answers to simple questions
War
John Bolton Is Still Mad That Donald Trump Wouldn't Let Him Bomb Iran
Plus: A majority of Americans support policing reforms, say goodbye to Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben, and more....
No, COVID-19 Isn't Like the Vietnam War. It Isn't Like Any War.
The coronavirus pandemic has killed roughly as many Americans as died in Vietnam. But the war metaphor serves mostly to sweep aside skepticism and dodge difficult questions.
If Bloomberg's Arrogance Worries You, His Weaselly Positions on Presidential Power Won't Reassure You
The presidential candidate reserves the right to wage unauthorized wars, kill Americans in foreign countries, prosecute journalists, and selectively flout the law.
Trump Administration Says It's Ready to Sign Peace Deal With the Taliban by the End of the Month
Left unspecified: how many U.S. troops would be coming home, and when
Trump Will Raid Pentagon's War on Terror Slush Fund To Build His Border Wall
The administration also plans to move $2.2 billion originally earmarked for purchasing vehicles, ships, and aircraft to cover wall construction costs.
Senate Passes Bill Stopping Further Military Action Against Iran Without Approval
Eight Republicans join the vote, but that's not enough to overrule a likely veto.
America Has Given Up Trying To Define Success in Afghanistan
"Most of the [indicators] of measuring success are now classified, or we don't collect it," the special inspector general for the Afghanistan reconstruction told a Senate committee.
Trump Brags About Killing Terrorists While Promising He's Working Toward Peace at State of the Union Address
President Donald Trump's schizophrenic approach to foreign policy was on full display during his State of the Union address tonight.
America Dropped a Record Number of Bombs on Afghanistan Last Year
Civilian deaths are also on the rise, and it's increasingly obvious that there is no clear strategy for the U.S. to "win" its longest military conflict.
Trump's Confrontation With Iran Shows Americans Have Learned Not To Rush Into War
Few people are buying the U.S. government's unconvincing explanations about "imminent" threats.
The Senate Has Enough Votes To Stop Further Unapproved Military Action Against Iran
Four Republicans cross the aisle to support a new resolution limited the president's power to wage war. But could they get enough to overrule a veto?
War Worries Transcend Trump
Even the president’s buddies understand the threat posed by the unconstrained use of military force.
Joe Biden's Debate Answer About His Support for the Iraq War Leaves Out Some Important Details
It's good to hear Biden admit that his initial vote to go to war was a mistake, but he continued to support the war well after it was clearly a disaster.
Trump's Iranian Justification Eroding by the Minute
Talking congressional oversight, the Bernie resurgence, and the death of Neil Peart on the Reason Roundtable podcast
More Holes in the 'Imminent Threat' Story on Soleimani
Plus: the Supreme Court's latest religious freedom case, a White House weather report, FDA follies, Vermin Supreme wins one, and more...
Escalation Breeds Escalation, in Iran and Beyond
Washington's dangerous reliance on military intervention does not serve American interests, increase our security, or put us on a path to peace.
No War With Iran, House Tells Trump. Next Up: Finally Forbidding Military Force in Iraq?
Plus: Tarriffs are killing U.S. wine, Vermont bill would ban cell phones for kids, and more...
Nikki Haley, Marco Rubio, and Lindsey Graham Try to War-Demagogue Like It's 2004
But their rhetorical tricks no longer bewitch a war-weary nation.
Sarah Sanders 'Can't Think of Anything Dumber Than Allowing Congress To Take Over Our Foreign Policy'
The former press secretary thinks abiding by the Constitution would be the worst thing for America right now.
Young Americans Are Right to Fear a Renewed Draft
It's a good time for those potentially on the receiving end of a draft notice to give some thought to how they might respond or resist.
Rand Paul, Mike Lee Are 'Empowering the Enemy' By Wanting To Debate War With Iran, Says Lindsey Graham
The Senate is preparing to vote on a War Powers Resolution that would move to curtail President Trump's military actions abroad.
House Schedules Vote To Halt Further Strikes Against Iran Without Congressional Approval
Sens. Mike Lee and Rand Paul declare support for a Senate version.
Trump's Speech Confirms That Soleimani Strike Didn't Prevent Imminent Attack or Make Americans Safer
But what has the saber-rattling of the past week accomplished for the United States?
Iran's Foreign Minister: 'We Do Not Seek Escalation or War'
Plus: member of Congress say #NoWarWithIran, a Ukrainian plane crashed in Tehran, and more...
Trump's Soleimani Strike Turns Democratic Hawks Into Doves and Republican Doves Into Hawks
Whether politicians care about congressional oversight seems to hinge on who is in power.
Trump's Iranian Kill Shot: Legal? Constitutional? Sensible? Impeachable?
The Reason Roundtable argues over America's latest foreign policy escalation
Who Poses the Greater Threat to Peace: An Impetuous President or 'Experienced Advisers' Who Are Disastrously Wrong?
History shows that expertise is not the same as wisdom.
Don't Believe Mike Pence's Spin About Iran and 9/11
The vice president says assassinated Iranian general Qasem Soleimani was involved in the September 11 plot. That's as true as when Republicans said Saddam Hussein was.
Trump Wants to Target Iranian Cultural Sites, Says His Tweets Shall Serve as Notice to Congress
Plus: the never-quite-there Klobuchar Moment, how Fox News learned to love the deep state, and more...
Without Evidence of 'Imminent' Attack on Americans, the White House's Justification for Killing Iranian General Seems Hollow
Reports now suggest that Trump took the unprecedented step of killing a foreign leader based on thin evidence of a threat and with an eye toward domestic politics.
'No War but Class War' at D.C.'s Iran Protest
About 1,000 left-wing demonstrators marched from the White House to Trump International Hotel to protest U.S. aggression against Iran.
Reminder: American Officials Lie About War
A humble and prudent foreign policy begins with recognizing the fog of war—and rejecting the dangerous paths of obedient belief and premature omniscience.
Congress Should Debate War, Not Mindlessly Cheer for It
The constitutional role of Congress is not to cheerlead a major escalation of a nearly 17-year-old conflict. It's to consider the best interest of the American people.
Does Trump's Strike Against Iran Mean We Are Going to War?
Plus: State Department tells Americans to leave Iraq, the return of freedom fries?, and more...
Military-Intellectual Complex Looks Forward to More War in 2020
The Council on Foreign Relations survey of foreign policy experts finds "more threats...likely to require a U.S. military response in 2020 than ever before."
The 'Afghanistan Papers' Confirm Critics' Worst Fears About America's Longest War
It's hard to compete for attention with the ongoing impeachment proceedings, but the "Afghan Papers" should cause heads to roll (or explode).
Tulsi Gabbard: The Anti-War Candidate
She's not a libertarian, but Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is shaking up the race for the Democratic nomination.
The Government Has Been Lying About Afghanistan All Along
Plus: Provocative reindeer cause trouble for beer label, Law & Order's sex work fantasy, and more...
Trump's Shameful Pardons for War Criminals Undermine America's Moral Authority
Pentagon brass, who urged the president not to issue these orders, fear that the president's actions will undermine the system of military justice.
Elizabeth Warren Seems To Fondly Recall Era of Not Knowing Whether Your Brothers Died in War
The senator from Massachusetts thinks more Americans should join the military. Why?
Rep. Dan Crenshaw Claims We Have a 'Very Cost-Effective, Small Footprint' in the Middle East
He's wrong on both counts.
Stossel: Rand Paul Wants to End America's Wars
The Kentucky senator makes the case for less American military involvement abroad.
Trump Said Leaving Syria Was About Bringing Our Troops Home. Why Is He Sending Them to Iraq?
The mishandling of the Syrian withdrawal appears to have created less stability in Syria and considerably weakened Trump's ability to dictate foreign policy—a situation where actually bringing the troops home now seems even more farfetched.
