How Trump unleashed Iran
In 1953, Iran’s democratic government led by Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq was toppled by a military coup backed by the CIA and the British Secret Intelligence Service. Mosaddeq had nationalized…
Nuclear Weapons
Wednesday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Kelly MacNamara writes about the slowing of Antarctic ocean circulation as a calamitous consequence of climate change which is happening far sooner than…
About Russia and security
Russia has throughout its history been the victim of brutal invasions. From the east across the steppe came the hordes of Genghis Khan in the 13th century, and from the…
Another failure on the nuclear front
Other than the various environmental swords that hang over our heads the greatest threat to the future of human society is nuclear war. In recognition of this overarching threat, global…
Ukraine—a hard power lesson for Iran … and others
In December, 1991, as the Soviet Union crumbled into dust, Ukrainians voted overwhelmingly for independence. Thus was created something of a nuclear problem. The new country was the world’s third…
Kim struts his stuff
Nuclear technology does more than make powerful weapons. It also makes for powerful politics. It allows Kim Jong-un, ruler of a sordid little dictatorship, possibly the most backward nation on…
A hundred seconds to midnight
Seventy-five years ago yesterday, at 8:15 in the morning, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. The fireball charred every human being within two kilometre…
How much crap should Iran be expected to take from the U.S.?
Iran under the Ayatollahs is hardly a model nation. Domestically, it is repressive and, due largely to sanctions imposed by the United States, impoverished. Its foreign policy is aggressive. It…
There’s a Reason They Called it MAD.
They were all the rage in my day. Tactical nuclear weapons, mini-nukes, or “those little bags of instant sunshine.” Somewhere around here I’ve got a then-“secret” field manual laying out…
The Day Putin Told Trump The Bromance Is Over
It was never as torrid an affair as many people imagined. The two political thugs were forced to admire each other from afar.Thank goodness.But it was an affair. Donald Trump…
A Blast From the Past. Remember the "Peace Dividend"?
The world but especially the Western alliance breathed a huge sigh of relief at the collapse of the former Soviet Union in late 1991. Over the following years, nation after…
Wednesday Evening Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Gerald Caplan writes about the existential threats to humanity which are being either escalated or ignored: We are rapidly approaching the same kind…
Is Donald Trump Losing His Marbles Again?
It's really good to know that the U.S. nuclear commander says he would resist an illegal order from Donald Trump.The US armed forces could refuse an order from the President…
Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Alex Himelfarb writes about the need to expand our idea of what’s possible through collective action: Is Trump the product of over forty…
Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Tom Parkin writes that the economic boost provided by an expanded child benefit offers another indication of how action to fight poverty…
Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Christopher Hoy reminds us that as much as people are already outraged by inequality, we tend to underestimate its severity. And Faiza…
Donald Trump’s Itchy Twitter Fingers and the Inauguration Debacle
The scariest thing about Donald Trump's government by Twitter is the way his mind wanders, from the important to the trivial. Or from one button to another.One moment he's pressuring…
My Canada Opposes the Nuclear Arms Race – No Brainer?
Perhaps it’s me, but it’s 2016, and despite how much JustinHarperTrudeau is maintaining CPC policy, I thought at LEAST nuclear disarmament would have been something Trudeau felt worth supporting. Despite…
Part I: What will NATO get up to in the north now that the chill is off between Russia and Turkey in the south?
PHOTOS: NATO pilots salute back in the day, when you could make a case there was actually a reason for the military alliance to exist. Below: Russian President Vladimir Putin…