On July 6th 2023, we learned about what may be the worst development yet in the Russian-Ukrainian war. News reports confirmed that the United States is set to provide yet another very significant arms delivery to Ukraine, valued at up to $800 million. This announcement, although negative in and of itself as it will surely…
Category: US politics
Cuban solidarity is an example to the world
Last Monday, on a beautiful summer evening my partner Penny and I had the great honour of hosting Cuban Embassy officials David Aldama Pando, Third Secretary, and Areadna Quitana Castañeda, Press Attaché, as guests in our home. It was two hours of informative, intellectually stimulating discussion about a wide range of topics. The main topic…
The real reason Cubans are taking to the streets
For the seventh day in a row, thousands of Cubans have taken to their streets to demonstrate. The Western media was very quick to frame their actions as demonstrations against socialism. These media portrayals could not be further from the truth. For example, on July 14 the New York Times published an opinion piece by…
Call me a climate change optimist
In the last week I have become cautiously optimistic that the world may have turned the corner on global warming. On May 18, 2021 the International Energy Agency (IEA), long considered close to the fossil fuel industry, made an announcement that would have been unheard of until recently. They called on all energy companies and…
Bring back Carter’s brilliant proposal for Israel/Palestine
Israel is not the Middle East’s only theocracy. It is arguably also not the Middle East’s only apartheid state. It is, however, the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed country. Not only is it the only nuclear-armed nation in the Middle East, but its military is by far larger and more powerful than that of all other…
Lessons in humanity — and inhumanity
The other night my partner, Penny, and I watched “The Mauritanian” — a new film that’s getting a lot of buzz, and for good reason. I don’t normally blog about movies, but this exceptional movie is worth making an exception for. Most of us have at least heard about the Guantánamo Bay detention camp in…
A second look at Biden’s plan for Yemen
In my last blog, I commented favourably on President Biden’s announcement in regard to Washington’s new policy regarding Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen. Since then I’ve watched a video by investigative journalist, Abby Martin, on www.theAnalysis.news. The Analysis video opened my eyes and I am now much less optimistic about President Biden’s announcement. Regarding President…