Counter Punch

Tells the facts, names the names. CounterPunch is an independent US based politics magazine and online publication. www.counterpunch.org/

Counter's recent articles

Rehabilitating Rumsfeld, Erasing Empire: On All Those U.S. War Crimes in Iraq

Nearly twenty years out from the U.S. invasion of Iraq, its much more comforting to continue nursing establishment narratives about the war that emphasize it as a failed or bungled effort as costly mistake of the past.

The passing of the present and the decline of America

When it comes to Americas role in the world, however, it becomes difficult to profess even modest optimism. If Biden clings to a calcified and militarized conception of national security as he appears intent on doing he will put his entire presidency at risk. Rather than restoring American primacy, he will accelerate American decline...The American experiment in dictating the course of history has reached a dead end.

Pentagon Papers failed to cure servile pro-war media

The mainstream media nowadays often show more distrust and indignation about peace than about war.

How the United States helps to kill Palestinians

The U.S. corporate media usually report on Israeli military assaults in occupied Palestine as if the United States is an innocent neutral party to the conflict. In fact, large majorities of Americans have told pollsters for decades that they want the United States tobe neutralin the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Washingtons Delusion of Endless World Dominion

Empires live and die by their illusions. Visions of empowerment can inspire nations to scale the heights of global hegemony. Similarly, however, illusions of omnipotence can send fading empires crashing into oblivion. So it was with Great Britain in the 1950s and so it may be with the United States today.

America Radiates Violence: Challenging the Politics of Isolated Incidents

In light of the tragic violence that has unfolded once again in the form of mass shootings in Boulder, Colorado and Atlanta, Georgia, it becomes clear that another pandemic defines the United Statesa pandemic of violence. The figures speak for themselves.

The US Money Tree: The Untold Story of American Aid to Israel

On December 21, the United States Congresspassedthe COVID-19 Relief Package, as part of a larger $2.3 trillion bill meant to cover spending for the rest of the fiscal year. As usual, US representatives allocated a massive sum of money for Israel.

Let's build something decent from the rubble of this empire

The US empire will fall sooner or later. All empires do. So, this crisis, just at the start of the Biden and Harris years, is a fine time to begin thinking about what might be built in its place.

How Steve Bannon tried to destroy Pope Francis (Counter Punch 3 Jan, 2021)

At the outset, I cannot emphasize enough the tremendous value and insight provided for the framing of this reportage by What We Dont Talk About When We Talk About #MeToo by JoAnn Wypijewski, an important anthology of sex crime journalism offering an essential lens for analyzing our neurotic social mores about sex, crime, public hysteria, and justice. Its important chapters on the Boston clergy abuse scandal gave me the backbone to write the following report

Noam Chomsky: Three major threats to life on earth that we must address in 2021

Large parts of the worldoutside of China and a few other countriesface a runaway virus, which has not been stopped because of criminal incompetence by governments.

The coup in Washington: Why is anyone surprised by Trumps fascist politics?

As I write this, pro-Trump protesters have stormed the U.S. Capitol building seeking to impose Trumps attempted coup on America. Trumps hand in stoking the coup is apparent on multiple fronts. Hes been disseminating and mainstreaming baseless electoral fraud conspiracies for months years really.

Brexit bluster exposes the waning of English power

I met pleased and gloomypeoplein the first half of last year when I travelled around the UK writing about the potential impact of Brexit. But by far the happiest of those I interviewed were veteranIrishrepublicansin Belfast, mostly present or past members of Sinn Fein, who had devoted their lives to opposing British rule.

Even the Opposition Believes Venezuelas Election Was Legitimate. A failed US coup attempt

Before the National Assembly elections on December 6 in Venezuela, the United States government began a campaign to delegitimize the process.

Ending Americas Forever Wars (CounterPunch, Dec. 4)

There was a time, almost two decades ago, when America was not at war throughout the greater Middle East. Events in November 2020 boosted the hope that such a time might return sooner rather than later. That was when Trump installed a group of officials in the defence department who are apparently more responsive to his decision to wind down U.S. forever wars.

Election 2020: a Democratic Mandate or a Vote Against Trump? (CounterPunch Nov 24, 2020)

Every election year is accompanied by countless analyses of why Americans voted the way they did. The 2020 election is no different.

The 8.1 Million Vote Landslide (CounterPunch Nov 11, 2020)

Some folks are seeing this election as a squeaker for Biden since we saw close races in key states. This has concealed the fact that Biden actually is winning the popular vote by a large margin. Since many votes are still not counted across the country I thought I would do a simple exercise where I projected margins for the votes outstanding in each state.

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