Tag: International relations

Facing three global crises, the American empire may be nearing final collapse

By ALFRED MCCOY Empires don’t just fall like toppled trees. Instead, they weaken slowly as a succession of crises drain their strength and confidence until they suddenly begin to disintegrate. So it was with the British, French and Soviet empires; so it now is with imperial America. Great Britain confronted serious colonial crises in India, Iran… Read More Facing three global crises, the American empire may be nearing final collapse

Dilip

TikTok, tick-tock

Historians will find many reasons for the end of this American era, but the siege of TikTok reminds us that its largest cause was the epoch-defining rise of China… The US, that apostle of laissez-faire and free speech, now wants to save 170 million American TikTok users from themselves by banning an app. It’s hard to be… Read More TikTok, tick-tock

Dilip

Not China, Nepali Congress forced Prachanda’s hand

Bharat Bhushan There is strong suspicion in Nepal that the revivalist demand for abandoning secularism and restoring Nepal as a Hindu Rashtra is being encouraged by the Hindutva forces in India. Nepal’s politics has once again taken an unexpected turn with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, aka Prachanda, breaking his alliance with the Nepali Congress. Prachanda’s Communist… Read More Not China, Nepali Congress forced Prachanda’s hand

Dilip

The Blood Telegram

First posted November 28, 2011 Archer Kent Blood (March 20, 1923 – September 3, 2004) was an American diplomat in Bangladesh. He served as the last American Consul General to Dhaka, East Pakistan. The Blood telegram (April 6, 1971) was seen as one of the most strongly worded messages ever written by Foreign Service Officers to the State Department. It was signed… Read More The Blood Telegram

Dilip

West Votes Against Democracy, Human Rights, Cultural Diversity at UN; Promotes Mercenaries, Sanctions

The West voted against the rest of the world on United Nations General Assembly resolutions, opposing democracy, human rights, and cultural diversity, while supporting mercenaries and unilateral coercive measures (sanctions). By Ben Norton / Geopolitical Economy Report Western governments frequently claim that their foreign and domestic policies are motivated by “human rights” and “democracy”. They often… Read More West Votes Against Democracy, Human Rights, Cultural Diversity at UN; Promotes Mercenaries, Sanctions

Dilip

Has the fallout from the Pannun incident really been capped? Brazen overreach backfires for India

Bharat Bhushan The indictment by US agencies of Indian criminal Nikhil Gupta for plotting the murder of Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on behalf of an Indian government agent may cause the unravelling of a macho narrative being prepared for the general election of 2024. The unfortunate events may have emerged from the virile foreign… Read More Has the fallout from the Pannun incident really been capped? Brazen overreach backfires for India

Dilip

Henry Kissinger: the Dr. Caligari of American Empire

‘no legal notice was more gratifying than the one CounterPunch received when Ken Silverstein published these photos of Henry Kissinger picking his nose during a press conference on Brazil. As Ken noted, “Kissinger was OK having his picture taken with murderers like Pinochet but upset when outed as a snot eater‘ (The Cabinet of Dr.… Read More Henry Kissinger: the Dr. Caligari of American Empire

Dilip

Henry Kissinger was the definition of elite impunity

For U.S. mass media, Henry Kissinger’s quip that “power is the ultimate aphrodisiac” rang as an obvious truism. Influential reporters and pundits often expressed their love for him. For decades, the media establishment swooned over one of the worst war criminals in modern history. After news of his death broke on Wednesday night, prominent coverage echoed the… Read More Henry Kissinger was the definition of elite impunity

Dilip

India’s reckless cowboys

Bharat Bhushan The United States has clearly put the squeeze on the Narendra Modi government with the filing of an indictment in New York of murder-for-hire charges against Indian national Nikhil Gupta (a.k.a. Nick). He is accused of participating in a foiled plot to assassinate a US citizen in New York City, widely believed to be Sikh separatist… Read More India’s reckless cowboys

Dilip

President Biden needs to Dump his War Hawks and Turn to Peace Work if he wants to Salvage his Presidency

The rate of the killing of Palestinian civilians is similar to the rate of killing during the Cambodian genocide.  Within a week of the Israeli assault, 880 scholars and practitioners of international law, conflict studies, and genocide studies signed a statement warning the public and political leaders of the possibility of genocide…“As scholars and practitioners of international… Read More President Biden needs to Dump his War Hawks and Turn to Peace Work if he wants to Salvage his Presidency

Dilip