Nation Topics - War | The Nation

This article reflects on the withdrawal of Paul Hackett, an Iraq War veteran, from a race for an Ohio Senate seat the Democrats desperately want to win. Hackett insists he was pressured to quit the race by members of his own party. The article suggests that his challenger, Sherrod Brown, is a favorite of grassroots labor, civil rights and antiwar voters and is a better candidate who will bring more energy than Hackett, who had failed to make many inroads among Democrats outside of Ohio.

This article looks at Haiti and the victory of presidential candidate René Garcia Préval. During the February 2006 elections, guns went underground, kidnappings stopped and Port-au-Prince streets that had been extremely violent became accessible to voters. Haiti soon dissolved into protest, confusion and angry when it looked like Préval, the leading candidate, would be denied the election. Haiti's people were concerned that his fate would be the same as Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who was twice voted in and both times forced out by military coups.

This article reflects on a court decision in Brooklyn, New York stating that United States courts will not interfere with the torture of suspects in the "war on terror" despite previous court decisions to hold officials of other countries responsible for the torture of people in their own lands. The article suggests this is another example of American exceptionalism and cites the example of a man recently detained and interrogated at John F. Kennedy airport on his way home to Canada from Europe.

The article presents the last article in a series called "Letter From Ground Zero." The author explains the reasons for ending the series, which center around the complexity of the U.S. President George W. Bush administration's policies originating from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the inability to continue to trace the origins of the policies. The author speaks about the crisis of the balance of powers and popular freedoms in the United States.

The author comments on the State of the Union address delivered by U.S. President George W. Bush. Bush did not mention the government's defense pact with the Shiite leaders who will dominate Iraq. While Bush paid tribute to civil right leader Coretta Scott King, antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan was tossed out. Bush addressed issues like healthcare, education and gas prices. He thinks we have too much insurance, so he offered to privatize healthcare. Bush didn't mention that he has not funded his own education programs and is cutting education spending. He remains in denial about global warming.

The author comments on U.S. President George W. Bush's defense of the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping of Americans. Richard Nixon infamously defended his approval of warrantless wiretapping of U.S. citizens involved in the 1970s antiwar movement. Nixon was proved wrong. Bush appears not to have learned the lesson that Presidents are not above the law. This government's assertion of uncheckable executive powers is one of several myths the Administration has propagated in a public relations effort to convince the public of a transparently unconvincing argument.

The article presents Michigan Representative John Conyers' views on America's national security budget. The author suggests that the U.S. should focus on destroying stockpiles of weapons worldwide. Financial statistics related to the war in Iraq are reviewed. The concept of a unified security budget is discussed.

The article criticizes the mass media in the United States for its reporting on the revelations that the President George W. Bush administration engaged in secret jailing and torture of people while pursuing warrantless wiretapping as part of the War on Terrorism. "The New York Times" newspaper delayed the publishing of the story on domestic spying until it became clear that the information would be published in a book by James Risen. The "Washington Post" is criticized for its handling of the information on secret Central Intelligence Agency prisons.

The author comments on Iraq following the December 15, 2005 election. The election does not mean the waning of popular support for the insurgency, and may accelerate sectarian violence if the Shiite religious coalition dominates the new government and remains unwilling to compromise. Now is the time for Congress to make future funding for U.S. forces contingent on a deadline for withdrawal. A withdrawal would do far more to end the threat of foreign terrorists in Iraq than U.S. military action. The U.S. counterinsurgency has brought Iraq to the edge of a full-scale war of sectarian violence. A strategy of withdrawal and diplomacy would be more likely to attract international involvement.

The author suggests that intraparty challenges are an effective way to get the attention of risk-averse politicians and make them change their thinking. With persistence and strong convictions, insurgents can alter a political party. Center-right Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman is taunting the party's voters with his embrace of U.S. President George W. Bush and the Iraq war. Some citizens are talking about challenging Lieberman by running an antiwar candidate against him. According to Tom Matzzie, MoveOn's Washington, DC, director, the prospects for denying Lieberman the party nomination in the primary look encouraging.