Tom Hayden's Blog, page 28

The Dangerous Rhetoric of Repression

The rationale for the Egyptian coup is a familiar racial one, that supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood are not qualified to be in power even when they compete in peaceful democratic elections. 

The Coup in Egypt: An Arab Winter?

The United States doesn’t classify the Egyptian military’s overthrow of the Morsi regime as a “coup” since that would suspend $1.3 billion in aid to country’s armed forces.

U.S. Next? Participatory Democracy in Brazil, Turkey

The recent mass uprisings led mainly by young people in Brazil and Turkey – two very different and newly emerging powers – represent a new participatory democracy stage in the evolution of social movements, which deserves the close attention of progressives. These movements follow the example of the Arab Spring, and suggest that the Occupy movement in the United States was only a preview of revolts to come. 

Obama Endorses Global Green Energy, Divestment from Polluters

In one of his most significant policy proposals, President Barack Obama committed his administration to global leadership against severe climate change, and strongly implied that the Keystone XL pipeline will be rejected, and seemed to endorse the growing movement to divest from polluting energy corporations.

The War on Democratic Rights

With the fiftieth anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington approaching, is the time at hand for mass protest and civil disobedience against the Republican/Tea Party’s war against voting rights and immigrant rights?

Snowden on the Run

The Edward Snowden case is far from over, but as of today it is a catastrophe for the superpower reputation of the United States and for President Barack Obama’s campaign against whistleblowers. Public opinion remains divided and confused, but a stream of disclosures about the Big Brother/Big Data complex is sure to trouble most Americans, cause an outcry among civil libertarians, and cast a further shadow over the American reputation in the world. 

Retreating Under the Cover of Drones

Thanks largely to American public opinion, President Barack Obama no longer has a Roman-style legion he can deploy to distant battlefields. He has withdrawn US troops from Iraq, as promised, despite that country’s volatile sectarian divisions. He is removing US ground troops from Afghanistan on a 2014 timeline, with that country likely to spin out of US control in the years ahead. At this writing, he is trying to avoid direct US intervention in Syria, although an escalation has begun. He repeatedly expresses his hope to achieve “some nation-building at home,” combined with a greater emphasis on diplomacy, or “soft power,” abroad.

One Million Green Cars in California

As the battle against climate change intensifies, California Governor Jerry Brown is nearing a decision to push for “one million green cars” on California roads.

Crisis in U.S.-Taliban Talks

No sooner had the US and the Taliban signaled their intent to resume talks this week than an eruption by Hamid Karzai threw the process into disarray. It was not the first case when the US client has tried to turn the tables. But if the Obama administration and NATO want to complete their troop withdrawals in 2014, a final showdown with Karzai appears increasingly necessary. 

U.S. to Talk with Taliban

[image error]In a significant breakthrough toward peace, Taliban representatives and the US have finally agreed to talks in Qatar. The date was timed to coincide with the official US handover of security duties to the Afghan police and army, and was announced to the media at the Belfast G-8 summit. The step reflects the long overdue need for a political-diplomatic dimension to the US exit strategy from Afghanistan.