Portside

Nation-building in Afghanistan and Iraq was the resurrection of a doctrine that should have been buried after Vietnam.

The war in Afghanistan wasn’t a failure. It was a massive success — for those who made a fortune off it. Instead of a nation, what we really built were more than 500 military bases — and the personal fortunes of the people who supplied them.

They weren’t kidding when they called Afghanistan the “graveyard of empires.” That cemetery has just taken another imperial body. And it wasn’t pretty, was it? Not that anyone should be surprised. Even after 20 years of preparation, a burial never is

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We went to Iraq thinking this shooting was some form of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire between Blackwater guards and insurgents. After only one week, we determined that this incident was a massacre similar to My Lai in Vietnam.

“If wars can be started by lies, peace can be started by truth.”

When Toni Smith-Thompson turned away from the flag in 2003, the act was widely derided – a far cry from how similar gestures by NBA and WNBA players are received today.

Since 2011, Arab labor organizations and left parties have been central to movements for democracy and social justice in the Middle East. Frequently overlooked in Western media coverage...they’ve carried on this fight against tremendous odds.

I mourn mostly for those we have killed — and I mourn for those we haven't killed yet, but will in the days ahead.