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Fifty years ago, Bobby Kennedy was about to win the Democratic presidential primary in Indiana. He would soon lose in Oregon and in a few weeks win in California, practically clinching the White House, and be murdered the same night. The film RFK Must Die and book Who Killed Bobby? leave little doubt that the CIA killed him. And of course there is no doubt that many have always suspected as much, which has had a damaging effect on U.S. read more

Of all the various groupings of Democrats raising campaign “contributions” under various banners, the only one that says anything useful about foreign policy is the Justice Democrats, whose platform says they want to close foreign bases, cut military spending, and end wars. It’s very short and vague, but it’s something.

The Justice Democrats’ website endorses 54 candidates and links to their websites. One is a candidate for governor, so let’s call it 53 candidates read more

1. There are over 80 million men, women, and children in Iran. Bombing them would be mass-murder.
2. If the U.S. government and its allies bomb Libya and Iran when their

Talk Nation Radio Transcript

Audio here.

David Swanson: Ray McGovern, welcome back to Talk Nation Radio.

Ray McGovern: Thank you, David.

DS: It’s great to have you back. You’ve been writing about lots of topics, one of them being arms control, or the lack thereof, and, of course, U.S.-Russian relations. What should people know that CNN isn’t telling them?

RM: How much time do we have, David?

DS: We’ve got 28 minutes.

RM: I’m joshing, of course. There’s read more

I discussed Curing Exceptionalism with Rob Kall:

When peace shows its face, and weapons companies’ stocks plummet, we have to do more than just cheer. We have to avoid misunderstanding where peace comes from. We have to recognize the forces that want to destroy it. We have to work to make it last and expand.

There’s something very twisted about the belief that the primary cause of tension between the United States and North Korea is what has reduced tension there. On a personal scale I think we could grasp this. If you yell insults read more

Suzy Hansen’s book Notes on a Foreign Country is the diary of someone going through the process of gaining the world by losing their religion, the religion of U.S. Exceptionalism. She begins as an ordinary U.S. resident, not believing anything that you would find unusual, but assuming all the certifiably insane things you assume are not even questionable:

• The United States is the best place to live.
• Its government generally means well.
• It seeks to help the rest of the world whose problems it has had little to do with creating.
• History doesn’t matter much.
• The other 96% are all a bit backward.

Hansen’s book, focused on her experience living in Istanbul, is a powerful case for living abroad and for reshaping U.S. education read more