Tag Archives: Jeffrey Weiss

NATO shares blame for Russia’s war in Ukraine

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I remember November 9, 1989, quite clearly. That was the day crowds of Germans, emboldened by the sweet scent of freedom, began to dismantle the Berlin Wall. It was an exhilarating moment filled with hope and promise. An end to the Cold War and the nuclear arms race seemed within reach.

At that time, I worked as the director of Des Moines Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. I happily considered the possibility of near-term unemployment.

What happened next was tragic. The promise of world peace was squandered, largely through the actions of US leaders, both Democrat and Republican. Since the late-1990s, tensions between Russia and “the West” have worsened. They’ve now come to a head in Ukraine, and the risk of nuclear war has never been greater. Continue Reading →

Lies swirl in the wake of Hurricane Helene

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I’m appalled when partisans use a disaster like Hurricane Helene for political gain. Perhaps not surprisingly, the worst lies are coming from Donald Trump.

Here’s a CBS clip of Trump claiming FEMA is diverting disaster relief money to help illegal immigrants. Two lies in one sentence: (1) non citizens can’t vote, and (2) no money was “stolen” from FEMA.

FEMA is run under the Dept of Homeland Security, which operates a bunch of programs, including “Shelter and Services,” which provides support to non-citizens awaiting their day in court. A hundred years ago, my Irish grandparents would have appreciated such a program.

Here’s Trump lying again, in a Facebook clip where he claims Biden isn’t helping Georgia recover from hurricane damage. That lie is followed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, matter-of-factly stating the exact opposite.
Continue Reading →

Making progress on human rights

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Some say all politics is local. Maybe. But it’s also important that we know what’s going on in the rest of the world.

When it comes to getting a handle on global affairs, my go-to guest for the Fallon Forum is Jeffrey Weiss. Jeffrey’s a college prof, an activist, and a life-time student of international affairs.

Between wars, human rights abuses, genocide, famine, and the nuclear threat, there’s so much global strive that it’s sometimes hard to remain positive. But when you step back and look at the bigger picture, over time, we should feel encouraged.

Jeffrey makes some good points on the progress that’s been made on human rights. Sure, we’ve still got a long way to go, and some of the current abuses show the barbaric side of the human condition. Continue Reading →

Four reasons to support Melissa Vine for Congress

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The corporate-funded DC establishment has thrown its collective might behind Lanon Baccam in the Democratic primary. I’ve got nothing against Baccam. Never met him, and I’ve only recently met his opponent, Melissa Vine. But I’ll give you four quick reasons why you should support Vine:

(1) It’s insulting, undemocratic, and morally wrong for DC insiders to try to handpick winners in local elections. Not surprisingly, the candidates chosen by DC Dems tend to be cozy with big business. A vote for Vine is a vote against this increasingly pervasive corruption of the democratic process.

(2) DNC-backed Democrats usually lose in the fall. See Patty Judge and Theresa Greenfield for details. Vine is hands down the best candidate to beat Republican Zach Nunn.

(3) Baccam’s light on key issues. Vine’s solid on the things I care most about and has a compelling personal story. Ten years ago, she bailed out of an abusive marriage, lost everything, and took a job checking groceries for $8.50 an hour. After earning her master’s degree in mental health counseling, Melissa became the Executive Director at The Beacon, a nonprofit for women coming out of trauma.

(4) Finally, a vote for Vine pushes back against the absurd attack against her, orchestrated by the DCCC, a local activist, and the mainstream media (MSM). Spurious ethics complaints and outright lies were thrown at me when I ran for Congress, and I can assure you the ethics complaint against Vine is so much BS. Yet that hasn’t stopped the MSM from giving it all kinds of coverage, basically parroting Melissa’s detractors’ talking points. I challenged two MSM outlets to give equal coverage to the real scandal of DC election meddling. They declined. Continue Reading →

Campus protests are hugely impactful

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In my view, the campus protests are historic and will profoundly impact both policy and politics. Already, officials at three universities — Brown, Northwestern, and Minnesota — have agreed to address students’ demands to divest funds from businesses enabling Israel’s annihilation of Gaza.

This enlightened response represents a stark contrast to what’s transpired at Columbia, UCLA, and many other universities — where heavy-handed intervention by law enforcement has resulted in over 2,000 arrests.

Politically, though Democrats want me and other honest commentators to shut-up, the protests are hurting President Biden’s reelection prospects. Badly. If the administration insists on staying its course of lip-service criticism while funding the war, Biden will lose in November.

Democrats need to learn from 1968, when in response to the Party’s support for the Vietnam War, Richard Nixon was elected president in a landslide and Republicans picked up seats in both the US House and Senate.

It’s not too late for Biden to do the right thing… Continue Reading →

UN: Israel’s Gaza assault is genocide

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On a trip last week to visit family, Kathy and I walked through the New England Holocaust Memorial — a poignant reminder of the horrors committed against Jews during WW II.

What astounds and saddens me deeply is that descendants of a people who were the victims of perhaps the most heinous attempted genocide in human history are now engaged in genocide against the Palestinians.

I do not use the word “genocide” lightly, and it is increasingly clear that Israel’s destruction of Gaza qualifies as such.
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Silencing Israel’s critics

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Check out this week’s podcast/radio program and give me your take on my conversation with Jeffrey Weiss. Jeffrey will blush when I say this: He’s a central Iowa treasure when it comes to analyzing foreign policy. He’s also not afraid to join a march, rally, or protest and have fun while making an important statement. (See photo for proof.)

ISRAEL-PALESTINE. Jeffrey and I discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and why there is so much push back against pro-Palestinian perspectives. For example, the bizarre decision by the Iowa Democratic Party to call for the resignation of three leaders with the University of Iowa’s University Democrats for writing a statement that included this: “Not only do we preach tolerance, but as an organization we emphasize education. The actions of the Israeli government are not the actions of Jews, and the actions of Hamas are not the actions of Palestinians or Muslims.”

Jeffrey and I also discuss the expression “from the river to the sea.”

We disagree about the political influence of AIPAC. Jeffrey feels the group’s impact is waning. I’m not at all convinced. Continue Reading →