General Philip Breedlove, who serves as Commander of the US Command in Europe and NATO's top general in Europe, is a good example of what happens when the division between a military and the civilians who in a democratic society should control that military breaks down. While there have been plenty of "political" general officers in the past, Breedlove has shown a particular predilection for infusing his policy preferences -- and even fantasies -- into what should be objective assessments of military capabilities and threats. Thus he has taken every opportunity to report to the media dozens of scare stories of Russian invasions of eastern Ukraine. But thus far he has presented no evidence of these "invasions." read on...
This week US Secretary of State John Kerry met with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Washington where he admitted that there were some differences between the US and EU on approaches to Russia. RPI Director Daniel McAdams appeared on RT to discuss what the US secretary of state might have had in mind by this admission, and whether we can expect the Europeans to continue to toe the American line on punishing Russia for its Ukraine policy... read on...
On February 8, 2011, then-Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) spoke against renewing what he termed “the three worst parts” of the USA PATRIOT Act during a US House of Representatives debate over legislation that would do just that. The provisions, without congressional action, were set to sunset — cease being United States law. Paul’s side lost that evening. But, liberty-restricting provisions of the PATRIOT Act, including section 215, are set to automatically sunset on June 1 unless the Congress again passes legislation to extend them. If the so-called “do-nothing Congress” would just live up to that label in regard to this matter, advocates for liberty would have something to cheer about come June. read on...
You can hear a high level of outrage in the voice of Judge Andrew Napolitano when he discusses on the Alan Colmes Show on Tuesday the death of an American in police custody in Baltimore, Maryland and the use of United States drones to kill three more Americans overseas. Napolitano expresses outrage regarding the killings themselves, as well as processes followed in the Baltimore and US governments that facilitate such killings and hide their details.
Regarding the death of Freddie Gray that has led to ongoing tension in Baltimore, Napolitano and host Alan Colmes engage in the following exchange: read on...
Former President George W. Bush's foreign and military legacy is not one resplendent with great victories. He and his advisors -- with the help of an obedient media -- lied the US into a war on Iraq where the mission was claimed accomplished before the real war had even begun. The "victory" was soon proven to be a chimera, paving the way for the emergence of al-Qaeda and ISIS instead of the promised democracy and peace. The cakewalk was a death walk.
Afghanistan was not much different. The longest war in US history was lost almost as it began, and it is only a matter of time before the US defeat is complete. read on...
Speaking April 11 in Austin at the University of Texas, former presidential candidate and United States House of Representatives member Ron Paul stressed the importance of ending the Federal Reserve. In particular, Paul explains how the Fed allows the US to pursue “perpetual war” and to put war profiteers in the military-industrial complex “on the gravy train.” read on...
Many people perceive Texas as a bastion of rugged individualism and minimal government. Kansas not so much so. This month both states’ governments are moving toward implementing laws removing some restrictions on people carrying handguns. Yet only Kansas is doing so without requiring an individual to take a course, pay a fee, and put his personal information into a government database — perfect for facilitating surveillance — before being able to legally carry a handgun.
On April 2, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed into law SB 45. The bill legalizes the carrying of concealed handguns by many people in Kansas without the requirement that they first pay a fee, take a class, obtain a permit, or provide personal information for inclusion in a government database. read on...
We have yet another example of how we are wasting billions of dollars in Afghanistan where a combination of incompetence and corruption continues to drain the US treasury. This week, SIGAR released two reports showing how, an inspection of the $7.8 million Shorandam Industrial Park in Kandahar is an utter failure and how the money to create a sustainable source of power for Kandahar City has left the city literally in the dark. Once again, there is no indication of any discipline or action taken against those who approve such projects and oversee such failures. read on...
Why does the US have the largest prison population in the entire world? One reason is the massive incentives to send Americans to the corporatist-run prison-industrial complex. The Ron Paul Liberty Report with Ron Paul and co-host Daniel McAdams of RPI welcomes special guest Will Grigg to discuss how the state of Idaho is seeking to lock up parents who seek to treat seriously ill children with non-intoxicating cannabis oil. read on...
When President Obama welcomed Iraqi prime minister Abadi to Washington last week he glowed with optimism over the US fight against ISIS. The US is making "serious progress" against ISIS, he said, and "what is clear is that we will be successful." RPI Director Daniel McAdams is not so sanguine over the US "fight" against ISIS, because as he tells RT, the US still has no idea what ISIS is or how it was created. ISIS is the product of US interventionism in Iraq and the idea that more US interventionism will eliminate the problem is illogical... read on...
