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Chuck Spinney: Killing America – Government Specifications Cost Plus

Note to readers: this blaster contains two clearly marked inserts that were not in my Time essay.  Also, in introducing Seymour Melman’s important work below, I should have mentioned that it was Melman’s considered belief in the possibility of putting together a political coalition to facilitate the conversion of the defense industry to civilian production. …

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Chuck Spinney: Break Syria, Mali, Niger? Do We Really Want to Keep Making a Costly Mess?

NOVEMBER 12, 2012 An Era of Conflicts The New Political Map of the Middle East by PATRICK COCKBURN, Counterpunch http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/11/12/the-new-political-map-of-the-middle-east/ President Obama is lucky in his opponents, particularly when it comes to explaining why America’s influence is waning in the Middle East. The issue was hardly mentioned in the election, aside from a botched attempt …

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Chuck Spinney: Mike Lofgren on How Democracies Die (Loss of Integrity)

Below is an outstanding essay by my close friend and colleague Mike Lofgren. How Democracies Die By Mike Lofgren, Truthout | Thursday, 25 October 2012 10:19 “Picture a country at the height of its international power and prestige. It has military forces stationed around the globe. It is an intellectual leader….” It’s not the one …

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Chuck Spinney: Israeli Micro-Management of Gaza Malnutrition

Below is a BBC report of and Israeli “calorie” study drafted in support of Israel blockade policies for Gaza.  To Israel’s credit, an Israeli human rights group forced the release of this report, but it does nevertheless raise a question: What kind of government would authorize work on such a methodical report on this subject …

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Chuck Spinney – Cogent Analysis pf Arab Spring Seven Key Challenges Not Available from CIA or Department of State – Plus Personal Appeal for Contributions to Keep CounterPunch Going

Jeffrey St Claire, the editor at Counterpunch has given me permission to distribute the attached essay, “The Arab Spring at the Crossroads,” by  Esam Al-Amin.  It was published in the subscription edition of Counterpunch and is not available at the CP website.  Al-Amin, who I do not know, has written a very informative summary of …

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Chuck Spinney: TIME Blog on Key Questions That Don’t Get Asked in Presidential Debates

Key Questions That Don’t Get Asked in Presidential Debates By Chuck Spinney | October 11, 2012 For reasons that were quite clear well before the Afghan “surge” began (see here and here), America’s Afghan adventure is now ending without achieving its goals, despite Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s claim Wednesday in Brussels that “significant progress” has been made …

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