home / subscribe / donate / tower / books / archives / search / links / feedback / events / faq
As John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt's long awaited "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy" draws hysterical abuse, former CIA intelligence officers Kathy and Bill Christison define the Lobby's real nature, trace its history, and measure its actual power. Get your copy today by subscribing online or calling 1-800-840-3683 Remember contributions to CounterPunch are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now
|
September 20, 2007 Kathleen
Christison Zoltan
Grossman
September 19, 2007 Paul
Craig Roberts Paul
Krassner Sgt.
Martin Smith Seth
Sandronsky Claud
Cockburn Victoria
Buch Robert
Weissman Mike
Ferner Dan
Bacher Website
of the Day
September 18, 2007 Mike
Whitney Alan
Farago John
Ross Ron
Jacobs Alex
Doherty September 17, 2007 Marjorie
Cohn Paul
Craig Roberts Ricardo
Alarcón Marc
Levy Eva
Liddell Website
of the Day Sept. 15-16, 2007 Alexander
Cockburn Vicente
Navarro Mike
Whitney Herman
Mindshaftgap Ellen
Cantarow Jordan
Flaherty Zachary
Hurwitz September 14, 2007 Debbie
Nathan Franklin
Lamb Patrick
Cockburn Farzana
Versey Alan
Farago Hank
Edson September 13, 2007 Patrick
Cockburn Scott
Vest, former Air Force Captain at Minot Andy
Worthington Michael
Baney Dr.
Susan Block September 12, 2007 Paul
Craig Roberts Stan
Goff William
Blum Manuel
Garcia Debbie
Nathan September 11, 2007 Patrick
Cockburn Iain
Boal Michael
Dickinson Guerry
Hoddersen Bill
Hatch Gary
Leupp Website
of the Day September 10, 2007 Uri
Avnery Patrick
Cockburn Saul
Landau and Farrah Hassen David
Michael Green Pius
Adesanmi Betty
Schneider September 8 / 9, 2007 Alexander
Cockburn Saul
Landau Ismael
Hossein-Zadeh Ray
McGovern Matthew
Abraham Alan
Farago Christopher
Brauchli Rannie
Amiri Fred
Gardner James
L. Secor Missy
Comley Beattie Ben
Tripp Francis
Boyle Joe
Allen and Paul D'Amato Website
of the Weekend
Robert
Fantina John
Ross James
Brooks Russell
Mokhiber Joshua
Frank John
Walsh Mark
Brenner Mike
Ferner Website
of the Day
September 6, 2007 Kathleen
and Bill Christison Allan
J. Lichtman Norman
Solomon Yifat
Susskind Catherine
Fenton Laura
Santina Farzana
Versey Yves
Engler Kelly
Overton Michael
Simmons Website
of the Day
September 5, 2007 Stan
Goff Michael
Dickinson Matthew
Abraham Patrick
Cockburn Dave
Lindorff Paul
Craig Roberts Clifton
Ross Elizabeth
Schulte Joseph
Grosso Ben
Terrall Website
of the Day
September 4, 2007 Jean
Bricmont Patrick
Cockburn Ron
Jacobs Tom
Kerr Gary
Leupp Sonja
Karkar Heather
Gray Fidel
Castro Jackie
Corr Sunsara
Taylor Website
of the Day
September 3, 2007 Patrick
Cockburn Eamon
McCann Joshua
Frank Chris
Floyd Marjorie
Cohn Walter
Brasch Matt
Reichel Website
of the Day
September 1 / 2, 2007 Alexander
Cockburn Andy
Worthington Saul
Landau David
Keen Patrick
Cockburn Diana
Johnstone George
Longstreth, MD Linda
M. Woolf Ralph
Nader Fred
Gardner Ben
Tripp David
Michael Green Missy
Comley Beattie Michael
Dickinson Paul
Krassner Ron
Jacobs Poets'
Basement
August 31, 2007 Jeff
Gibbs Paul
Craig Roberts Ray
McGovern Robert
Weissman Matt
Vidal Robin
Mittenthal Chris
Kutalik Richard
Forno Binoy
Kampmark Dave
Zirin Website
of the Day
August 30, 2007 Gary
Leupp John
Ross Anthony
DiMaggio Jordan
Flaherty Michael
Donnelly Russell
Mokhiber Dennis
Brutus William
S. Lind Martha
Rosenberg Jeff
Leys / Brian Terrell Website
of the Day
Patrick
Cockburn Winslow
T. Wheeler David
Rosen Dave
Zirin Paul
Craig Roberts Diane
Farsetta Ben
Davis Alan
Farago Jenna
Orkin Don
Monkerud Richard
Nasser Website
of the Day
August 28, 2007 Uri
Avnery Bill
Quigley Joshua
Frank China
Hand Firmin
DeBrabander Charles
Peña Andy
Worthington Ramzy
Baroud Anthony
Papa Ashley
Smith Website
of the Day
Jorge
Mariscal Bill
Christison Manuel
Garcia, Jr. Anthony
DiMaggio Bruce
A. Roth John
Walsh Dave
Lindorff Ron
Jacobs Binoy
Kampmark Russell
D. Hoffman Website
of the Day
Subscribe Online
|
September 20, 2007 War, Power and Professions of FaithBush's Worrisome Use of ReligionBy RAYMOND J. LAWRENCE The news reports* that Bush spends time with Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Malaki discussing their shared faith in God, is not good news. It seems that Bush is an easy mark for anyone who professes a belief in God. When Putin revealed the cross he wears on a neck chain, one given him by his mother, it is reported that Bush further warmed to the Russian leader. Bush confesses to trust those who profess a belief in God. But history does not give support the reliability of Bush's approach. Rather, it suggests that Bush is recklessly naïve in this regard. Belief in God is not by itself a reliable benchmark of anything of substance. In the various cultures of the world many different Gods are promoted, Gods that represent a wide variety of disparate values, ideals, and ethics. Has Bush forgotten that Osama bin Laden is also a man of professed deep faith in God? In Bush's world that should provide the basis for meeting bin Laden at the table. If we look back over the past century no political leader anywhere has been more God-fearing than Adolf Hitler. In numerous public pronouncements he made reference to God, explicitly claiming divine endorsement for his murderous political agenda. Any reference to God made by anyone must be followed by some kind of curiosity about the particular values, ideals, and ethics that the referenced God represents. Hitler's God represented political and national domination by the means of extreme violence. He was not the first in history to conceive of God as a God of war and domination. Bush may have been especially pleased to see Putin's cross because that suggests that Putin embraces the Christian God. That too is illusory. Even among Christians it is not possible to assume that God-fearers hold to similar values, ideals, and ethics. The Irish are not the only peoples to have demonstrated that. Christians worshipping the same God, using the same language and subscribing to similar doctrines have slaughtered each other from the beginning of the Christian era. While they may use the same basic religious language, they have been willing to attack and slaughter each other, wives and children included. By giving credibility and weight to a belief in God, Bush has likely set himself up for ambush, and put the nation at risk. Bush needs to forget about whether al-Malaki and Putin believe in God, and to wonder what values, ideals, and ethics they personally hold. The religious questions Bush ought to be asking himself about all those persons he has to deal with are more complex questions, and ones that are not easily answered. Questions like: What kind of vision does this person have for the social order? What constitutes justice for this person? Does this person seek an oligarchy of the few, or a commonwealth for all? Does this person tolerate dissent, or do they feel free to destroy contrary voices? When the Soviet Union was collapsing, the atheist Michael Gorbachev had the military power to make a defensive stand that could have resulted in a nuclear holocaust. Had Gorbachev been some kind of God-fearing hyper-nationalist of the "better dead than red" sort, the world would likely have been an uninhabitable nuclear wasteland by now. But the humane, atheist Gorbachev was no murderous God-fearing nationalist. Thank God for that atheist Michael Gorbachev! Bush's confidence in persons who profess a belief in God is astonishingly naïve, and puts the nation at risk. An American president, or any political leader, needs to know if his or her correspondent is a trickster or a person of humane values. A professed belief or faith in God will not lead to such knowledge. Raymond J. Lawrence is the recently retired Director of Pastoral Care, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center. He can be reached at: lawrence@cpsp.org
|
How the Press Led the US into War Buy End Times Now! CounterPunch Books of the Crossroads: HOW THE IRISH INVENTED SLANG By Daniel Cassidy Click Here to Buy! Click Here for Dates & Venues Michael Neumann's Devastating Rebuttal of Alan Dershowitz Click Here to Buy! Saul Landau's Bush and Botox World with a Foreword by Gore Vidal Click Here to Order! How They Made a Killing on the War on Terrorism The Occupation by Patrick Cockburn Humanitarian Imperialism By Jean Bricmont CITY BEAUTIFUL By Tennessee Reed Bruce Springsteen On Tour By Dave Marsh |