name: Yuram Abdullah Weiler
Comments and thoughts of an American Muslim on US Foreign policy in the Middle East and the so-called War on Terror,examining the contradictions from a perspective of justice, fairness and human rights.
A Special Relationship: The US and Israel
30 June, 2008
Merchants for the Angel of Death
07 May, 2008
It’s the Foreign Policy, Stupid
11 April, 2008
“Why do they hate us?” The question simultaneously captures the ignorance of the average American as to their government’s use of hard-earned tax dollars, and an unshakable faith in American innocence and purity of motives. After all, as President Truman declared in 1947 with unabashed idealism "It must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures."[i] So how indeed could they hate us? (More)
5th Anniversary in Iraq
20 March, 2008
Someone became angry with me for canceling an appointment on 19 March 2008, the 5th anniversary of the US invasion and occupation of Iraq, due to my emotional state after listening to “Winter Soldier” testimony and contemplating my actions in protest of the War. What follows is a slightly edited version of the text of my response. (More)
Give War a Chance
01 March, 2008
Recently, I saw two bumper stickers on the back of a truck, one of them read, "Give War a Chance," and the other, "War never solved anything except for ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism and Communism." I was really at a loss as to how, if presented with an opportunity, to respond to the absurd messages on these bumper stickers and pondered at length over various approaches that I could employ.
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This Is My Country?
28 June, 2007
Recently, my son graduated from high school and I had the pleasure of being with him for the entire ceremony. The event started off with the requisite singing of the “Star Spangled Banner,” the US national anthem, and for the first time in my life, I found the courage to sit in protest. Why? Because I’m deeply disturbed by what the flag of United States has come to symbolize to me personally and to other nations in the international community. I’m appalled and disgusted by the hypocrisy the United States displays by violating both domestic and international law,[1] such as by wiretapping without warrants, using torture on prisoners of war and denying a speedy trial to those imprisoned in the name of the “War on Terror,” while lauding itself as the champion of democracy and defender of human rights. After the “Star Spangled Banner,” the choir sang “This is My Country.” I had to ask myself, “Is this my country?”
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Blackwater – Bush’s Republican Guard
20 February, 2007
Since the onslaught of the Reagan administration in 1981, the “free market” has been promoted as the panacea to cure all economic ills. The idea is that “market forces,” Adam Smith’s “invisible hand,” best determines the most efficient distribution of scarce economic resources.[i] The free market solution, also known as privatization or deregulation, has been applied to everything from private companies such as railroads and telephone companies, once thought of as having an obligation to serve the public, to governmental agencies such as water systems, public transit and even prisons. Now, the free market solution is slowly being applied to the US military as well as civilian police forces.
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Bush, Democracy, and Other Contradictions
28 December, 2006
Democracy – Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.[1] This is how the Dictionary defines Democracy, which is supposed to be the system of government in America. Recently, the people elected their representatives and, barring an intervention by the Republican Party, the majority in both houses of the new Congress will shift to the Democrats. How might the current Neocon administration plot to regain control of Congress before the next election?
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