Syria: The New Terra Nullius
SYRIA, seat of an Islamic Caliphate. Syria, site of the Middle East’s newest liberal democracy. Syria, socialist paradise. Syria, a corrupt and murderous dictatorship that practices genocide. Syria,…
Author: Maximilian C. Forte
Robert Reich’s “Inequality for All”: A Documentary Review
Why is there growing inequality in wealth distribution in the US? Is inequality inevitable? If inequality is inevitable, can it be useful? Can inequality become a problem? If…
The Helsinki Summit: Trying to Turn the Page on the New Cold War
Finally, on Monday, July 16, 2018, the Helsinki Summit bringing together Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump took place, despite shrill demands that it be…
Book Review: Patriots, Traitors and Empires—The Story of Korea’s Struggle for Freedom, by Stephen Gowans
Review of: Patriots, Traitors and Empires: The Story of Korea’s Struggle for Freedom, by Stephen Gowans. Published by Baraka Books, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 6 x 9 inches. 280…
The Trade War is Here: Some of the New “Facts of Life”
In Madeleine Albright’s new book, dramatically titled Fascism: A Warning, she slams the anti-globalization crowd, claiming yet again that globalization is here to stay—it’s a “fact of life…
Which Door Has Opened? Kim Jong-un, Donald Trump, and the Singapore Summit
Both leaders arrived in Singapore, with significant excitement greeting them. Trump, arriving from a bitter G7 meeting, after which he attacked Justin Trudeau personally, flew into Singapore on…
“One Day This Door is Going to Open”: A Review of “Dennis Rodman’s Big Bang in Pyongyang” (Documentary)
Dennis Rodman’s Big Bang in Pyongyang (2015) is probably the documentary to be seeing right now, made timely once again not just by the fact that it gives…
Better Off Without NAFTA, Part 3: Mexico—Armed Rebellion, Mass Migration, Flat GDP
Getting Past the Propaganda We are routinely told that Mexico has grown into the “one of the more robust emerging economies with exports of about $1 billion a…
Better Off Without NAFTA, Part 2: Canada—Localized Profit, but a Net Outflow of Capital
In Part 1, details on trade and investment between Canada and the US were presented that showed the US has run surpluses in the trade in goods and…
Better Off Without NAFTA, Part 1: Introduction—the US, Trump, and Facts and Fictions about Winners and Losers
Canada, Mexico, and the US: we could argue that any one of these nation-states “lost” because of NAFTA while the others “won”. That is Donald Trump’s position: that…
Trade War and the Nationalist Exchange: Trudeau Trails Trump
“These tariffs are totally unacceptable. For 150 years, Canada has been America’s most steadfast ally. Canadians have served alongside Americans in two world wars and in Korea. From…
Documentary Review: “Inside Job” is Still Relevant
Lee Hsien Loong “Even as the crisis unfolded, we didn’t know how wide it was going to spread, or how severe it was going to be. And we…
North Korea: The Undaunted State Tests the Limits of Empire
North Korea is an exceptional state, but unlike an imperial power it lacks a doctrine of exceptionalism. It is exceptional in that it is willing to suffer any…
Book Review: Washington’s Long War on Syria, by Stephen Gowans
Review of: Washington’s Long War on Syria, by Stephen Gowans. Published by Baraka Books, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 6 x 9 inches. 280 pages. ISBN No 9781771861083. Paper, $24.95…
Documentary Review: “The China Hustle” is a Problematic Cautionary Tale
What if the Chinese “economic miracle” were proven to be, like so many other alleged miracles, a mass of illusions? What if savvy American investors were actually shown…
Progress, Progressivism, and Progressives
Where does “progress” come from? What does “progressivism” mean? Which cultural tradition and ideological discourse makes “progressive” movements or parties thinkable? Why is it always important to be…
Deactivism: The Pleasures of Life without Social Media
Finally, on February 21 (2018), I decided to completely withdraw myself from the two main social media accounts that had kept me busy online for nearly a decade:…
Risk, Trust, and Fulfilment: Reality Tourism, Continued
The story of the Razor’s Edge company continues to unfold with the latest release of one of their private videos, the kind which have normally been distributed to prospective clients…
This Does Not Represent the Views of the University
I know that I am not the first person to ask this, but when did universities start having “views”? When some professors indulge their rights to free speech…
What Happened to the American Empire?
Has anything out of the ordinary happened to the US as an imperialist power since the ascent of Trump to office? While the continuities between Trump and his…
Privilege: White, American, or Imperial?
To the extent that “white privilege” continues to exist in the US, is it the highest form of privilege? How might a focus on domestic race relations misdirect us from an…
Populism, Nationalism, Globalization, and Imperialism: A Thick Review of 2017
In memory of Edward S. Herman b. April 7, 1926, d. November 11, 2017 An inspiration that lives on, may he rest in eternal peace. From provoking potential…
Democratization vs. Liberalism in Canada
Many North Americans (leaving aside Mexico), would likely not know that the official acronym for “North Korea” is “DPRK,” and if they did then fewer still might realize…
Cultural Appropriation, Cultural Exploitation, Cultural Genocide: Problems of Neoliberal Diversity Management
“The Emergence of the Chief” is a statue on the Loyola campus of Concordia University in Montreal. {click to enlarge} In Canada, “a yoga instructor…says her free class…