Since Antiwar.com began in December 1995, we have been through a lot with you, our readers. We've seen wars in the Middle East, the Balkans, and Africa, the damage done at home, and the destructive policies of three presidents.
Antiwar.com held a microscope to Bill Clinton's interventions in Kosovo, his official policy of regime-change in Iraq, his bombings, and his sanctions.
Our audience and influence grew during the Bush administration. Since 9/11, we have presented the most sophisticated critiques from Left and Right of U.S. foreign policy and the war on terror. We have gathered hundreds of articles on international news every day, 365 days a year. My formerly part-time activism has spawned a community of 100,000 daily readers and one of the top-ranked political sites on the Web.
We debunked the WMD lies before the bombs fell on Baghdad. We exposed the imperial machinations behind the "democratic" revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine, the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, and the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. We have reported the plight of American soldiers and the even greater suffering of foreign civilians. We have tracked the U.S. government as it ravaged international law and domestic liberties. We have scrutinized the AIPAC spy scandal at every step.
As for our new president, I wasn't thrilled about Barack Obama, but I did have a little hope. Antiwar.com did not expect an end to the Empire, but we thought Obama would show more restraint than Bush.
Despite my modest expectations, I'm disappointed.
In Iraq, Obama has equivocated repeatedly, and despite his vague promise to withdraw by 2011, we have no reason to believe he will abandon the permanent bases or his commitment to maintain 50,000 troops.
In Afghanistan, Obama has expanded the war and occupation, and now he's eyeing neighboring Pakistan. Obama has killed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people with bombs and drone attacks since taking office.
In response to legal challenges, Obama has gone beyond the Bush doctrine of "state secrets" and been so brazen as to claim "sovereign immunity." Obama has embraced Bush's military commissions, detentions without habeas corpus at Bagram and elsewhere, warrantless mass surveillance, and executive-created law.
Obama has stopped using the phrase "war on terror," but not much else has changed. We learn once again how entrenched the Empire is in both parties and throughout establishment opinion. The neocons, far from losing their influence, have become as potent a force on the "Left" as they are on the "Right."
With the media focusing on the economy, many liberals becoming apathetic or even hawkish on foreign policy, and conservatives absurdly whining that Obama is "soft on terror," Antiwar.com is more essential now than ever before.
And we need you more than ever before to help keep us going. We don't have a large staff, cushy offices, or the stability and peace of mind that the War Party continues to enjoy. All we have is your support and our devotion to the cause. I work 14 hours a day, six days a week. Our small staff is just as dedicated, but Antiwar.com can't survive on dedication alone.
Dear Reader,
Since Antiwar.com began in December 1995, we have been through a lot with you, our readers. We've seen wars in the Middle East, the Balkans, and Africa, the damage done at home, and the destructive policies of three presidents.
Antiwar.com held a microscope to Bill Clinton's interventions in Kosovo, his official policy of regime-change in Iraq, his bombings, and his sanctions.
Our audience and influence grew during the Bush administration. Since 9/11, we have presented the most sophisticated critiques from Left and Right of U.S. foreign policy and the war on terror. We have gathered hundreds of articles on international news every day, 365 days a year. My formerly part-time activism has spawned a community of 100,000 daily readers and one of the top-ranked political sites on the Web.
We debunked the WMD lies before the bombs fell on Baghdad. We exposed the imperial machinations behind the "democratic" revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine, the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, and the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. We have reported the plight of American soldiers and the even greater suffering of foreign civilians. We have tracked the U.S. government as it ravaged international law and domestic liberties. We have scrutinized the AIPAC spy scandal at every step.
As for our new president, I wasn't thrilled about Barack Obama, but I did have a little hope. Antiwar.com did not expect an end to the Empire, but we thought Obama would show more restraint than Bush.
Despite my modest expectations, I'm disappointed.
In Iraq, Obama has equivocated repeatedly, and despite his vague promise to withdraw by 2011, we have no reason to believe he will abandon the permanent bases or his commitment to maintain 50,000 troops.
In Afghanistan, Obama has expanded the war and occupation, and now he's eyeing neighboring Pakistan. Obama has killed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people with bombs and drone attacks since taking office.
In response to legal challenges, Obama has gone beyond the Bush doctrine of "state secrets" and been so brazen as to claim "sovereign immunity." Obama has embraced Bush's military commissions, detentions without habeas corpus at Bagram and elsewhere, warrantless mass surveillance, and executive-created law.
Obama has stopped using the phrase "war on terror," but not much else has changed.
We learn once again how entrenched the Empire is in both parties and throughout establishment opinion. The neocons, far from losing their influence, have become as potent a force on the "Left" as they are on the "Right."
With the media focusing on the economy, many liberals becoming apathetic or even hawkish on foreign policy, and conservatives absurdly whining that Obama is "soft on terror," Antiwar.com is more essential now than ever before.
And we need you more than ever before to help keep us going. We don't have a large staff, cushy offices, or the stability and peace of mind that the War Party continues to enjoy. All we have is your support and our devotion to the cause. I work 14 hours a day, six days a week. Our small staff is just as dedicated, but Antiwar.com can't survive on dedication alone.
Please help.
In Peace,
Eric Garris
Webmaster
Antiwar.com