Articles
August 31, 2004
The important good news you haven't heard
Thomas Lifson
Wonderful news of great significance has been announced, and America's major media are yawning. Mexico's state—owned oil company Pemex has revealed that it has discovered a gigantic new oil field, one capable of delivering millions of barrels a day of... More
August 31, 2004
How Kerry stood up for veterans
Steve Gilbert
John Kerry has often stated how proud he is of how he stood up for Vietnam Veterans when he came back from his four month tour in Vietnam. A recent example appeared on CNN's website on March 23, 2004: "I'm... More
August 31, 2004
An ungrateful nation
Geoffrey P. Hunt
'For shame', say the moralizers about the Swift Vets' vitriolic attacks on John Kerry, insisting on attributing dishonorable or politically inspired motives to the Swift Vets' actions. Perhaps, to be charitable, they simply are ignorant about the psychology of the... More
August 30, 2004
Battle Blog 23 - 29 August 2004
Douglas Hanson
The southern city of Najaf is finally quiet, as a peace deal went into effect that was brokered between Muqtada al—Sadr and the top Shia cleric of Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali al—Sistani. Rather than risk an assault by Iraqi forces,... More
August 30, 2004
Did CBS smear Israel and AIPAC?
Richard Baehr and Ed Lasky
Friday night, a breathless Leslie Stahl, led off the CBS Evening News with her scoop that the FBI was hot on the trail of a spy working for Israel in the Defense Department. The CBS story presented a tale of... More
August 30, 2004
Johnny
Russ Vaughn
(With apologies to Rudyard Kipling and the British Army) Johnny went public with 'is boasts, an' 'ero without fear, 'Til sudden like the Swifties say, 'We got a turncoat 'ere.' The Libs they just ignored 'em, sayin' 'Ah, it's all a... More
August 29, 2004
Can we talk?
Douglas Hanson
It is truly amazing that people who were in positions of authority during the Clinton administration continue to lecture President Bush on how to handle national security problems that are a direct result of their failed policies. The latest to... More
August 28, 2004
Flip flops and other lies
Steven Zak
"Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth," Franklin D. Roosevelt once said. He might have been talking about John Kerry's tale of his 1968 Christmas supposedly spent in Cambodia, which he's been repeating for twenty five years to... More
August 28, 2004
Notes on the news
Bob Weir
Weir Thinking About It In this column, I'd like to make 3 separate comments on the news of the day. #1 — When Bill Clinton ran for president in 1992, the Democrats didn't want to talk about his refusal to... More
August 27, 2004
Kerry's box
Thomas Lifson
The Kerry campaign is in crisis. Polling data is beginning to reflect a turn against his candidacy by the uncommitted and weakly—committed voters. The temptation for the campaigners is to blame the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth television commercials. But... More
August 27, 2004
Sleepless in Cam Ranh Bay
Daniel Aronstein and Thomas Lifson
The President of the United States holds the most demanding job in the world. The physical and mental fitness of a candidate are matters of legitimate concern for voters. The refusal of John F. Kerry to release his complete medical... More
August 27, 2004
The Hypocrite's Oath
Richard Baehr
Evan Thomas of Newsweek has written that the media chorus behind John Kerry's candidacy could add 15 points to his Presidential bid. Given that the race is now about even, or Bush very slightly ahead, this suggests that President Bush... More
August 26, 2004
A matter of responsibility
John B. Dwyer
The findings of the Schlesinger—Fay panel report on Abu Ghraib prison abuses have been made public. Responses, immediate and predictable, sounded forth from the Chorus of Usual Suspects. Out on the hustings, candidate John Kerry saw fit to join that... More
August 26, 2004
Little boy sue: legalized theft and John Edwards
Selwyn Duke
Ah, that bright perpetual smile and dashing good looks. That smooth delivery and good ol' boy, yuckin' it up style. That's John Edwards, the beauty to John Kerry's beast. Kerry may look like he just emerged from cryogenic suspension, but... More
August 26, 2004
Our German allies
Douglas Hanson
Last week's announcement that the US plans to withdraw 70,000 US troops from overseas locations has drawn the predictable wailing and gnashing of teeth from the left's so—called national security experts. Richard Holbrooke and Wesley Clark, Clinton's architects of the... More
August 25, 2004
It's Never Good Enough for the Left
Matthew May
Here in Detroit, a good way to test one's ability to keep his or her blood pressure in check is to tune into WJR radio from 3—6 on weekday afternoons. Taking the microphone is Mitch Albom, once a great sportswriter,... More
August 25, 2004
The state of the race
Richard Baehr
The Baehr Essentials The Kerry and Bush campaigns have spent about $400 million between them so far. Add the two national committees, plus the other Democratic candidates and the spending by independent groups, and with 10 weeks to go before... More
August 25, 2004
One Of Kerry's Band Of Brothers – Joe Bangert
Steve Gilbert
When John Kerry gave his victory speech the night of the New Hampshire primary, he said he was indebted to a specific group around him on stage. "In the hardest moments of the past month, I depended on the same... More
August 24, 2004
John Kerry's 80 Day Cook's Tour
Geoffrey P. Hunt
The proper duration of individual front line troop deployments in wartime has been debated since the Revolutionary War without any clear conclusion. Our nation's first Commander—In—Chief frequently despaired over perilously anemic troop strengths as enlistment contracts expired. Sometimes, battle plans... More
August 24, 2004
The Last 'Big Lie' of Vietnam Kills U. S. Soldiers in Iraq
Maj. Anthony F. Milavic, USMC (Ret.)
At a Vietnam Special Forces base during 1964, I watched a U. S. soldier fire 15 rounds of .223 caliber ammunition into a tethered goat from an AR—15 rifle; moments after the last round hit, the goat fell over. Looking... More
August 24, 2004
The dog that didn't bark
Rachel Neuwirth
'The dog that didn't bark' is an expression from a Sherlock Holmes mystery. It was an important clue that led to identifying the criminal. It seems that the killer entered and left the estate grounds one night but without the... More
August 23, 2004
Did Navy Lt. Kerry violate The UCMJ?
Steve Gilbert
The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) is a federal law, enacted by Congress. Its provisions are contained in United States Code, Title 10, Chapter 47. Article 36 of the UCMJ allows the President to prescribe rules and procedures to... More
August 23, 2004
Battle Blog 16 - 22 August 2004
Douglas Hanson
The past week in Najaf has been confusing, with a series of on—again, off—again agreements to end the fighting, followed by further battles between Sadr's Mehdi militia and US and Iraqi forces. Last weekend, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi authorized the... More
August 23, 2004
A Riverine hero remembered
John B. Dwyer
South Vietnam's Mekong Delta covers about 40,000 square miles of mostly flat alluvial plain, much of which is covered with rice paddies. It is veined with rivers and canals, streams and ditches. The Mekong—Bassac river system, running from the South... More
August 22, 2004
Knaves or fools?
Lona Manning
So are they knaves or fools at CNN? CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider exonerates John Kerry of having accused his fellow soldiers of raping and beheading innocent Vietnamese civilians. While Kerry is quoted in the soon—to—be broadcast second Swift... More
August 22, 2004
Shochu
Thomas Lifson
More than a decade after the Japanese boom in it began, the San Francisco Chronicle's wine section (which provides the best wine industry coverage in the nation) introduces Shochu, a distilled liquor traditionally made in Japan from sweet potatoes, to... More
August 22, 2004
Cruisin' and dreamin'
Dennis Sevakis
It's Sunday morning, the sky a brightening crisp blue with nary a cloud nor hint of breeze. The world might seem at peace were it not for the troubling scenes just a mouse or remote click away. We're back at... More
August 21, 2004
No pain, no gain
Thomas Lifson
Once again, a seeming strength of the Kerry campaign has turned into a liability. Adam Nagourney, writing in the New York Times, speculates that Kerry spent too much time letting the Swiftvets' charges go unanswered: ...more than a few Democrats... More
August 21, 2004
A Peek into Kerry's Soul
Matthew May
Despite his wish that merely saying it to his supporters in the populace and the sycophants in the media will make it so, Sen. John Kerry's claim that President George W. Bush is behind the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth... More
August 21, 2004
Querying Kerry in Cambodia
Thomas Lipscomb
John Kerry is beginning to look as clumsy as George Bush in answering questions about his military records. In February Bush was accused by Terry McAuliffe on Tim Russert's Meet the Press show of having been AWOL on his National... More
August 20, 2004
The two elections
Thomas Lifson
The elections are really heating up. Yes, that's a plural noun, for America is making two important choices this Fall. The first choice is about whom to elect as President of the United States. The second choice is about which... More
August 20, 2004
The first MBA President
Thomas Lifson
[Editor's note: We are re—publishing a few articles this summer from the early days — 7 months ago — of the American Thinker, for the benefit of our new readers. This article originally appeared on February 3rd of this year.] President... More
August 20, 2004
The Greeks had a word for it
John B. Dwyer
Can we agree that John Kerry has problems with his arrogance? Can we agree that he has bragged about his Vietnam service and deceived others regarding it? That he a is self—aggrandizing person who has married wealthy women and promotes... More
August 19, 2004
Extra! Wave of fraud hits major industry
Thomas Lifson
The Texas—based corporate giant has been caught red—handed, cheating its customers and lying to those entrusted with auditing its most important reports. Massive refunds to customers are due for overcharging them. Halliburton? Enron? Nope. You have probably never heard of... More
August 19, 2004
The young opportunist's handbook
Selwyn Duke
The big story currently in the media (those that aren't in the practice of turning big stories that aren't their stories into little stories and then dead stories) is the controversy surrounding presidential nominee John Kerry and the group Swift... More
August 19, 2004
Planting poisonous seeds
Richard Baehr
Paul Krugman, salving his wounds after his knockout at the hands of Bill O'Reilly on Tim Russert's show, has offered a warning in his August 17 column about what he says is the coming threat to the "credibility of our... More
August 18, 2004
The children's crusade
Jack Birnbaum, M.D.
A year ago, a group of 'researchers' published a paper in the Bulletin of the American Psychological Association that 'reviewed fifty years of literature' to come to the conclusion that political conservatism was a reflection of certain unflattering psychological traits,... More
August 18, 2004
Service reputation
Norman Hapke
I have the honor to be a graduate of the United States Naval Academy Class of 1967, which counts among its members Assistant Secretary of State Richard Armitage, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Tony Principi, Deputy Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of... More
August 18, 2004
Combat doesn't a president make
James Holmes
Something's been nagging at me about the prominence of military issues in this year's presidential campaign. As has been widely noted on this website and elsewhere in the media, Sen. John Kerry has predicated his run for the White House... More
August 17, 2004
Abortion and political realignment
Richard Baehr
[Editor's note: We are re—publishing a few articles this summer from the early days — 7 months ago — of the American Thinker, for the benefit of our new readers. This article originally appeared on January 6th of this year.]... More
August 17, 2004
Government by fiat
Thomas Lifson
The Governor of Illinois announces his defiance of federal regulations and unveils a program today to help residents import foreign drugs. In justification, he states: "The federal government has failed to act," Gov. Blagojevich said in a statement. "So it's... More
August 17, 2004
The road to perdition
Bob Weir
Weir thinking about it Do you remember when America was a less tolerant country? There was a time when some behavior was considered to be intolerable, and people were not afraid to say they refused to put up with conduct... More
August 16, 2004
Hollywood: the imperial city
Ed Lasky
Only a few cities throughout history have had the impact of Hollywood: Washington is the locus of political power, and Mecca, Rome and Jerusalem are famed for their sacral status. However, as we move into the new Millennium, Hollywood projects... More
August 16, 2004
The Russian cheerleader
Douglas Hanson
There is nothing more frustrating than a pundit who proposes to solve a critical problem with a solution that is based upon false premises and revisionist history. There is no shortage of intellectually pretentious commentators looking down their noses at... More
August 16, 2004
The Muslim Crusades
James Arlandson
Shortly after 9/11, explanations for the attacks fell into two broad categories: Terrorism is the result of a small minority of Muslim evildoers; or the US (and the West) deserved it. Karen Armstrong, a former nun and well—spoken, prolific author... More
August 15, 2004
Battle Blog 8-15 August 2004
Douglas Hanson
The Battle Blog will continue to focus on operations of the Multi—National Forces (MNF) and Iraqi forces against the militia of radical Shia leader, Muqtada al—Sadr. A special edition of the Battle Blog earlier this week covered the initial fighting which... More
August 15, 2004
Julia Child, R.I.P.
Thomas Lifson
Julia Child, who played a major role in changing the way Americans think about, prepare and eat food, has died at the ripe old age of 91, after a lifetime of urging Americans to go ahead and use butter in their sauces More
August 14, 2004
Twilight of the press gods
Thomas Lifson
The genie is out of the bottle. The best efforts of the mainstream media to blockade the story of Kerry's lies about Cambodia, and the charges by the vast majority of men who served with him in the Swift Boat... More
August 14, 2004
Bordeaux in crisis
Thomas Lifson
Bordeaux is in crisis, with many of the region's small wine producers staring bankruptcy in the face. Only the very top producers, whose snob appeal ensures the marketability of their product, are immune from the financial distress. A few innovators,... More
August 13, 2004
When will they ever learn?
Ed Lasky
The addiction to negotiation Will editorial writers and foreign policy experts ever admit that negotiations are futile with people like Sadr? It is amazing that writers, from the safety of their skyscrapers, sipping their lattes, can actually ignore a history of... More
August 13, 2004
Armada of honor
John B. Dwyer
We now have the spectacle of the Kerry campaign trying to silence the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth for having the temerity, the unmitigated gall, to question the unquestionable: their candidate's medals. This, coming from the party that invented the... More
August 13, 2004
Two can play
Richard Baehr
For most of this election year, the Kerry for President campaign has had its own ad buys supplemented by ads purchased by "independent" 527 groups, such as the Media Fund, America Coming Together, and Moveon.org. Over $200 million has been... More
August 12, 2004
The myth of the stolen election
Richard Baehr
[Editor's note: Richard Baehr published the definitive analysis of the false claim that that the 2000 election was stolen on our site's debut day last January. Given the extreme bitterness of the current election, the mobilization of thousands of Democrat lawyers... More
August 12, 2004
Get-out-the-dopes drives
Selwyn Duke
Winston Churchill said that 'the best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.' This little quip came to mind as I was watching a famous contemporary comedian conduct an interview with an average Josephine on... More
August 12, 2004
Reality TV
Matthew May
C—SPAN founder, CEO, and host Brian Lamb has decided to discontinue the hour—long weekly program Booknotes in December, after 15 years and 800 interviews. Our loss is Lamb's gain, as he estimates that he has devoted nearly two years of... More
August 11, 2004
Call sign: Boston strangler
John B. Dwyer
[Editor's note: Now that John Kerry's Swift Boat service has become a major political issue (albeit still ignored in the Bigfoot media), The American Thinker is pleased to feature military historian John B. Dwyer's path—breaking expose scooping the national media,... More
August 11, 2004
The fight in Najaf
Douglas Hanson
A Battle Blog special edition The battle this week in Najaf pitting Coalition and Iraqi forces against Muqtada al—Sadr's Mehdi Militia will shortly reach a conclusion that will likely not please the radical cleric. The fighting actually started on... More
August 11, 2004
Liberation or Domination?
James Arlandson
Why has the US invaded other nations in the past 60 years? To liberate people or take over their economy? Al—Zarqawi, the Jordanian terrorist who is stalking Iraq and beheading innocents, in his list of grievances shrieks out this claim about... More
August 10, 2004
The passing of a genuine hero
Thomas Lifson
This past weekend America lost one of its great heroes, a man who combined technical genius, creativity, and physical courage of the highest order. A high school dropout, he rose to become the unchallenged world leader in his field, and was... More
August 10, 2004
A Marine's Role in the End of History
Nathan Hale
The back room of a Mexican restaurant in Houston is not exactly the place you would expect your mind to wander to questions of civilization, grand historical forces and electoral behavior. Rather, you tend to think that "salt or no... More
August 10, 2004
WMDs in Iraq - the real story begins to emerge
Douglas Hanson
Professor Norman Dombey, professor of theoretical physics at the University of Sussex, England, has confirmed that Saddam Hussein had more than enough yellowcake uranium to make over 100 nuclear weapons. There was no conceivable peaceful use for this material in Iraq.... More
August 09, 2004
Politics of Hate
Matthew May
My better half is, to the likely benefit of her health, not a political junkie. She is fairly moderate on the issues and not at all fascinated by the shouting on Hannity or the morons who call C—SPAN every morning,... More
August 09, 2004
Terrorism at its root
James Arlandson
Although Usama bin Ladin is the terrorist who masterminded the most heinous attack ever on US soil, he may be effectively out of the picture in the planning of future attacks. But we should never forget him. It is important... More
August 09, 2004
Money and politics
Bob Weir
Weir thinking about it Did you ever give serious thought to why people run for political office? It can't be for the money because the pay isn't that good. Therefore, it must be the power, right? And what do people... More
August 08, 2004
Battle Blog 1 - 7 August 2004
Douglas Hanson
The big story in Iraq this past week is the resurgence of extremist Shiite cleric Muqtada al—Sadr's militia in Najaf. Reports stated that during the initial fighting that broke out on August 5, a U.S. helicopter was shot down, however,... More
August 08, 2004
Oklahoma is OK
Douglas Hanson
In one of the few instances where county and city planners have done their homework in planning for homeland security expenditures, Tulsa, Oklahoma stands as a great example in obtaining equipment that would be critical in the event of a... More
August 07, 2004
Monuments to the auto age
Thomas Lifson
Architectural history is one of the most fascinating mirrors of human existence. For far too long, America discarded its old structures and forgot the past human—built environment. Fortunately, the architectural preservation movement arose in the wake of the destruction of... More
August 06, 2004
The Jigsaw Man
Thomas Lifson
Is it a mistake for opponents of John. F. Kerry to question his Viet Nam service? Dick Morris thinks it is, on the ground that you don't attack the opposition's strength. Others, like Senator John McCain, Bill O'Reilly and much... More
August 06, 2004
My daughter the devout radical
Dennis Sevakis
Not always does one have a precise place and date to associate with an epiphany of significant import for one's life. But this past Monday, August 2nd , was such a day for me. On that day I learned that... More
August 06, 2004
First look
John B. Dwyer
Unfit for Command, the blockbuster book critiquing John F. Kerry's Viet Nam service, will not be released until next week. But a chapter is available for preview on the web. Military historian John. B. Dwyer previews it for American Thinker... More
August 05, 2004
The Body Shop and the end of Israel
Thomas Lifson
The worldwide Body Shop chain of stores maintains that it is 'values—driven' and lists 'the pursuit of social and environmental change' first on its mission statement. It proclaims that its skin care, hair care, and make—up are 'developed with the objective of helping... More
August 05, 2004
Which campaign is really in trouble?
Richard Baehr
The Baehr Essentials Based on events of the past few months, the Kerry Edwards ticket should now have vaulted to a comfortable lead of between five and ten points. In April, American casualties in Iraq soared to their highest... More
August 05, 2004
Two Muslims, an Evangelical, and Jerusalem
James Arlandson
After I read two articles by moderate Muslims living in the West, one born here, the other in Iran, I wondered how they reached the conclusion that Jerusalem is holy for the three Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. I... More
August 04, 2004
How do you solve a problem like Teresa?
Thomas Lifson
'Isn't she great?' said candidate Kerry in Milwaukee, following the 'four more years of hell' remark of his wife Teresa. Lawyer Kerry surely knows that, technically speaking, he is asking a question, not necessarily paying a compliment. 'And by the... More
August 04, 2004
Council revives flawed strategy
Douglas Hanson
The prestigious Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) will recommend that the US 'negotiate' with Iran in order to stop Iran's de—stabilizing influence on Iraq, and to end Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons. Despite clear evidence that Iran has come to dominate... More
August 04, 2004
Jihad over Jerusalem (2)
James Arlandson
[Part (1) argues that Muhammad received revelations that the sacred Ka'bah shrine belonged to him and his followers. The Meccans were deemed unrighteous to take care of a shrine that folk belief claims—and Muhammad's revelations confirm—that Abraham and his son Ishmael... More
August 03, 2004
NPR's odd 'expert'
Ed Lasky
National Public Radio's choice of an expert to interview on the terror alert in New York, Newark, and Washington, DC is odd, to say the least. Larry Johnson, a former CIA agent, proclaimed on the public air that the alert... More
August 03, 2004
Jihad over Jerusalem (1)
James Arlandson
Some of Muhammad's theology and policies have ambiguities or seeds —— not found in other religions —— which later followers have difficulty interpreting and applying to their own life and historical context. Muhammad's conquest of Mecca also plants ambiguities or seeds in... More
August 03, 2004
Where's our movie?
John B. Dwyer
Once upon a time, not many generations ago, we were a nation at war, and focused our total energies on winning that war. Even Hollywood contributed, providing not only crews who filmed the progress of American armies, but also producers... More
August 02, 2004
Reporting for scrutiny
Thomas Lifson
John Kerry's duty in Viet Nam is the service which keeps on serving him. Flinging those decorations (of disputed ownership) over the fence at the Capitol was the sort of dramatic visual image irresistible to television news directors. He parlayed... More
August 02, 2004
Kerry's Saudi Gambit
Richard Baehr
John Kerry skipped over 30 years of his political career in his acceptance speech Thursday night. He also skipped over Iran, and Syria, Israel and the Palestinians. He skipped over Iraq, except to briefly complain that we (and presumably he) were... More
August 02, 2004
Paying our debts
Thomas Lifson
All Americans owe a profound personal debt, one that never can be repaid. We are heirs to the courage, vision and sacrifices of the Founders, and obligated to all those who fought to establish, and subsequently protect in war and peace... More
August 01, 2004
Battle Blog 25 - 31 July 2004
Douglas Hanson
In Iraq, anti—Coalition forces continue the tactic of kidnapping foreign workers who help with the logistics support of US and Iraqi forces, or in reconstruction efforts. It was reported on Saturday, July 31, that members of Abu Musab al—Zarqawi's terrorist... More
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