Hillary on the Ropes?

CounterPunch/Dissident Voice
by Ben Schreiner

Conventional political wisdom has long held Hillary Clinton to be the odds-on favorite to become the next president of the United States.  But as was the case back in 2008, cracks are once again emerging in the façade of Clinton’s "inevitability."  Is history repeating?

2016 Presidential Electability Flowchart

by Ben Schreiner

A flowchart to help gauge one's 2016 electoral chances.

2016: A Year of Barbarism?

CounterPunch/Dissident Voice/Global Research
by Ben Schreiner

With New Year celebrations barely in the rear view mirror, foreboding storm clouds are once again forming along the horizon.  The blackening skies are casting a dour mood over 2016, which in its mere infancy seems all but assured to see deepening global tumult, conflict, and crisis.

NYT Hypes Russian Threat to the Internet

CounterPunch/Dissident Voice
by Ben Schreiner

As if Americans didn't already have enough to worry about in regards to the recently resurrected Red Menace, we can now add the fear that those devious Russians are threatening to--horror of horrors--bring down the Internet.

'Tis The Season For Selling War

CounterPunch/Dissident Voice
by Ben Schreiner

From a marketing point of view, you don't introduce new products in August.

- Andrew Card, White House Chief of Staff, 2002

The best time to introduce a new product, as Card well understood, comes just after Labor Day.  And when it comes to a new "product" to be marketed to the American public, there's never been anything quite like a new war -- that most prolific of American exports.

Modern Newspeak Dictionary, Part III

CounterPunch
by Ben Schreiner - Ben Debney

In this day and age it can be hard to traverse the torrent of media driven buzzwords, technical jargon and PR spin designed as much to obfuscate and muddy the waters as to clarify and enlighten. In the interests of promoting media literacy and general understanding then we present here the following guide to many of the more ideologically emburdened terms in current usage.

A Dictionary of American Free Enterprise

MRzine

by Ben Schreiner

Arms Sales
A government jobs program (the lone acceptable government jobs program) working to deliver all the latest in U.S. defense industry hardware to all the international "good guys."

Police Body Cameras and Police Surveillance: Eviscerating Privacy

CounterPunch/Global Research
by Ben Schreiner

Using the recent spree of high profile police murders as the latest catalyst, calls to outfit all cops with some sort of body camera are once again reverberating nationally.  But given the staggering amounts of personal data on the American people police agencies are already collecting, the proposals to lend the police one more surveillance device raises significant privacy concerns.

Handicapping the 2016 Presidential Field

CounterPunch
by Ben Schreiner

With the official announcement from the formerly "dead broke" Hillary Clinton that she has decided to accept—er, decided to seek—the Democratic presidential nomination, the 2016 presidential election has begun in earnest.  Here, then, is a brief rundown of the various charlatans and sociopaths vying for the White House.

Book: A People's Dictionary to the 'Exceptional Nation'

My book, A People's Dictionary to the 'Exceptional Nation', has been published.  It is available as a paperback and can be purchased here.  Read a description and a brief excerpt below.

274 pages

ISBN-10: 1508413959

ISBN-13: 978-1508413950

Price: $16

The Complete and Accurate Transcript of Netanyahu’s Speech to Congress

CounterPunch 
by Ben Schreiner

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahoo addressed a joint meeting of Congress on Tuesday, here is the complete transcript.

2014 Articles

The following are old articles I neglected to post here previously.  Link are provided for any who may be interested.

Marching Toward Syria and Beyond: Imperial Madness

CounterPunch 
by Ben Schreiner 

With Syria firmly in the cross hairs, Washington’s war cries are nearing a crescendo. 

The Barack Obama 10 Step Guide to the U.S. Presidency

CounterPunch
by Ben Schreiner 

1. Kill Foreigners

Every president must consolidate his or her domestic power.  And long the best way to consolidate power within the world’s lone indispensable nation has been to knock off a few foreigners.  This services your power in three ways.  First, it ensures the profitability of the defense industry—i.e., your corporate masters.  Second, it proves that you are sufficiently tough, not some peacenik wuss.  And third, it makes your subjects feel safe; for nothing seems to bring greater comfort to Americans than knowing someone, somewhere has been snuffed out in the service of their safety. 

But not just any foreigner will do here.  Generally think of the impoverished, faraway type.  But right now, really any Muslim will do just fine.      

The Chemical Weapons Pretext for War on Syria: A Pack of Lies

CounterPunch/Dissident Voice/Global Research
by Ben Schreiner

In the wake of having its illegal domestic surveillance dragnet exposed, laying bare (yet again) the utter duplicity and criminality of the U.S. ruling class, Washington is once again digging deep to conjure up a pretext for yet another war of aggression in the Middle East.