Author Archives: Mark Weisbrot

Biden’s Sanctions on Afghanistan Threaten to Kill More Civilians than Two Decades of War

Posted on 06/24/2022 by Mark Weisbrot

When President Joe Biden decided to withdraw the US military from Afghanistan last year, much of America’s news media came down on him like a ton of bricks. Republicans piled on, calling the withdrawal an “unmitigated disaster.” But getting out was the right … Continue reading →

 531 total views,  2 views today

Posted in Afghanistan, Foreign Policy, Imperialism, International, International, Poverty, War | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Biden’s Sanctions on Afghanistan Threaten to Kill More Civilians than Two Decades of War

A Tale of Two Elections

Posted on 04/03/2021 by Mark Weisbrot

  This article was first published in The Raw Story on December 21, 2020, under the title “Trump’s Coup is Failing—But a Similar Effort Backed by the US has Already Succeeded.” It has been amended to note the inauguration’s having happened. Reprinted … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Foreign Policy, International, Latin America | Comments Off on A Tale of Two Elections

If You Could Save a Million Lives, Would You Do It?

Posted on 02/07/2021 by Mark Weisbrot

This article was first published in The Hill on October 1, 2020. Reprinted with permission. If you had the opportunity to save a million people from preventable death, would you do it? These are people who would otherwise fall victim … Continue reading →

Posted in COVID-19, Economics, International, International, Politics | Comments Off on If You Could Save a Million Lives, Would You Do It?

Anti-Austerity Protesters in Ecuador Win Some Concessions, But Unlikely to Prevent Further Unrest or Repression

Posted on 11/02/2019 by Mark Weisbrot

The government of Ecuador reached an agreement on October 13 with leaders of the protests that had rocked the country for the previous two weeks. The deal, which included the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), is a retreat … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreign Policy, International, International | Comments Off on Anti-Austerity Protesters in Ecuador Win Some Concessions, But Unlikely to Prevent Further Unrest or Repression

The US Helped Push Venezuela Into Chaos—and Trump’s Regime Change Policy Will Make Sure It Stays That Way

Posted on 03/12/2019 by Mark Weisbrot

Washington has been trying to topple Venezuela’s government for at least 17 years, but the Trump administration has taken a more openly aggressive tack than its predecessors. Last week, administration officials kicked their efforts into high gear by anointing their chosen … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreign Policy, Trump, Venezuela | Comments Off on The US Helped Push Venezuela Into Chaos—and Trump’s Regime Change Policy Will Make Sure It Stays That Way

Congress must end American support for Saudi war in Yemen

Posted on 12/07/2017 by Mark Weisbrot

By Mark Weisbrot The New York Times editorial board recently took an unusual position of denouncing what it called “war crimes” by a U.S. ally, in a war in which the United States is actively participating militarily. “Saudis try to starve … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Middle East, military, Politics | Comments Off on Congress must end American support for Saudi war in Yemen

U.S. Seeks to Get Rid of Left Governments in Latin America

Posted on 05/24/2013 by Mark Weisbrot

  By Mark Weisbrot This article was published in Folha de São Paulo, Brazil’s largest circulation newspaper, on April 20, 2013. Recent events indicate that the Obama administration has stepped up its strategy of “regime change” against the left-of-center governments in Latin America, … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Politics | Comments Off on U.S. Seeks to Get Rid of Left Governments in Latin America

Chávez’s Death, Like His Life, Shows the World’s Divisions

Posted on 04/03/2013 by Mark Weisbrot

By Mark Weisbrot This article was published by Al Jazeera English on March 17, 2013. The unprecedented worldwide response to the death of President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, and especially in the Western Hemisphere, has brought into stark relief the … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Politics | Comments Off on Chávez’s Death, Like His Life, Shows the World’s Divisions

Media Hate Fiesta for Venezuela Keeps on Keepen’ On

Posted on 02/24/2013 by Mark Weisbrot

By Mark Weisbrot (This article was first published in Al Jazeera English on January 29, 2013) Last week there was a real media hate-fest for Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, with some of the more influential publications on both sides of … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Media, Politics | Comments Off on Media Hate Fiesta for Venezuela Keeps on Keepen’ On

Obama’s Victory Never Much in Doubt

Posted on 11/23/2012 by Mark Weisbrot

By Mark Weisbrot This article was published in The Guardian (UK) on November 7, 2012. President Obama’s re-election was never much in doubt, except perhaps briefly when he took a plunge after the first debate and we didn’t know where … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Comments Off on Obama’s Victory Never Much in Doubt

Moody’s Shows It Has Political Agenda for U.S. Fiscal Policy

Posted on 10/12/2012 by Mark Weisbrot

By Mark Weisbrot This article was first published in The Guardian (UK) on September 13, 2012, www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/sept/13/moodys. If anyone wants to reprint it, please include a link to the original. Moody’s threat Wednesday to downgrade the U.S. government’s credit rating … Continue reading →

Posted in Labor/Economics | Comments Off on Moody’s Shows It Has Political Agenda for U.S. Fiscal Policy

Argentina’s Critics Get It Wrong Again

Posted on 05/17/2012 by Mark Weisbrot

Mark Weisbrot This article was published in The Guardian (UK) on April 18, 2012 (www.guardian.co.uk./commentsfree/cifamerica/2012/april/18/argentina-critics-0il-nationalize)   The Argentine government’s decision to re-nationalize its formerly state-owned oil and gas company, YPF, has been greeted with howls of outrage, threats, forecasts of rage … Continue reading →

Posted in Labor/Economics, Politics, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Argentina’s Critics Get It Wrong Again

The US Today: Economic Stagnation, Political Paralysis

Posted on 11/10/2011 by Mark Weisbrot

Mark Weisbrot   First published in the Guardian guardian.co.uk, Friday 7 October 2011   Given mass unemployment and stimulus spending blocked in Washington, no wonder people are taking to the streets The monthly employment report for September, released Friday, shows … Continue reading →

Posted in Labor/Economics, Politics | Comments Off on The US Today: Economic Stagnation, Political Paralysis

French Protesters Have It Right: No Need to Raise the Retirement Age

Posted on 11/05/2010 by Mark Weisbrot

THE DEMONSTRATIONS THAT have rocked France this past week highlight some of its differences from the United States. The photo below, for example shows the difference between rioting in baseball- playing versus soccer-playing countries. In the US, we would pick … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Labor/Economics | Leave a comment

Right-wing Upsurge in US: Less than Meets the Eye?

Posted on 10/05/2010 by Mark Weisbrot

Is America in the grip of a right-wing backlash that will hit the November elections like a hurricane? This narrative is gathering steam. It is fed not only by the minority partisan right-wing media but also its majority “liberal” counterpart, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Anti-Venezuela Spokespeople Misrepresent Reality Of Press Freedom In Venezuela

Posted on 09/04/2009 by Mark Weisbrot

This column was published by The Guardian Unlimited on August 4, 2009. Update: It appears that the proposed media law referred to in The Guardian debate below is not going anywhere in the Venezuelan Congress; it is not clear that … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Democracy or Dictatorship in Venezuela

Posted on 08/01/2008 by Mark Weisbrot

IF WE READ THE NEWSPAPERS and watch TV in the United States, we are told that President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela is a “dictator,” “authoritarian,” “a threat to democracy” in his own country and the region, and “anti- U.S.” But … Continue reading →

Posted in International | Leave a comment

The Cruel Prospect of Deep Recession

Posted on 05/01/2008 by Mark Weisbrot

AS THE ECONOMY SHIFTS INTO REVERSE gear and the Congress and President work out the details of a proposed fiscal stimulus, some are asking whether it will be enough to keep the economy out of a recession. The answer is … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Venezuela and the Media: Fact and Fiction

Posted on 08/26/2007 by Robert W. McChesney

To read and view the U.S. news media, there is an episode of grand tyranny unfolding, one repugnant to all who cherish democratic freedoms. The Venezuelan government under “strongman” Hugo Chavez refused to renew the 20-year broadcast license for RCTV, … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Media | Leave a comment

Media-Generated “Scandal” Undermines Democracy in Ecuador

Posted on 08/26/2007 by Mark Weisbrot

This column was published on July 26, 2007 by the Guardian.co.uk In his recent book, The Assault on Reason, former Vice- President Al Gore describes how “the potential for manipulating mass opinions and feelings initially discovered by commercial advertisers is … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment