April 2009

By David Swanson

One of the best books published in Canada last year is one of the best books published in the United States thus far this year: “The Sun Climbs Slow: The International Criminal Court and the Struggle for Justice,” by Erna Paris.

It’s appropriate for this story to come to us from our northern neighbor. This is largely a history of the development of international law, culminating in the surprising success of the creation of an international criminal court (ICC). read more

By David Swanson

Philip Zelikow may be best known as the guy who oversaw the 9-11 Commission’s utter failure to investigate George W. Bush’s criminal negligence in the lead up to September 11, 2001. He also directed the Carter-Baker commission on elections that led to the Help America Vote Act, which in turn led to the most high-tech but least credible system of elections yet devised and the dubious and disastrous outcome of the 2004 presidential contest.

Zelikow served on Bush’s read more

Audio clips:

Main 41:54 22.3 meg . Q&A 21.5 meg

Amherst Women In Black and Progressive Democrats of America present a conversation with John Bonifaz and David Swanson.

Is it still a crime if a President does it? If Obama keeps the powers Bush seized, what powers do we have? If war criminals walk, what will prevent war crimes?

http://www.activeingredients.org

By David Swanson

While much of elite US punditry is backing away from torture, Jeff Jacoby is claiming to have opposed it but to now find it excusable. His Boston Globe column takes a very “balanced” approach. He both opposes torture under all circumstances AND excuses it given the current circumstances:

“I contended that the cruel abuse of terrorist detainees was something we could never countenance – not just because torture is illegal, unreliable, and a threat to the read more