Why are there no openly gay U.S. heroes killing Afghan peasants?!

This story originally appeared at TomDispatch.com.

To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

One and a Half Cheers for American Decline 
The Future’s Not Ours — and That’s Good News 
By Tom Engelhardt

Prison, like Heaven, is in our minds.

Zeus is On Our Side! — NormanB & Rachel Neulander

Producer Director Oliver Stone and screenwriters Mark Weisbrot and
Tariq Ali celebrate the new reality of the independence won by most of the countries of Latin America from U.S. hegemony.

We all know Afghanistan is unwinnable, and that, as a consequence of that fact at the very least (I could think of better reasons), the foreign occupiers need to leave as soon as practical. Michael Steele, GOP Chairman, spoke the truth about Afghanistan and held his ground for, like, one day. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

Part of understanding propaganda is knowing its intended audience. The recent Pentagon leak on Afghanistan’s mineral wealth is no different. While it appears desperate and comical, it is highly effective and specifically targeted propaganda.

The term “neoliberalism” has finally entered the realm of American political vocabulary, about two decades behind the rest of the world and with a limited, de-contextualized meaning.

Should U.S. troops pull a Michelle Rodriguez (Trudy Chacon in ‘Avatar), and turn their guns on their fellow U.S. corporate mercenaries? Though that would be morally right, it would be much better never to join our essentially corporate mercenary armies. ‘Avatar’ lays it all this out nakedly and mesmerizingly; it’s the best anti-recruitment video ever made.

Obama surge is war pornographic. An Afghanistan escalation survey, some of it maybe leading to deep background understanding of what the hell is going on.