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Glenn Greenwald is right. This pro-Iraq War column by Marty Peretz is not only wrong, but it contains an unbelievably racist statement:

There were moments–long moments–during the Iraq war when I had my doubts. Even deep doubts. Frankly, I couldn’t quite imagine any venture requiring trust with Arabs turning out especially well. This is, you will say, my prejudice. But some prejudices are built on real facts, and history generally proves me right. Go ahead, prove me wrong.

There are racist bigots who have argued that Jews cannot be trusted, because they’re inherently deceitful people. These racist bigots are rightly called anti-Semites, and they are despised by anyone with a functioning brain.

Marty Peretz just argued that Arabs can’t be trusted, because they’re inherently deceitful people. He’s a racist bigot, and he should be despised by anyone with a functioning brain.

This is not new. And it should not be ignored. Marty Peretz is a flaming racist douchebag. He views Arabs as less human than the rest of humanity. He is not merely prejudiced. He is proudly so.

His opinions are of no more merit than those of David Duke. And no decent human should think otherwise.

Tomorrow Iraq will hold its second parliamentary election since the 2003 US invasion of the country. Headlines in the mainstream US media have focused on how the election will predict Iraq’s political direction once US forces withdraw, and on the violent attacks that some have carried out to discourage voters from going to the polls. [...]

I’ve yet to succumb to the vampire craze. Given the growing number of conversations –- with friends over brunch, strangers on a bus, acquaintances at a dinner party – that this excludes me from, at some point I’m sure I’ll give in and read the Twilight series or watch True Blood. In the meantime, when I [...]

Drone porn. Have you heard of it? I hadn’t. And I certainly didn’t realize that it was the newest YouTube hit. As soon as I saw it referenced in an article I was immediately inquisitive about what drones had to do with porn and why the phenomenon was so popular. My curiosity led me to discover [...]

If women are responsible for preventing rape… then why is the advice given to us always to lock ourselves in our homes after dark unless escorted or to let people we trust guard our drinks and monitor whether we are too intoxicated to protect ourselves? Why are we not, rather, told to keep company with other women: [...]

“Until every one comes home” is the motto of the United Service Organizations,  the partnership that organizes entertainment for U.S. troops domestically and overseas. The USO proclaims that its number one aim is to boost troops’ morale. In the traditional war scheme where men fight and women manage the home front, women take on hefty symbolic [...]

When I read this article about domestic violence shelters in Baghdad, I began thinking about domestic violence victims living in conflict zones. As an advocate for DV survivors, the question most people ask me is, “Why did she stay?” My favorite way to answer this question is to make a chart: reasons to stay and [...]

Short Answer:  A long time from now.

I was thinking about just this topic this week given all of the acrimony about the Afghan war and various other topics.  When do we draw the line between what W did wrong and did not do properly and where we start taking responsibility?  Apparently, good ol’ Jack Cafferty was thinking the same thing over at CNN:

There’s no doubt President Bush deserves a lot of the blame for the problems in Afghanistan. His decision to invade Iraq derailed America’s mission there. But President Obama has been in office for nine months now and some days his administration acts like they just discovered we have troops in Afghanistan.

Here’s my question to you: At what point should President Obama stop blaming the Bush administration?

But unlike Mr. Cafferty, I’ve decided to take a broader approach.  See, it wasn’t just Afghanistan that W turned into a quagmire.

So, let’s see…when should we stop blaming George W. Bush?

1. When every child left behind from No Child Left Behind is caught up
2. When every woman denied equal access to birth control around the globe due to W.’s global gag rule has had the opportunity and chance to take part in full health care
3. When every person who wants to join a union is not persuaded otherwise by presidentially-mandated “Beck” posters stating that, you know, you don’t have to join a union and here’s why.
4. When every soldier who was wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan is given full recovery both mentally and physically.
5. When Halliburton closes its doors.
6. When Dick Cheney stops running off his mouth.
7. When the rich pay back the taxes they should have been paying from 2001-2009.
8. When all the warrantless wire taps are destroyed and evidence thereof is also demolished.
9. When the budget surplus that existed prior to 2001 returns again.
10. When the nearly 15 million unemployed American workers regain employment and self-worth.

I could go on and on.  But you get the picture.  The fact, Mr. Cafferty, is that you can’t erase the horrible misdeeds of the last administration by simply stating that it’s time to move on.  The damage has been done and until we can reverse it, you’re damn right it is the Bush Administration’s fault.

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I don’t think it comes as a big shocker to anyone reading this article that women are systematically disenfranchised in the military. Not only are they subject to tremendous levels of sexual violence at the hands of various enemy soldiers, they are also constantly harassed, belittled, and violated by their male colleagues. Women now make up for about 11% of military personal in both Iraq & Afghanistan, yet they are continuously degraded, humiliated, and alienated from a system that prides itself on false notions of heroic behavior.

Sergeant Cara Hammer returned from her deployment in Iraq in 2005 thinking that her days of fighting had come to a halt. Little did she know that there were plenty of battles ahead. Cara returned from combat suffering from what is known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Like many veterans who also suffer from PTSD, Cara sought out for emotional and physical support. Unfortunately for Cara, the Department of Veteran Affairs did everything but provide her with the support she desperately needed. Cara shares her first experience at a VA hospital.

I felt like a candy striper. The only difference is I’m carrying around my medical records, instead of passing out candy and cigarettes. Cat-calls turned what was already an uncomfortable situation into a nightmare.

This certainly isn’t an isolated event. Women very rarely get the same support from the military and/or VA as their male peers do. In fact, it’s not even close. Here is a laundry list of unique challenges that women veterans, like Cara, experience on a daily basis.

Sexual Assault, Harassment and Military Sexual Trauma (MST)—Women in the military have been coping with widespread and underreported sexual assault and harassment for decades. Last year alone, there were almost 3,000 reports of sexual assault involving servicemembers. Incredibly, this is probably only the tip of the iceberg; almost half of all sexual assaults go unreported. Among those female Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who have turned to the VA for care, nearly 15 percent have screened positive for Military Sexual Trauma (MST).

Dramatically Higher Divorce Rates for Female Servicemembers—Marriages of female troops are failing at almost three times the rate of male servicemembers. How did a Pentagon spokesperson respond to seeing these numbers today? He called the statistics “alarming,” and added, “This is the first time I’m hearing these numbers.” Ironic, considering these are their numbers.

Barriers to VA Health Care—The VA is woefully underprepared to meet the surge of female veterans coming to its hospitals and clinics. Only 14 percent of VA facilities offer specialized, comprehensive women’s health clinics, and the VA is experiencing serious shortages of qualified women’s health and mental health providers. With female enrollment at the VA expected to double in the next 15 years, it is past time to address these significant barriers to care.

Rising Rates of Homelessness among Female Veterans—Female veterans are swelling the ranks of the homeless. There are already more than 13,000 homeless female veterans nationwide. And existing programs for these homeless female veterans aren’t cutting it. Adding to the challenge is the increasing number of female veterans with families in need of homeless services. Almost a quarter of female vets in the VA’s homeless programs have children under the age of 18, creating a ripple effect that will impact people for generations to come.

It doesn’t come as much of a surprise that this behavior has been normalized under a military industrial complex structured by patriarchal values. Thousands of women are giving their lives to the U.S. military only to be later victimized by a system that should be protecting them. If you are interested in supporting the cause of “women warriors,” check out the IAVA (Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America) project to increase awareness about women’s struggles in the military.