The addiction to militarism spells the end of the US as we know it

The addiction to militarism spells the end of the US as we know it

By Jan Oberg April 10, 2019 A major economic factor behind the relative decline of the US is one hardly ever mentioned, at least not in the Western mainstream circles: Militarism. The US is militarizing itself to death. (1) Instead, we get a constant news stream about all the enemies the US believes it has […]

US leadership approval in decline everywhere

US leadership approval in decline everywhere

Not so Germany, China and Russia By Jan Oberg March 27, 2019 Like the above diagram, it looks dark. For the US. Perhaps that’s the reason you have not seen it on the front pages of the Western mainstream press? Not only does this remarkable Gallup survey – made in the US – tell that […]

An ocean of lies about Venezuela

An ocean of lies about Venezuela

Abby Martin interviews the UN’s Rapporteur By Jan Oberg March 9, 2019 At The Transnational, we believe in diversity. And in the likelihood that world events are complex and can be seen from more than one – usually US/Western – perspective. You may have wondered why the, now retired, UN representative for Venezuela, the brilliant […]

The End of American Exceptionalism

The End of American Exceptionalism

January 19, 2019 “The naive and dangerous idea that the U.S. is exceptional has made us a danger to ourselves.” Jeffrey Sachs sits down with Rob Johnson to discuss his new book, A New Foreign Policy: Beyond American Exceptionalism, Columbia University Press, 2018.

Can Trump Survive Syria, Mattis, Stock Market Fall, & Friedman’s ‘Watershed Moment’?

By Richard Falk December 27, 2018 I have long believed that the three red lines in Washington that no elected president can significantly transgress without being ejected from the Oval Office are unwavering support for the priorities of Wall Street, the Pentagon, and Israel. With the announced withdrawal of American troops in Syria (and their […]

Can the world become a better place?

Can the world become a better place?

By Jan Oberg November 23, 2018 Iran’s PressTV today asked me to comment on an official Turkish comment on President Trumps statement concerning the Saudi Arabian murder of Mr. Khashoggi. That gave me the opportunity to say a bit about the relationsship between these two countries, the two largest military powers in NATO – and […]

What if Donald Trump is what America is all about?

What if Donald Trump is what America is all about?

  There is a widely accepted idea among some Americans that Trump does not reflect American values. They are wrong   By Hamid Dabashi In an erudite and timely piece for the New York Times, published just a few days before the midterm elections in early November 2018, my distinguished Columbia University colleague Andrew Delbanco […]

Commentary: Five reasons why Trump’s Iran sanctions will fail

Commentary: Five reasons why Trump’s Iran sanctions will fail

(Photo credit: Iran News) By Seyed Hossein Mousavian November 4, 2018 The next round of economic sanctions on Iran, which will start going into effect on Nov.4, will mainly target the country’s oil and gas industries. These sanctions were eased after the 2015 signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as […]

Sinologist sees China changing the world

Sinologist sees China changing the world

Photo from Shanghai by Jan Oberg 2018   By Cecily Liu in London from China Daily October 22, 2018 Esteemed author says nation’s development model can be a blueprint for emerging economies China’s rapid growth since the reform and opening-up process began in 1978 has not only been an economic miracle for the nation, but […]

President Trump’s disturbing speech at the UN: This not the time to just laugh!

President Trump’s disturbing speech at the UN: This  not the time to just laugh!

  By Farhang Jahanpour September 26   Last year I wrote that Trump’s speech at the UN General Assembly was perhaps the worst speech ever delivered from that podium, certainly by a Western leader. This year he surpassed himself. Why is there no rule to say that someone who openly violates the basic norms of […]