Republican Joe Wilson’s shout of ‘You lie!’ during Obama’s congressional address constituted a snub more-or-less equivalent to an Australian mooning.
Articles by Jeff Sparrow 
Video shatters polite silence in Sri Lanka’s civil war
For the most part, the world discreetly hid its eyes from exactly what took place in Sri Lanka’s civil war. Until last week.
Voting for Afghanistan. Again and again and again
The Election Complaints Commission has already received 1157 allegations of irregularities in Afghanistan. And the allegations are not just coming from disgruntled candidates.
Woodstock: Blame the boomers for not going far enough
The Woodstock anniversary shows once again the power of the 60s social movements. Except, the women’s movement challenged the madonna/whore distinction and we ended up with post-feminism and … Madonna.
Afghanistan: are assassinations the only answer?
When the military draws up its death lists, how does it distinguish between civilian and military targets? Should drug traffickers be put on the assassination list?
ASIO willing to leak to spin the news their way
Why are security agents prepared to break the law to cultivate the media, rather than simply doing their job and letting the headlines take care of themselves?
ACTU bites its tongue, retreats to attic
What trade-off has the ACTU received for biting its tongue about the building industry? So far, just some half hearted words of encouragement about ‘buying Australian’.
Afghanistan: a mess wrapped in a blood-soaked riddle
Pro-war pundits contrast the theocratic rule of the Taliban circa 2000 with an Afghan future that exists only in their imagination, neatly ignoring the real Afghanistan that the war has brought into being, writes Jeff Sparrow.
Terrorism in Indonesia has nothing to do with Afghanistan
Imagine a politician claiming that the best response to a bombing in Indonesia was to invade Afghanistan. We’d think they were perfectly mad.
Peter Garrett: fool now or liar then?
As recently as 2006, Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett was still talking up the anti-nuclear movement and urging Australians to oppose new mines. So is he a hypocrite or an idiot?
Honduran coup: take another look at Zelaya’s proposals
Had they come to fruition, the evil schemes of Zelaya (and, for that matter, Chavez) would have resulted in an electoral system rather like Australia’s.
Honduras gets ugly, time for another US decision
With gunshots and teargas, the military has successfully prevented the plane carrying the elected Honduran leader from landing.
First the neo-cons praise Iran, now they want to bomb them
With the protests in Iran ebbing away, get ready for a change in approach from the neo-cons. Yesterday they sung the praises of the Iranian people. Now they want to bomb them.
Australia’s role in Iraq must be examined
As US combat troops get set to leave Iraqi towns and cities tomorrow, it’s time for Australia to get the kind of inquiry due to take place in Britain, argues Overland editor Jeff Sparrow.
Iranian rebellion inspired by the West? Not so much.
They’re risking their lives. We’re debating utes. You’d think that, in local discussions of Iran, a certain humility would prevail. But not so for Janet Albrechtsen, writes Jeff Sparrow.
Why the building industry needs a history lesson
It’s hard to think of a major figure from Australian trade union history who wouldn’t fall foul of the current building industry code, writes Jeff Sparrow.
Shell pays off the Ogoni, but must still settle with history
The claims of complicity by Shell in the death of Nigerian environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa were to be tested in a New York court. Instead, the oil company has offered a settlement of a $US15.5 “humanitarian gesture”.
Why isn’t Scott Roeder being charged as a terrorist?
On the face of it, abortionist assassin Scott Roeder ticks all of the boxes of a terrorist, so why isn’t he being charged as one? Asks Jeff Sparrow.
Europe’s fascists on the rise
Europe’s neo-fascists achieved electoral success in the European elections. Should we start worrying? asks Jeff Sparrow.
George Tiller and the American abortion debate
The most surprising aspect of George Tiller’s murder was that it had taken so long, writes Jeff Sparrow.
Breeding the next Sri Lankan insurgency behind razor wire
With hundreds of thousands of Tamils being held in detention, the seeds of future bloodshed are now being sown on a massive scale, writes Jeff Sparrow.
Conservative heroines: must be pretty and enrage liberals
Clare Werbeloff is Australian for Sarah Palin … well almost.
Rumsfeld and Cheney: torture as self-justification
“He’s a ruthless little bastard. You can be sure of that.” So said Richard Nixon of Donald Rumsfeld back in 1971.
The war in Afghanistan is about to get dirtier
With Labor’s budget doubling Australia’s expenditure on Afghanistan, it seems pertinent to look at where that war might be heading, writes Jeff Sparrow.
How the pundits got it oh so wrong on Afghanistan
Crikey / Jeff Sparrow / Monday, 7 September 2009
Given the almost universal recognition that the Afghanistan campaign has become a bloody mess, it’s worth revisiting some of the pundits who initially sold us the war.