Author Archives: Peter Van Buren

I Was Banned for Life From Twitter

I became persona non grata after a heated exchange over the media’s complicity with the government. The mob won.

Donald Trump is Not the ‘Manchurian Candidate’

But the establishment blob is looking a lot like the new McCarthyism.

John Brennan, Melting Down and Covering Up

He accuses Trump of treason. But what’s his bluster really about?

Why I Stand With Julian Assange

America’s least favorite whistleblower nonetheless did us a great service—and the U.S. case against him could be chilling.

The Diplomacy 101 Lessons That Washington Forgot

Negotiating is tough, it takes a long time, and sometimes you bow to unsavory people.

Real Takeaway: The FBI Influenced the Election of a President

The good news is the Deep State seems less competent than we originally feared.

What if the Trump-Moon-Kim Summit Fails?

Diplomacy is about moving the goalposts and embracing the long game—not playing chicken.

What I Saw in Post-Nuclear Deal Iran

I talked to hardline clerics saying “I told you so” and lost my luggage at the airport. If only Donald Trump had done the same.

Can Michael Hayden Be This Blinded By Hate?

Ex-NSA chief says Americans have been conned by Russia and Trump and should look to intel community for salvation.

What if Kim Jong-un is Looking to Liberalize?

The rush to the table may be a sign the North Korean leader’s strategy is economic, not nuclear.

A Higher Loyalty is Jim Comey’s Revenge, Served Lukewarm

The spurned FBI director is presented as everything that Trump isn’t–and that gets old, quick.

Sacrificing Veterans Health Care on the Altar of Privatization

Think creating a ‘Medicare for Veterans’ is the answer to VA’s woes? Not so fast.

U.S. Officials Demand Al Jazeera Register as Propaganda ‘Agent’

The network is the latest in the big chill, is being called ‘anti-American, anti-Semitic, and anti-Israel.’

Gina Haspel: As If Nuremberg Never Happened

Nothing will say more about who we’ve become as a nation than if a torturer is allowed to head the CIA.

Rex Tillerson: The Pointless Secretary of State

His ominously hawkish replacement, Mike Pompeo, will prove far more consequential.

The New Surveillance State and the Old Perjury Trap

A significant number of Trump’s people were electronically monitored by a Democratic administration—many “by accident.”

What Mueller Has and What He’s Missing

So far there’s little of the former and a lot of the latter. Absent more evidence, skepticism remains a healthy stance.

How Rob Porter Got His Security Clearance

The system didn’t break down. Someone failed to uphold its standards, and the Trump administration paid the price.

Christopher Steele: The Real Foreign Influence in the 2016 Election?

His dossier was more than opposition research, it was part of a full-spectrum information operation.

Don’t Be Cynical About an Olympics Detente With North Korea

Both sides are sending signals that this is more than just global games.

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