Volume 268 | No. 18

Sun, May 19

2017—Big game hunter Theunis Botha, 51, dies in Zimbabwe when an elephant shot by a client falls on him. 1956—A 15-megaton bomb test in the South Pacific raises radiation levels in the U.S. to 10 times normal. 1954—The U.S.P.O. OKs HTLINGUAL, a CIA mail-opening op. 1953—Fallout from our dirtiest-ever nuke test, Upshot-Knothole Harry, hits St. George, Utah—H. Hughes’s location for The Conqueror a year later. 1950—Four barges carrying 467 tons of ammo explode in South Amboy, N.J., killing 30 and injuring 350. 1945—U-234 arrives at Portsmouth carrying cargo the Nazis intended for Japan; 1,232 lbs. of uranium eventually does arrive—at Hiroshima, on 8/6. 1943—U.S. submarine-chaser …

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Blind Justice?

by W.D. Ehrhart Are you kidding me? Are you freakin’ kidding me?!?! I recently read this headline in today’s Washington Post: “Trump violated gag a 10th time, judge says, threatening jail.” The article goes on to say that “New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan made it clear to Trump that his 10th gag order violation—which he ruled on at the start of last Monday’s court session—was going to be the last that would result in only a fine.” Trump’s latest fine for contempt of court was $9000. Oh, ouch, agony, the pain, the pain! Let’s see: Dolt .45 would need to sell 23 pairs …

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The Truth About Social Security

To the editors: A surplus exists when FICA [Federal Insurance Contrubitions Act] dollars collected via payroll deduction during the year exceed the Social Security dollars paid out in benefits. Any surplus goes into the Social Security trust fund, which does not hold cash. Instead, the cash is used to buy U.S. Treasury Securities, the cash reverts to the U.S. Treasury, and Congress may spend these funds as it sees fit. The securities that the trust fund holds, result in an increase in the national debt and helps to ensure the viability of the program. A shortfall exists when Social Security dollars paid out in benefits …

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Apologists For Israel’s Mass Murder In Gaza Fall Back On “Antisemitism” Claims

By Norman Solomon If we condemn Hamas for its October 7th attacks in Israel, we’re not accused of anti-Arab bigotry. Nor should we be. Nothing could possibly justify the atrocities that Hamas committed against hundreds of civilians, who were the majority of the 1,200 people killed as a result of the attacks by Hamas forces. And nothing can justify the taking of civilian hostages. But if we condemn Israel for its actions since then, we might be accused of antisemitism. Meanwhile, nothing could possibly justify the atrocities by Israel in Gaza, where the death toll is now estimated at 32,000, while uncounted thousands of other …

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Challenge Accepted

Our job, as we see it, is to summarize for our readers, as best we can, the most relevant events of the fortnight. To compensate for the relative modesty of our resources, we have tried to offer more than the typical ration of historical context. We have recently realized that our editorial judgment must henceforth be tempered by an additional consideration. Given the events of the past decade, existing trends, and their possible outcomes, is it even possible to accurately reflect the times without plunging our readership into despair and catatonia? Without further ado, let’s find out. It’s Good to be King The Miscreant-in-Chief has …

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