New Sign of Racism In The US

I admit this comes as a shock:

The number of those who approve of the drone strikes drops nearly 20 percent when respondents are told that the targets are American citizens. But that 65 percent is still a very big number, given that these policies really should be controversial.

I used to think that the American government is the sole culprit in all the misdeeds done in America's name all round the world, while retaining a warm feeling towards at least half of the Americans (assuming they are divided 50-50 between liberals and conservatives).  No longer.  

I use the word 'racism' since I believe that the 20% are OK with the drone attacks on non-Americans because they (the targets) are 'brown people'.

Clinton, Obama... Does It Matter

While Ramesh Thakur goes all dreamy and idealistic here, Siddharth Varadarajan brings us down to earth:

Given the disasters the Bush administration has caused in Iraq and elsewhere, it is only natural that all candidates — Democrats and Republicans — feel obliged to declare they will bring about a substantive change in the way the U.S. deals with the world.

In reality, the change, when it comes, will at best be marginal.

And that's the truth.

PS: If anyone out there is wondering where Siddharth Varadarajan vanished after the nuclear deal fracas, he's here.