Reasons of Empire
John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt blamed Israel for America’s Middle Eastern fiascos. But from Iraq to Iran, Washington has had its own reasons for war in the Gulf.
24 Article(s) by: Gilbert Achcar
Gilbert Achcar is an emeritus professor at SOAS, University of London. His most recent books are The New Cold War: The United States, Russia and China From Kosovo to Ukraine and Gaza Catastrophe: The Genocide in World-Historical Perspective.
Middle East Wars Are Still About Oil and Empire
What’s really behind Trump’s war on Iran?
Gaza Was the Last Nail in the Coffin of Liberal Atlanticism
Since the end of the Cold War, European and US liberals have claimed to defend a “rules-based international order.” Often a fiction, even the pretense has now vanished under the rubble of Gaza.
Middle East Wars Are Still About Oil and Empire
Gilbert Achcar explains how oil, US power, and regional rivalries have shaped decades of conflict in the Middle East — and why the confrontation with Iran fits a long imperial pattern.
Donald Trump’s Imperialism Follows a Grim American Tradition
There’s something disingenuous about liberal Western media rediscovering that the term “imperialism” also applies to the US. Donald Trump is no radical departure from his predecessors; he simply abandons the pretense of exporting democracy.
From the Ashes of the Arab Spring
Today marks 15 years since the overthrow of Tunisian dictator Ben Ali, one of the high points of the Arab Spring. The events of 2011 gave rise to an impressive wave of revolutions. Almost all were bloodily suppressed.
The Whitewashing of Ahmed al-Sharaa
Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa was just welcomed to Donald Trump’s White House. His visit represents Washington’s embrace of a sectarian government with little respect for democracy.
Recognizing a Palestinian State Doesn’t Mean a Free Palestine
Western plans for a Palestinian state fall far short of Palestinian self-determination, imposing tight limits on its future sovereignty.
The Genocide in Gaza and Those Who Deny It
Zionists often insist that the use of the word “genocide” to describe Israeli actions in Gaza cheapens other past crimes. Yet in both scale and in intent, Israel’s destruction of Gaza conforms closely to historic genocides.
Gaza Exposes the Bankruptcy of Western Liberalism
In defending and arming Israel over the last two years, Western governments have shown the hollowness of international law. The genocide will be remembered as a decisive moment in the collapse of liberalism.
The Left and Military Aid to Ukraine
An exchange between two Jacobin writers on the question of military aid to Ukraine.
For Arms Manufacturers, the War in Ukraine Is a Profits Bonanza
Not even 1 percent of NATO military hardware will actually be used to help Ukraine. But the Russian invasion has provided a pretext for massively increased arms spending — and it’s great news for weapons manufacturers’ profits.
In Ukraine, Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin Are Playing with Fire
The current Ukraine-Russia standoff is the most dangerous European war crisis in decades. Rhetorical grandstanding and the buildup of weaponry risk setting off a devastating explosion. Progressive movements must urgently organize for peace and de-escalation.
Washington Is Shedding Crocodile Tears for Afghan Women
War hawks constantly cite women’s liberation in support of the US occupation of Afghanistan. That’s transparent hypocrisy: during the Cold War, the US supported patriarchal fundamentalists against a party dedicated to advancing the cause of Afghan women.
The US Lost in Afghanistan. But US Imperialism Isn’t Going Anywhere.
The United States suffered grave losses in Iraq and Afghanistan, just as it did in Vietnam. But we shouldn’t mistake revisions of US military strategy after calamitous failures for a turn away from US imperialist ambitions.
The Sudanese Revolution Enters a New Phase
The Sudanese Revolution has won major victories. But it still needs to wrestle control from the military to popular forces.
The Long Arab Spring
The recent uprisings in Sudan and Algeria show that the conditions that gave rise to the Arab Spring are not going away. But movements against authoritarianism and exploitation still face existential threats.
Marx and the Prophet
On why the rise of fundamentalism in Muslim-majority countries owes much to the failings of the secular left.
The Fall of Sudan’s “Morsisi”
The Sudanese people just toppled their longtime autocratic leader, Omar al-Bashir. It's a confirmation that the revolutionary ferment of the Arab Spring didn't die out in 2011.
Order Prevails in the Arab World
Through butchery and sectarianism, the autocracies of the Arab world have survived this round. But in the long run, any order dependent on murder and bloodshed is doomed to collapse.