ICE(US)

"Empire in Decline": Historian Alfred McCoy on U.S. Aggression in Venezuela, Iran & Beyond

As President Trump threatens Iran, Venezuela, Mexico, Greenland and more, renowned historian Alfred McCoy says the United States is “an empire in decline,” following a predictable pattern of militarism abroad and political instability at home as it loses power and influence on the world stage. “American politics become increasingly contorted and irrational,” says McCoy. “I think the thing to do is to realize that we are an empire in decline, … and it will continue for another decade or two, until American power finally slips away.” McCoy just published his latest book, Cold War on Five Continents: A Global History of Empire and Espionage, on the impact of U.S.-Soviet imperial proxy wars in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

"State of Siege": Iran Protest Death Toll Rises to 2,000 After U.S. Sanctions Spawn Economic Crisis

Iran has said it’s ready for “war” or dialogue after President Trump said the U.S. was considering “very strong options” to intervene if Iran’s security forces kill anti-government protesters in an ongoing crackdown. Vali Nasr, professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, says the U.S. “can wage full-scale war on Iran — which President Trump does not seem to be eager to do — or it can hope to squeeze Iran economically in order to create political unrest in Iran.” This comes as at least 648 people have been killed since protests broke out in late December, according to the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights, and over 10,000 people have been arrested. Iranian officials say the number of dead could be as high as 2,000.