Seymour Hersh: When Obama threatened to attack Syria, the US government did not know whether Sarin was used by Assad's men or by al-Nusra the Islamist fanatics. And it still does not know.

The destruction of chemical weapons is a good outcome, and I continue to support it. Cherry-picking intelligence to support a military attack is the sort of thing Dubya did.

Three Ways the Super-Rich Suck Wealth Out of the Rest of Us.

A US Navy study predicts that before 2019 global heating will melt all the ice in the Arctic Ocean every summer.

This will cause global heating to accelerate, since the water surface will absorb more light, which currently the ice reflects out to space.

The ANC, on abolishing apartheid, abandoned its plans for socialism to share the wealth with the impoverished. Did Mandela have a choice?

I don't advocate a Communism that would abolish private property and business. However, the decision to have private business still leaves a wide range of possible societies. Cruel societies such as today's US and Mexico are one option, but today's Scandinavia is also an option. Some socialist elements can make society much better for the non-rich while most work continues to be done by private businesses.

"Affluenza" is a new excuse for letting wealthy people escape punishment for crimes such as vehicular homicide.

I doubt whether a 20-year prison sentence is the best way to teach a 16-year-old not to drive while drugged and drunk. However, I agree with the article that, whatever society's best response is, the culprits should not be allowed to pay their way to more favorable treatment.