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Richard Falk

Richard Falk

Richard Falk is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestinian human rights. An international law and international relations scholar who taught at Princeton University for forty years, since 2002 Falk has lived in Santa Barbara, California, and taught at the local campus of the University of California in Global and International Studies and since 2005 chaired the Board of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.

Articles by this author

 
Hundreds of people are gathered in front of the general consulate of Israel to demonstrate in support of Palestinians in San Francisco, California, United States on May 18, 2021. Protests are taking place worldwide against Israelâs recent escalated actions towards the Palestinian people. (Photo: Burak Arik/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Is This the Beginning of the End of Israeli Apartheid?

Israel has already long lost the main legal and moral arguments and is in the process of losing the political argument.

Richard Falk ·

What evidence exists by polls and other measurements of public opinion suggest that Sanders would have been a stronger candidate than Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020, but for reasons suggested above, adhering to the bipartisan consensus was more important or Democrats than winning elections. (Photo:Jonathan Newton /The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Why Biden Must Win: It Is Not About Democracy, Its About Fascism

If Biden wins, the bipartisan consensus is reaffirmed, while if Trump somehow prevails, the bipartisan will be further weakened, and even threatened by replacing the consensus with a right-wing policy agenda.

Richard Falk ·

"We cannot be hopeful about the future unless we commit ourselves to the hard work of deterritorializing democracy, demilitarizing the state, pacifying geopolitics, empowering people, and strengthening the United Nations and international law," writes Falk. (Photo: Erik (HASH) Hersman/flickr/cc)

Can U.S. Democracy Be Fixed?

Even in the unlikely event that the presidential election goes well procedurally, it is no time to gloat about the vindication of the American version of constitutional democracy. 

Richard Falk ·

Colin Kaepernick, decided to kneel during the playing of the National Anthem during the 2016 season, his announced intention was to call attention to racial inequality in the United States, and its ugliest manifestations via excessive uses of deadly force by police against African Americans. (Photo: AP)

The Politics of Kneeling: A Tribute to Colin Kaepernick

It takes a dedicated movement, not a string of moments, no matter how searing and memorable, to achieve the deep structural changes that will allow all persons of color to be treated as equal citizens with equal rights.

Richard Falk ·

"With respect to nuclear hazards, especially from the weaponry and their possible use, there is a growing disconnect between risk and behavior," writes Falk, "a combination of nuclearism prevailing among the political elites of the nuclear weapons states and public disregard. There is a greater appreciation of the dangers associated with nuclear energy." (Photo: Wikimedia / Creative Commons)

Arms Control & Disarmament: A Failed Marriage

As with the climate crisis, the linkages between contagious disease and nuclear weapons are too evident to ignore.

Richard Falk ·

Geopolitical Crimes are ongoing and others are being initiated to reflect current realities. (Photo: CommonDreams)

Geopolitical Crimes: A Revolutionary Proposal

We can no longer afford the occurrence of deliberate choices by representatives of leading governments that pose grave harm to the human interest in achieving humane societies and a sustainable future for the species

Richard Falk ·

"By purporting to punish the Human Rights Council, the Trump presidency, representing the U.S. Government, is much more punishing itself, as well as the peoples of the world." (Photo: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

The U.S. Withdraws (Again) From the UN Human Rights Council

America's laughable tendency to lecture the world about the human rights failures of others.

Richard Falk ·

The Flawed and Corrupted Genius of American Republicanism

The system is now so flawed that even should the Democrats manage to claw their way back to power the gap would not greatly diminish.

Richard Falk ·

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