Maj. Danny Sjursen, USA (ret.)

The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one’s real and one’s declared aims, one turns, as it were, instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms…" ~ George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language" (1946) Lieutenant General Robert P. White. Remember his name. I knew nothing of this man … Continue reading “Orwellian ‘Enemies’: The Enduring Utility of ‘Axes of Evil’”

Exceptionalism, triumphalism, chauvinism. These characteristics define most empires, including, like it or not, these United States. The sequence matters. A people and national government that fancies itself exceptional – an example for the rest of the world – is apt to assert itself militarily, economically, and culturally around the globe. If that self-righteous state happens … Continue reading “The Unaccountable Nation”

"Red" (Morgan Freeman): "Hope is a dangerous thing my friend, it can kill a man…" Andy (Tim Robbins): "Remember, Red. Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." ~ The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Two futures lie before us. Like the classic visions of late-Old Testament prophets, contemporary … Continue reading “Dual Paths in Dark Times: Despair or Hope for Antiwar Dreamers”

On the one hand, many Americans have nothing but time on their hands. With folks out of work, working from home, and socially quarantined, there’s never been a better time to make a sizable dent in their book queues and catch up on the sort of analytical articles found here at Antiwar.com. At the same … Continue reading “The One Thing Corona Won’t Halt: Endless War”

Look, I’m no doctor; not a scientist; certainly no expert in epidemiology. So I’ve kept silent, for the most part, on the Coronavirus. Being more than a little out of my depth on the subject, I’ll continue to do so. Nonetheless, it is striking how the disease outbreak has swallowed the news cycle whole, totally … Continue reading “Militarism in a Time of Pandemic: The Arrogance of the (Ongoing) US War in Iraq”

Cash rules everything around me, C.R.E.A.M. get the money, dollar dollar bill, y’all! So rhymed Method Man, of the famed New York hip hop collective Wu Tang Clan, in 1993. Underprivileged denizens of a particularly rough and tumble, if forgotten, slice of my own forgotten borough of Staten Island, most of the street dudes turned … Continue reading “C.R.E.A.M.: America’s Real Drug Dealers Work in the Military-Industrial Complex”

This article originally appeared at TruthDig. “A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.” Everyone who enters the gate at West Point Military Academy must memorize and recite these words on their first day. Failure to follow that protocol, including the “nontoleration clause,” can mean expulsion. Even insufficient adherence to the … Continue reading “The US Military’s #MeToo Reckoning That Wasn’t”

Happy Afghan War surrender day, fellas! So began my flippant group text yesterday – which was actually regarding a whole other topic – with the nine lieutenants who worked "for" me when I commanded a cavalry troop in Southern Afghanistan. Now these guys, some still in the army, most long out, run the political gamut … Continue reading “Happy Afghanistan Surrender Day!”

“WikiLeaks, I love WikiLeaks." ~ Donald Trump, October 10 2016, Wilkes-Barre, PA “This WikiLeaks is like a treasure trove." ~ Donald Trump, October 31, 2016 in Warren, MI Back in the day, not so long ago, The Donald loved him some WikiLeaks. He said so on at least five occasions out on the campaign trail … Continue reading “First They Came for Assange…”

Tune in to Episode#46 of the SIGAR (Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction) show, folks – at least those (few) who still care about America’s longest, ongoing, war. The latest installment just dropped, and I promise it’s a gem: replete with the all the dramatic suspense of “Homeland,” the dark comedy of a rebooted "Curb … Continue reading “What We’re Not Allowed To Know About the Afghan War”