Frida Berrigan

Frida Berrigan is a senior program associate at the New America Foundation's Arms and Security Initiative.

The Art of the Submarine

Walk through any art museum and you’re likely to see a mix of the classical and contemporary, impressionist and surrealist, refined and raw, beautiful, eerie, and provocative. Looking at art allows me at least a few moments of relief from the “that’s just the way it is” attitude of our hyper-consumerist, hyper-militarized, hyper-nihilist nation. I … Continue reading “The Art of the Submarine”

Living With World’s End in Plain Sight

Originally posted at TomDispatch. This editor’s note introduced the single article that took up almost every inch of space in the August 31, 1946, New Yorker magazine: “TO OUR READERS: The New Yorker this week devotes its entire editorial space to an article on the almost complete obliteration of a city by one atomic bomb, … Continue reading “Living With World’s End in Plain Sight”

Enough Already: Close Gitmo

Remember way back when? President Barack Obama promised to close the Guantánamo prison, restore the United States’ moral standing, and end the practice of torture.  It was two years ago. In January 2009, as one of his first acts as president, Obama signed an executive order that committed the United States to closing the prison … Continue reading “Enough Already: Close Gitmo”

Sunrise or Sunset for Iraq?

Operation New Dawn. That is the name the U.S. military will give its operations in Iraq when U.S. military operations in that country end this September. Wait, what? Okay, once more, a little more slowly. The United States has nearly 100,000 military personnel in Iraq right now. In keeping with the January 2009 Security Agreement … Continue reading “Sunrise or Sunset for Iraq?”

The Conventional Arms Control Challenge

Massive ordnance penetrator. Sounds powerful, right? This bomb is also known by its initials: MOP. About a month ago, Congress gave $68 million to the Boeing Corporation to accelerate the purchase and development of 10-12 "massive ordnance penetrators." The Pentagon says that the MOP bombs are the "weapon of choice" for an "urgent operational need." … Continue reading “The Conventional Arms Control Challenge”

Afghanistan: War Trumps Elections

The official results of Afghanistan’s presidential elections won’t be known for weeks. The ballots cast around the country need to be brought to Kabul — some by donkey and helicopter — and counted. Nevertheless, U.S. officials have rushed to celebrate the process, and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen heralded the elections as "a testimony … Continue reading “Afghanistan: War Trumps Elections”