Alan Bock

Andrew Sullivan, the blogger and former New Republic editor, who supported the war and to some extent still does but became horrified at torture and official justifications for it and the lack of frankness, called it "The Year We Questioned Authority," or "the year we stopped going along. We gave up blind trust and demanded … Continue reading “Building on Realism”

This is no week (at least for me) to go on about unwarranted searches and surveillance, or whether a Bush bump in approval ratings is due to superficially frank speeches, a growing economy, the reduction in gasoline prices, or some combination thereof, let alone the fate of the PATRIOT Act. As a believer in, at … Continue reading “Toward a Peace Culture”

It might not be a bad idea to step back from events for a moment or two. I’m fascinated at just how casually many Americans – I’ve even caught myself doing it – are able to say how proud of and pleased with the Iraqis they are for pulling off an election with a minimum … Continue reading “Time to Lower Expectations”

I am still inclined to believe that what we are seeing in the president’s series of speeches is the beginning of a change of policy toward gradual withdrawal of a substantial number of U.S. troops from Iraq, although it is apparently not in this president’s makeup to admit mistakes or even to acknowledge changing course, … Continue reading “Chinese Puzzles”

I really should have learned by now. The White House offers some tantalizing hints that this time the president is really going to lay things out in a way the American people can understand, demonstrate that he is conversant with the facts on the ground and how to overcome them. He might even offer a … Continue reading “A Pathetic Performance”

This Thanksgiving, those of us who look forward to the possibility of a future in which war is more often averted than anticipated with relish, enhancing the chances for peace and the freedom that flourishes best in an atmosphere of peace, have a great deal to be thankful for. The Bush administration is unraveling before … Continue reading “Beginning of the End”

I still maintain that President Bush made a serious tactical mistake, from his perspective, in criticizing congressional Democrats for "rewriting history" about the use of intelligence (and the quality thereof) during the run-up to the Iraq war. The basic mistake is in focusing on the past when what really seems to worry an increasing number … Continue reading “Rehashing the Intelligence”

Democrats are touting Tuesday’s election results, in which Democrats won governorships in Virginia and New Jersey and Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger got trounced on the four ballot initiatives he had embraced as essential, as a sign of disillusionment with and even repudiation of President Bush. "Clean sweep," said perky Katie Couric on NBC. "Democrats win … Continue reading “Second-Term Blues and the War”

The problem with some books is that in place of a review you simply want to reprint long excerpts. George Packer, who has written for the New Yorker and the New York Times Magazine is a graceful and sometimes eloquent writer who has interviewed or tagged along with dozens of people in Iraq and the … Continue reading “Anatomy of a Disaster”

From a military or strategic standpoint, to be sure, there’s not that much significance to the figure of 2,000 U.S. military personnel – Staff Sgt. George Alexander Jr., 34, of Killeen, Texas, was the sad milestone, although some will dispute whether he was # 2,000 or "only" #1,993 – who have died in Iraq. However, … Continue reading “A Time for Reconsideration”