Maj. Danny Sjursen, USA (ret.)

This article originally appeared at TruthDig. Donald Trump loves him some bluster, worships machismo, and always has. Spectacle over substance has long been the name of his game. Decades before his successful presidential run, back when he was still a cartoon billionaire playboy, Trump took out a full-page newspaper advertisement that argued that New York … Continue reading “America Will Never Live Down Trump’s War Crime Pardons”

East Baghdad, January 25, 2007. Newly minted 1st Lieutenant Danny Sjursen, all of 23-years-old, led his scout platoon – the "Ghost Riders” – on yet another meaningless presence patrol in an increasingly aimless war, at about 9:00pm local time in the Al Amin neighborhood of Shia-majority East Baghdad. We were no longer allowed to call … Continue reading “What Was It All For: Iranian Intel Leaks and the US Folly in Iraq”

Sometime this year, the 19th in America’s longest, most futile, war in Afghanistan – really any day now – a young man (or woman) will be killed in a war older than he is. In these dark times, it feels like an inevitability, but it’s not quite – if only just. History rolls along, certainly, … Continue reading “If Not Now, When; If Not Us, Who?: Support Antiwar.com!”

They sure didn’t look the part. These weren’t a bunch of stereotypical hippie peaceniks. As I surveyed the room in the beautiful DC brownstone which hosted the BringOurTroopsHome.us opening night reception, I saw well-built, well-dressed men and women, many still sporting military-style haircuts (though often with a well-groomed beard). Instead of tie-dye shirts, I spied … Continue reading “A New Generation of Vets: Ending Endless War From the Right“

This article originally appeared at TruthDig. I’ve been publishing antiwar material for more than five years now. Seeing as I only retired this past February, I did most of my dissenting while still on active duty, and much of it during the Obama years. During that time, the overwhelming majority of hate mail in my … Continue reading “The Trump Doctrine Demands a Democratic Response”

It wasn’t supposed to be this way; wasn’t meant to be celebrated as such – as Veterans’ Day, that is. When the guns fell silent after more than four years of slaughter in the Great War – which consumed at least 9 million soldiers’ lives – in a widely celebrated, long-awaited armistice, veterans, and even … Continue reading “The Armistice We Need: Time for Vets To Reclaim Veterans’ Day”

Originally posted at TomDispatch. What a strange world we’re in! Imagine that only recently Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of the remaining 1,000 U.S. military personnel from Syria (launching a bloodbath in Kurdish-controlled areas on its northern border in the process). He was, if you remember, bringing them all “home.” Almost immediately, however, Secretary of … Continue reading “Watching My Students Turn Into Soldiers of Empire”

"People can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders…All you have to do is tell them they’re being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country." ~Hermann Goering, Nazi Field Marshal and Hitler henchman Somehow I’m always a … Continue reading “The Switch: ‘Liberal’ Thought Police and Endless War”

When the feds are out to get you, you just might be doing something right. And Antiwar.com has been doing what’s right for decades. Long before the 9/11 attacks and the resulting American wars of revenge and hegemony, Eric Garris, Justin Raimondo, and the site’s columnists had already diagnosed and set out to expose the … Continue reading “Send the FBI a Message: Support Antiwar.com, Support Free Speech”

This article originally appeared at TruthDig. That’s right, sandwiched between Trump’s standard braggadocio about how he single-handedly secured “a better future for Syria and for the Middle East,” and his cynical pivot to decry his opponents’ supposed desire to accept “unlimited migration from war-torn regions” across the U.S. border, was one of the strongest blasts … Continue reading “Trump’s Antiwar Speech Deserved a Better Reception”