Tom Engelhardt

An editor in publishing for the last 25 years, Tom Engelhardt is the author of The End of Victory Culture, a history of American triumphalism in the Cold War era, now out in a revised edition with a new preface and afterword, and Mission Unaccomplished, TomDispatch Interviews With American Iconoclasts and Dissenters. He is at present consulting editor for Metropolitan Books, a fellow of the Nation Institute, and a teaching fellow at the journalism school of the University of California, Berkeley. Visit his Web site. This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To stay on top of important articles like these, sign up to receive the latest updates from TomDispatch.com.

How a CIA Coup in Iran and My Life Became One

Like a giant piece in an intricate, if ugly, jigsaw puzzle, the aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, and its strike group are now sailing toward the Persian Gulf. On arrival, they will join the strike groups of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (which it is officially replacing) and the USS John C. Stennis patrolling the … Continue reading “How a CIA Coup in Iran and My Life Became One”

The Theater of the
Imperially Absurd

One night when I was in my teens, I found myself at a production of Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author. I had never heard of the playwright or the play, nor had I seen a play performed in the round. The actors were dramatically entering and exiting in the aisles when, suddenly, … Continue reading “The Theater of the
Imperially Absurd”

What If Iran Had Invaded Mexico?

On Tuesday, meeting with the press in the White House Rose Garden, the president responded to a question about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Syria this way: “[P]hoto opportunities and/or meetings with President Assad lead the Assad government to believe they’re part of the mainstream of the international community, when, in fact, they’re a … Continue reading “What If Iran Had Invaded Mexico?”

Karl Rove’s Danse Macabre

At the White House Correspondents’ Dinner the other night, Karl Rove was called up on stage and asked to identify himself. “Peter Fitzgerald,” he promptly said. Then, he corrected himself, “Patrick Fitzgerald.” (That is, Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, who had just convicted Vice President Cheney’s former right-hand man, I. Lewis Libby.) The Rove act then … Continue reading “Karl Rove’s Danse Macabre“

The Fantasy of American Diplomacy in the Middle East

Ever since September 2001, the president’s central operative image has been “war” – specifically, his “global war on terror” (promptly transformed into the grim acronym GWOT). With it went the fantasy that we had been plunged into the modern equivalent of World War II with – as George loved to put it – “theaters” of … Continue reading “The Fantasy of American Diplomacy in the Middle East”

The Missing WMD –
in Trucks in Iraq

The carnage in Iraq continues, but what did anyone expect? Roadside bombs (IEDs) take their deadly almost daily toll on U.S. troops in and around Baghdad (and adjoining provinces). Seventy-five Americans have already died in March, at least 50 of them from roadside bombs. Of course, that’s a drop in the bucket, when it comes … Continue reading “The Missing WMD –
in Trucks in Iraq”

The Anniversary From Hell

Four years ago, the United States invaded Iraq. It’s the anniversary few want to remember; and yet, for all the disillusionment in this country, getting out of Iraq doesn’t exactly seem to be on the agenda either. Not really. Here’s a little tip, when you want to assess the “withdrawal” proposals being offered by members … Continue reading “The Anniversary From Hell”

A Journalist Writes Bloody Murder… and No One Notices

Let me see if I’ve got this straight. Perhaps two years ago, an “informal” meeting of “veterans” of the 1980s Iran-Contra scandal – holding positions in the Bush administration – was convened by Deputy National Security Adviser Elliott Abrams. Discussed were the “lessons learned” from that labyrinthine, secret, and illegal arms-for-money-for-arms deal involving the Israelis, … Continue reading “A Journalist Writes Bloody Murder… and No One Notices”

Iraq as a Cauldron of State Terrorism

When it comes to surging in Iraq, it’s “encouraging” out there. So the president tells us (“Yet even at this early hour, there are some encouraging signs…”); so Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, the surge commander in Baghdad, tells us (“[It’s] too early to discern significant trends, [but] there have been a few encouraging signs…”). No, … Continue reading “Iraq as a Cauldron of State Terrorism”