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.

The Forgotten War in Maysan Province

Since Guardian correspondent Rory Carroll was briefly kidnapped in Baghdad and the paper recalled its reporters while it reviewed the situation, there has a lively debate in the English press about the nature and limits of Western reporting in Iraq. Carroll himself, since being freed, has insisted that Iraq remains a story more capable of … Continue reading “The Forgotten War in Maysan Province”

So Much for Strict Construction

Here is the key passage in Senator John McCain’s anti-torture amendment to the 2006 Defense Appropriations Bill (which the Bush administration has threatened to veto if it arrives so amended): “No individual in the custody or under the physical control of the United States government, regardless of nationality or physical location, shall be subject to … Continue reading “So Much for Strict Construction”

The Tip of the Criminal Conspiracy

I. Lewis (“Scooter”) Libby, immediately praised by the president (“Scooter has worked tirelessly on behalf of the American people and sacrificed much in the service to this country”), his resignation accepted with “deep regret” by the vice president (“He has given many years of his life to public service and has served our nation tirelessly … Continue reading “The Tip of the Criminal Conspiracy”

Smoking Guns and Red Herrings

Implosion update: And so they fall: Tom DeLay just weeks back. Harriet Miers yesterday. I. Lewis (“Scooter”) Libby today. Prepare yourself. It’s going to be a long, hard dive into deep waters that should, sooner or later, lead us back to the beginning. Think of Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald’s indictment of the Vice President’s Chief … Continue reading “Smoking Guns and Red Herrings”

Bush’s October Surprise

Those in the anti-fascist struggle of the 1930s who went off to fight in the Spanish Civil War were later termed “premature antifascists.” Perhaps, in the same spirit, I might be considered a premature Bush-administration implodist. On Feb. 1, 2004, reviewing the week just passed, I imagined us trapped in “some new reality show in … Continue reading “Bush’s October Surprise”

Putting the Plame Case in Perspective

As many now know, Patrick Fitzgerald, the special counsel in the Plame case, set up an official Web site last week. Something tells me he isn’t planning on going anywhere soon. While we await the indictments to come, consider the strange history of the 1982 CIA shield law that triggered the process (as Steve Weissman … Continue reading “Putting the Plame Case in Perspective”

Casualties of the Bush Administration

As the American toll in Iraq climbs toward 2,000 dead and 15,000 wounded, and the horror of those shortened or constricted lives continues to sink deep into American communities, various memorials to the fallen – American soldiers, journalists, contractors, and sometimes Iraqis as well – have sprung to life. Arrays of combat boots; labyrinths and … Continue reading “Casualties of the Bush Administration”

Last One to Leave, Please Turn on the Lights

Recently, our top commander in Iraq, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., was brought back to the United States, officially to consult with George Bush on what the president still calls “our strategy for victory.” Along with retiring Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Richard Myers, Centcom Commander Gen. John Abizaid, and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Casey … Continue reading “Last One to Leave, Please Turn on the Lights”