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 Wars in Our Schools

Originally posted at TomDispatch. The third time around, the Pentagon evidently wants to do it right – truly right – this time. What other explanation could there be for dispatching 12 generals to Iraq (one for every 416 American troops estimated to be on the ground in that country, according to Nancy Youssef of the … Continue reading “The Wars in Our Schools”

Writing a Blank Check on War for the President

Originally posted at TomDispatch. It was a large banner and its message was clear. It read: “Mission Accomplished,” and no, I don’t mean the classic “mission accomplished” banner on the USS Abraham Lincoln under which, on May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush proudly proclaimed (to the derision of critics ever since) that “major combat … Continue reading “Writing a Blank Check on War for the President”

America’s Post-Democratic Military

Originally posted at TomDispatch. In recent times, one of the strangest aspects of war, American-style, has been the inability of the most powerful military on the planet to extricate itself from any of the conflicts it’s initiated or somehow gotten itself involved in – even those it’s officially walked away from. Like the sirens in … Continue reading “America’s Post-Democratic Military”

The American Way of War as a Do-Over

Originally posted at TomDispatch. With General John Campbell’s tour of duty in Afghanistan finished, a new commander has taken over. Admittedly, things did not go well during Campbell’s year and a half heading up the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) there, but that’s par for the course. In late 2015, while he was in the … Continue reading “The American Way of War as a Do-Over”

Energy Wars of Attrition

Originally posted at TomDispatch. Three and a half years ago, the International Energy Agency (IEA) triggered headlines around the world by predicting that the United States would overtake Saudi Arabia to become the world’s leading oil producer by 2020 and, together with Canada, would become a net exporter of oil around 2030. Overnight, a new … Continue reading “Energy Wars of Attrition”

The Grief of Others and the Boasts of Candidates

Originally posted at TomDispatch. Here’s a what-if that continues to haunt me. What if some disturbed “lone wolf,” “inspired” by the Islamic State’s online propagandists, went out with an assault rifle or two and – San Bernardino-style – shot up a wedding, killing the bride and killing or wounding many others at the ceremony? Let’s … Continue reading “The Grief of Others and the Boasts of Candidates”

War, What Is It Good For? Absolutely Nothing

Originally posted at TomDispatch. It may be hard to believe now, but in 1970 the protest song “War,” sung by Edwin Starr, hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. That was at the height of the Vietnam antiwar movement and the song, written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, became something of a … Continue reading “War, What Is It Good For? Absolutely Nothing”

The US Military Suffers From Affluenza

Originally posted at TomDispatch. Here’s my little joke of the month: How do you spell Pentagon? M-O-R-E. Whether it’s funny or not, it couldn’t be more accurate. And that urge for more is fed endlessly by an American military that has increasingly become the only “option” on that mythical “table” in Washington where all options … Continue reading “The US Military Suffers From Affluenza”

The US Military Bombs in the Twenty-First Century

Here’s my twenty-first-century rule of thumb about this country: if you have to say it over and over, it probably ain’t so. Which is why I’d think twice every time we’re told how “exceptional” or “indispensable” the United States is. For someone like me who can still remember a moment when Americans assumed that was … Continue reading “The US Military Bombs in the Twenty-First Century”