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 Logic of the Police State

Originally posted at TomDispatch. Sometime in late November, after the Paris terror attacks but before the one in San Bernardino, I was walking to New York’s Grand Central Station to catch the subway home. In front of one of its main entrances, the police had set up shop, blocking off part of an avenue. The … Continue reading “The Logic of the Police State”

America’s Secret African Drone War Against ISIS

Originally posted at TomDispatch. Am I the only person who still remembers how Pentagon officials spoke of the major military bases already on the drawing boards as the invasion of Iraq ended in April 2003? It was taboo back then to refer to those future installations as “permanent bases.” No one wanted to mouth anything … Continue reading “America’s Secret African Drone War Against ISIS”

Who Will Fight the Islamic State?

Originally posted at TomDispatch. In the many strategies proposed to defeat the Islamic State (IS) by presidential candidates, policymakers, and media pundits alike across the American political spectrum, one common element stands out: someone else should really do it. The United States will send in planes, advisers, and special ops guys, but it would be … Continue reading “Who Will Fight the Islamic State?”

America’s Reckless War Against Evil

Originally posted at TomDispatch. In the muddled midst of last week’s mass killing in San Bernardino, California, a few words skittering across my Twitter feed gave me pause. “On this awful shooting: Is U.S. culture evil? Enemy of our civilization? Must all Americans apologize? Should we bar U.S. tourists as dangerous?” asked Simon Kuper, a … Continue reading “America’s Reckless War Against Evil”

An Invitation to Collective Suicide

Originally posted at TomDispatch. Let’s consider the two parties in Washington. I’m not referring to the Republican and Democratic ones, but our capital’s war parties (there being no peace party, of course). They might be labeled the More War Party and the Much (or Much, Much) More War Party. Headed by President Obama, the first … Continue reading “An Invitation to Collective Suicide”

The National Security State’s Incestuous Relationship With ISIS

Originally posted at TomDispatch. Honestly, I don’t know whether to rant or weep, neither of which are usual impulses for me. In the wake of the slaughter in Paris, I have the urge to write one of two sentences here: Paris changed everything; Paris changes nothing. Each is, in its own way, undoubtedly true. And … Continue reading “The National Security State’s Incestuous Relationship With ISIS”

America’s Empire of African Bases

Originally posted at TomDispatch. As I’ve written elsewhere, what Chalmers Johnson called America’s “empire of bases” was “not so much our little secret as a secret we kept even from ourselves” – at least until Johnson broke the silence and his book Blowback became a bestseller in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those … Continue reading “America’s Empire of African Bases”

One Night in Kunduz, One Morning in New York

Here’s a little thought experiment: imagine that we’re in Kansas (without Toto) and a bridal party in three rented limos is heading down a highway toward a church where a wedding is about to take place. Suddenly, a small out-of-control plane plummets into those limos killing the bride, the mother of the bride, and five … Continue reading “One Night in Kunduz, One Morning in New York”

It’s a $cam!: The American Way of War in the Twenty-First Century

Originally posted at TomDispatch. It’s a $cam!: The American Way of War in the Twenty-First Century By Tom Engelhardt Let’s begin with the $12 billion in shrink-wrapped $100 bills, Iraqi oil money held in the U.S. The Bush administration began flying it into Baghdad on C-130s soon after U.S. troops entered that city in April … Continue reading “It’s a $cam!: The American Way of War in the Twenty-First Century”

Waging Endless War From Vietnam to Syria

Originally posted at TomDispatch. As October ended, White House spokesperson Josh Earnest announced that the U.S. would be sending “less than 50” boots-on-the-ground Special Operations forces into northern Syria in an “advise-and-assist” program for Kurdish rebels and their (essentially nonexistent) Arab allies. Only days before, in yet another example of twenty-first-century mission creep, Secretary of … Continue reading “Waging Endless War From Vietnam to Syria”