US, Israel Caught in Traps

Did American soldiers killed and maimed in Iraq, and Israeli soldiers killed and maimed in Gaza and the West Bank, die for nothing? Americans are dying now because of ideologues and zealots. Israeli soldiers are dying for settlements and unattainable goals. Both are trapped. Take the United States, for example, bogged down in a war … Continue reading “US, Israel Caught in Traps”

Wanted: The Truth About The Kent State Killings

Americans of a certain age may remember the murder of students on the Kent State University campus 34 years ago and the anger it once aroused. On May 4, 1970, Ohio National Guardsmen killed four college students and wounded nine others – one of them, Dean Kahler, is still paralyzed. He was, reported the FBI, … Continue reading “Wanted: The Truth About The Kent State Killings”

Just Like in the Bad Old Days, the Government Is Cracking Down on Dissent

Are we returning to the bad old days of spying on peaceful Americans? In February, the most ominous challenge to political freedom from the administration of George W. Bush occurred in Des Moines, Iowa, when federal prosecutors issued grand jury subpoenas to Drake University, a private institution; the student chapter of the National Lawyers Guild; … Continue reading “Just Like in the Bad Old Days, the Government Is Cracking Down on Dissent”

Don’t Ignore Conservative and Liberal Antiwar Groups

Not long ago, an Off-Broadway play opened with the tantalizingly relevant title, Now That Communism is Dead My Life Feels Empty! I thought immediately of the writer Mark Danner’s perceptive remark that this country is "marooned in the Cold War." Today we see that in the hearts and minds of Washington’s relatively small but very … Continue reading “Don’t Ignore Conservative and Liberal Antiwar Groups”

Sleepwalking & Silent

As Americans, we need to ask ourselves: Do we really need another war memorial to our newest military dead? We may come to that in the often-threatened war against Iraq, which our Washington-based War Party confidently predicts will be short and sweet. Are you ready for TV cheering "our boys" on as they race valiantly … Continue reading “Sleepwalking & Silent”

Happy Mother’s Day…But Quiet, We’re at War Now

Happy Mother’s Day! Today Mom becomes "Queen for a Day," like the name of that old TV show. Newspaper and TV ad sales will soar and florists and department stores will be bless whoever dreamed up the holiday. To them, the Day means Sales! To the rest of us it stands for nothing more than … Continue reading “Happy Mother’s Day…But Quiet, We’re at War Now”

The May 4th Deaths: Kent State 30 Years Ago

On May 4, 1970, Ohio National Guardsmen killed four college students and wounded nine others – one of them, Dean Kahler, is paralyzed below the waist – on the campus of Kent State University. Nobody was found guilty of the bloodletting. On that awful day, Guardsmen fired M-1 rifles, .45 pistols and a shotgun for … Continue reading “The May 4th Deaths: Kent State 30 Years Ago”

Who Will Save the Young?

"There is an easy way to assess foreign policy initiatives such as making defense commitments or sending American troops on foreign missions. First of all, determine the objective. Then ask yourself these two questions: Would I be willing to die to achieve this objective? Would I be content to see my children die to achieve … Continue reading “Who Will Save the Young?”

A Draft After the 2000 Elections?

There may yet be a military draft in your future if you’ll be turning 20 in 2001, once the elections are out of the way. In late July of this year Newsday published a Los Angeles Times dispatch reporting that, “key members of Congress’ military committees, for the first time in a generation, are discussing … Continue reading “A Draft After the 2000 Elections?”