Norman Solomon

Norman Solomon's Made Love, Got War: Close Encounters with America's Warfare State is out now.

The Orwellian Warfare State of Carnage and Doublethink

After the bombings that killed and maimed so horribly at the Boston Marathon, our country’s politics and mass media are awash in heartfelt compassion — and reflexive "doublethink," which George Orwell described as willingness "to forget any fact that has become inconvenient." In sync with media outlets across the country, the New York Times put … Continue reading “The Orwellian Warfare State of Carnage and Doublethink”

Ten Years Ago and Today: A Warfare State of Mind

On a plane circling Baghdad in gray dawn light, a little Iraqi girl quietly sang to herself in the next row. "When I start to wonder why I’m making this trip," Sean Penn murmured to me, "I see that child and I remember what it’s about." After the plane landed at Saddam International Airport, we … Continue reading “Ten Years Ago and Today: A Warfare State of Mind”

Congress: End Endless War and Stop Becoming “the Evil That We Deplore”

Congress waited six years to repeal the Tonkin Gulf Resolution after it opened the bloody floodgates for the Vietnam War in August 1964. If that seems slow, consider the continuing failure of Congress to repeal the "war on terror" resolution – the Authorization for Use of Military Force – that sailed through, with just one … Continue reading “Congress: End Endless War and Stop Becoming “the Evil That We Deplore””

King: I Have a Dream. Obama: I Have a Drone.

A simple twist of fate has set President Obama’s second Inaugural Address for January 21, the same day as the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday. Obama made no mention of King during the Inauguration four years ago — but since then, in word and deed, the president has done much to distinguish himself from … Continue reading “King: I Have a Dream. Obama: I Have a Drone.”

WikiLeaks: Demystifying ‘Diplomacy’

Compared to the kind of secret cables that WikiLeaks has just shared with the world, everyday public statements from government officials are exercises in make-believe. In a democracy, people have a right to know what their government is actually doing. In a pseudo-democracy, a bunch of fairy tales from high places will do the trick. … Continue reading “WikiLeaks: Demystifying ‘Diplomacy’”

Gen. Petraeus Goes to Media War

It’s already history. In mid-August 2010, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan launched a huge media campaign to prevent any substantial withdrawal of military forces the next summer. The morning after Gen. David Petraeus appeared in a Sunday interview on NBC’s Meet the Press to promote the war effort, the New York Times front-paged news of … Continue reading “Gen. Petraeus Goes to Media War”