Learning Little from the Iraq War

Reprinted from Bracing Views with the author’s permission. Military invasions don’t produce democracies – who knew? Whether in Afghanistan or Iraq, somehow the U.S. government worked to convince itself and the American people that democracy could be exported at rifle point. Not surprisingly, military invasions spread what they usually do: death, destruction and chaos while … Continue reading “Learning Little from the Iraq War”

With the Twitter Files, Democrats Support Government Censorship of Lawful Speech

Reprinted from Bracing Views with the author’s permission. Yesterday, journalists Matt Taibbi and Michael Shellenberger testified before the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. Their testimony, and the risible reactions of Democrats on the subcommittee, are well worth watching; I watched the entire hearing, which lasted 140 minutes. Kim Iverson has … Continue reading “With the Twitter Files, Democrats Support Government Censorship of Lawful Speech”

The Military-Industrial Complex and American Fascism

Reprinted from Bracing Views with the author’s permission. President Dwight D. Eisenhower (Ike) had it right. The military-industrial complex (MIC) is fundamentally antidemocratic The national security state has become the fourth branch of government and arguably the most powerful one. It gets the most money, more than half of the federal discretionary budget, even as … Continue reading “The Military-Industrial Complex and American Fascism”

Enough Is Enough: My Speech for the Rage Against the War Machine Rally

Reprinted from Bracing Views with the author’s permission. February 19th is the Rage Against the War Machine rally in DC. It just so happens to be my dad’s birthday as well. He was born on that date in 1917, endured the Great Depression, worked in the Civilian Conservation Corps and in factories until being drafted … Continue reading “Enough Is Enough: My Speech for the Rage Against the War Machine Rally”

Let the Weapons Flow and the Body Count Grow

Reprinted from Bracing Views with the author’s permission. Two articles I read Monday are typical of polarized, indeed antithetical, views on the Russia-Ukraine War. At the British Guardian, Simon Tisdall says this is Europe’s moment to step up and support Ukraine in a righteous war against Putin. He concludes, with passion: Zelenskiy is right. Risk-averse … Continue reading “Let the Weapons Flow and the Body Count Grow”

Imperial Dominance Disguised as Democratic Deterrence

More than two millennia ago, in the History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides recounted a disastrous conflict Athens waged against Sparta. A masterwork on strategy and war, the book is still taught at the US Army War College and many other military institutions across the world. A passage from it describing an ultimatum Athens gave … Continue reading “Imperial Dominance Disguised as Democratic Deterrence”

The Madness of US Militarism

Reprinted from Bracing Views with the author’s permission. As a teenager in the 1970s, I recall talking to my dad about fears of nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. My dad took a broad view, suggesting that if U.S. and Soviet leaders were stupid enough to blow each other to smithereens, … Continue reading “The Madness of US Militarism”

Even AI Is Suspicious of the Military-Industrial Complex

Reprinted from Bracing Views with the author’s permission. In my eclectic reading, I came across a couple of references to ChatGPT, an experiment in artificial intelligence (AI). You ask the AI bot a question, or give it a task, and it spits out an answer, and I must say a pretty good one judging from … Continue reading “Even AI Is Suspicious of the Military-Industrial Complex”

Dominating Everyone Everywhere All At Once

Reprinted from Bracing Views with the author’s permission. Terminology is so important. There was a time when America spoke honestly of a Department of War. But not everyone is keen on war, even Americans, so in 1947 the national (in)security state slyly changed its name to the Department of Defense (DoD). And who can be … Continue reading “Dominating Everyone Everywhere All At Once”

The Mainstream Media and the US Military

Reprinted from Bracing Views with the author’s permission. (I prepared these notes for a talk I gave on “Truth-killers: The Corporate Media and the Military-Industrial Complex,” sponsored by Massachusetts Peace Action. David Swanson also spoke.) I served in the U.S. military for 20 years, and for the last 15 years I’ve been writing articles that … Continue reading “The Mainstream Media and the US Military”