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.

Iraq’s Insurgency
Does It on the Cheap

On Sunday, in a front-page New York Times piece (“U.S. Finds Iraq Insurgency Has Funds to Sustain Itself“), John Burns and Kirk Semple reported that a federal “interagency working group,” looking into the finances of the various branches of the Sunni insurgency in Iraq, had come to the conclusion that it was now financially self-sustaining. … Continue reading “Iraq’s Insurgency
Does It on the Cheap”

Bringing Bush to Court

Keep in mind, I’ve run TomDispatch.com for only a few years, but I’ve been a book editor in mainstream publishing for over 30 years. Sometime last spring, I was on the phone with former federal prosecutor Elizabeth de la Vega talking about books she might someday write, when she suddenly said to me, “You know … Continue reading “Bringing Bush to Court”

What It Means to ‘Salvage US Prestige’ in Iraq

Things are always complicated. In the Washington Post, for instance, James Mann, author of Rise of the Vulcans, recently suggested that it was far “too simplistic” to claim “the appointment of Robert M. Gates to replace Donald Rumsfeld [represents] the triumph of Bush the Father’s administration over Bush the Son’s.” Still, I prefer the analysis … Continue reading “What It Means to ‘Salvage US Prestige’ in Iraq”

The Empire Goes on Defense

In September 2002, Arab League head Amr Moussa warned that an invasion of Iraq would “open the gates of Hell” in the Middle East. Four years later, with those gates – at least in Iraq – open wide enough to drive a tank through, the look of the Bush administration is suddenly in rapid flux. … Continue reading “The Empire Goes on Defense”

Dubya Votes for Dunkin’

Last Wednesday, the president held a news conference in the wake of that election thumpin’ in which he announced the sacking of Donald Rumsfeld, made (strained) jokes, pledged himself to bipartisan good feelings, and even volunteered to recommend some “Republican interior decorators” to help Nancy Pelosi pick out drapes for her new office. He spoke … Continue reading “Dubya Votes for Dunkin’”

Apple Pie, Mom, and
a Story for a Lost War

Here we are just days beyond the strange event that passes for an election in our country. Election Day now turns out to be just the almost-last step in a grueling season of serial elections called “opinion polls,” whose fluctuations are meant to tell us ahead of time how we are likely to vote. That … Continue reading “Apple Pie, Mom, and
a Story for a Lost War”

Outlaw Empire Meets the Wave

The wave – and make no mistake, it’s a global one – has just crashed on our shores, soaking our imperial masters. It’s a sight for sore eyes. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen an election like midterm 2006. After all, it’s a truism of our politics that Americans are almost never driven … Continue reading “Outlaw Empire Meets the Wave”

November Surprise

Are we really surprised? The Saddam Hussein verdict, scheduled for Oct. 16 and then suddenly delayed last month (supposedly because the Iraqi special tribunal needed more time) to Nov. 5, the last news cycle before the U.S. midterm election, has now come in, and the former dictator (and monster) is guilty. The Bush administration, struggling … Continue reading “November Surprise”