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.

Osama bin Laden, Shock Jock

Looked at realistically, Osama bin Laden’s intervention in our presidential election was undoubtedly an act of immediate organizational weakness, not strength. Had he had been capable of orchestrating the bringing down of another American tower or its equivalent, he certainly would have done so, but it was no less ingenious for that. His last major … Continue reading “Osama bin Laden, Shock Jock”

Bin Laden’s Illusions – and Ours

Quotes of the day: “In the summer of 2002, after I had written an article in Esquire that the White House didn’t like about Bush’s former communications director, Karen Hughes, I had a meeting with a senior adviser to Bush. He expressed the White House’s displeasure, and then he told me something that at the … Continue reading “Bin Laden’s Illusions – and Ours”

A GI’s Mother Looks at Iraq

A month ago I wrote a dispatch, "Incident on Haifa Street," considering news reports about a bloody set of encounters in downtown Baghdad, only a few hundred yards from the heavily fortified, American-occupied Green Zone. A day or two later, I visited the TomDispatch mail box and found an e-mail that began, “hi tom, i … Continue reading “A GI’s Mother Looks at Iraq”

Sci-Fi Superwarriors

The year is 2030 and President Pierce Bush addresses the nation: “My fellow countrymen, in the past, enemies of America required massed armies, and great navies, powerful air forces to put our nation, our people, our friends and allies at risk. What has changed in the first four decades of the 21st century is that, … Continue reading “Sci-Fi Superwarriors”

‘Anonymous’ Thrives in Imperial Press

Every now and then, an article catches my eye that seems to sum up the worst of Washington-based access journalism (“just the spin, ma’am”) in our imperial press. On Friday, the morning of the second presidential debate, just such a piece – "Pentagon Sets Steps to Retake Iraq Rebel Sites" – made it onto the … Continue reading “‘Anonymous’ Thrives in Imperial Press”

Withdrawal Goes Mainstream

On Oct. 31, 2003, in a piece called "The Time of Withdrawal," I wrote: “I think one thing is predictable in a world where predicting anything accurately is a low-percentage bet: Sooner or later, the time of withdrawal will be upon us. Some of us would like it to be sooner, not later. … But, … Continue reading “Withdrawal Goes Mainstream”

Sen. Kerry, Help Is Not on the Way

If the United States is the Earth’s last great imperial power, then the election of its leader is indeed a global event. On this event, in fact, the world has already spoken – in opinion poll terms at least. According to a recent Program on International Policy Attitudes poll [.pdf] of 35 countries on their … Continue reading “Sen. Kerry, Help Is Not on the Way”

Are We in Saidad or Baghgon?

The other day I happened to notice a little piece from the Washington Times headlined, "Pentagon seeks ideas to fight ‘urban’ wars." Journalist Jennifer Harper had come across a “solicitation” from the Pentagon’s futuristic research arm, DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), calling on researchers to develop, among other things, “on-demand, infantry-operated, ultra-precision, beyond … Continue reading “Are We in Saidad or Baghgon?”

Incident on Haifa Street

Quotes of the week: “When the Americans fire back, they don’t hit the people who are attacking them, only the civilians,” said Osama Ali, a 24-year-old Iraqi who witnessed the attack [in Baghdad]. “This is why Iraqis hate the Americans so much. This is why we love the mujahedin.” (Dexter Filkins, “Raising the Pressure in … Continue reading “Incident on Haifa Street”