Remaking the World in Greater Israel’s Image

However they want to address the issue, most people are horrified at the refugee crisis now besetting Europe, with its scenes of chaos, conflict, and desperation. Yet in Israel, at least one high official sees in it not horror, but hope. As Rania Khalek has reported : “Dore Gold, director general of the Israeli foreign … Continue reading “Remaking the World in Greater Israel’s Image”

No Peace Through Politics

They were supposed to be different: Republicans for peace, conservatives against empire, leading a grassroots insurrection to overthrow the neocons and restore the Republic. It was Mr. Libertarian goes to Washington. Mr. Frodo goes to Mordor. Yet, when the chips were down in a crucial contest, they all folded. Senator Rand Paul and the entire … Continue reading “No Peace Through Politics”

Mass-Producing Huddled Masses

Inscribed on a plaque inside the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty is a poem by Emma Lazarus titled “New Colossus.” The sonnet waxes lyrical about how different the Green Goddess is from ancient colossal statues, and how that symbolizes the contrast between American ideals and those of empires since antiquity. The Statue of Liberty is: “Not like … Continue reading “Mass-Producing Huddled Masses”

Predisposed to Peace

Ron Paul is a man of faith. His faith shines through every page of his new book, Swords into Plowshares: A Life in Wartime and a Future of Peace and Prosperity . The title itself, based on a Biblical verse, evinces his religious faith, which greatly strengthens his steadfast opposition to war. But what most … Continue reading “Predisposed to Peace”

Just One Left Behind

Napoleon might once have quipped that armies march on their stomachs, but what ties together a fighting force is the bonds of comradeship and loyalty among the individual soldiers. Elite military units have translated this sense of brotherhood into “leave no man behind, living or dead” a concept that is as old as the ancient … Continue reading “Just One Left Behind”

A Generation of War

The youthful Left was once the most active antiwar current on campus: recall the days of the Vietnam era antiwar movement, when "Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?" was heard on college campuses from Berkeley to NYU and all points in between. It was Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) that … Continue reading “A Generation of War”

How to Tell War Stories

Here’s how I met Nick Turse.  I have a friend who’s a professor of public health and one day in 2003 he asked me if I’d be willing to spend a little time with one of his graduate students who was doing some curious work on the Vietnam War.  This student had read my book The … Continue reading “How to Tell War Stories”