David Bromwich: The Most Dangerous Country
Machiavelli advised that it is good to be feared, but take care that you are not more hated than feared. We may already have crossed that line.
Maha Hilal: Carceral Imperialism
The legacy of the U.S. war in Iraq is, among other things, torture.
Karen J. Greenberg: Donald Trump’s Document Grab
A refusal to share information has been part of the Washington scene far longer than the current moment.
Edison Jennings: The Cats of Rome
The cats of Rome sleep, feed, and breed
among the tumbled travertine, and slip,
tails high, across the flag draped avenues.
Andrew J. Bacevich: My Son Was Killed in Iraq 14 Years Ago—Who’s Responsible?
The Islamic Republic? George W. Bush? Both answers feel like evasions.
Molly Ivins: Greatest Hits
“I have been attacked by Rush Limbaugh on the air, an experience somewhat akin to being gummed by a newt. It doesn’t actually hurt, but it leaves you with slimy stuff on your ankle.”
Allegra Harpootlian: How the U.S. Presidency Became a Killing Machine
The assassination complex from Bush to Obama to Trump. We’re only a few days into the new decade and it’s somehow already a bigger dumpster fire than the last. On … Continue reading
Michael T. Klare: The Missing Three-Letter Word in the Iran Crisis
If the United States goes to war with Iran, you are unlikely to hear the word “oil” uttered by top Trump administration officials, but make no mistake: that three-letter word lies at the root of the present crisis, not to speak of the world’s long-term fate.
Tom Engelhardt: Turning 74 in a Failing World
Three Failing Experiments? Mine, America’s, and Humanity’s. There was a period in my later life when I used to say that, from the age of 20 to my late sixties, I … Continue reading
Rebecca Gordon: Making Atrocities Great Again
War Crimes and War Criminals, Old and (Potentially) New. A barely noticed anniversary slid by on March 20th. It’s been 15 years since the United States committed the greatest war … Continue reading
Andrea Germanos: Supreme Court Delivers ‘Dangerous Message’ — Immunity for Former Bush Officials Over 9/11 Detentions
The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that former George W. Bush officials cannot be held liable for the abuse and detention of a group of Muslim, South Asian, and Arab … Continue reading
Tom Engelhardt: Mantra for 9/11
Exceptional Pain Dispensed by the Indispensable Nation Fourteen years later and do you even believe it? Did we actually live it? Are we still living it? And how improbable is … Continue reading
Patricia A. Nugent: Forgive Me, Mr. President
Maybe it’s that pesky Sixth Commandment: Thou shalt not kill. Or verse 5:53 of the Koran: Who so kills a soul, unless it be for murder or for wreaking corruption … Continue reading
