- — Will the Forever Wars Ever End?
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at 10/1/24 8:12amSeptember marked the 23rd anniversary of al-Qaeda’s 2001 attacks on the United States, which left nearly 3,000 people dead. For the two decades since then, Ive been writing, often for TomDispatch, about the ways the American response to 9/11, which quickly came to be known as the Global War on Terror, or GWOT, changed this country. As Ive explored in several books, in the name of that war, we transformed our institutions, privileged secrecy over transparency and accountability, side-stepped and even violated longstanding laws and constitutional principles, and basically tossed aside many of the norms that had guided us as a nation for two centuries-plus, opening the way for a country now in Trumpian-style difficulty at home. Even today, more... Read more Source: Will the Forever Wars Ever End? appeared first on TomDispatch.com.- — The Pentagon Goes to School
- at 9/29/24 3:31pmThe divestment campaigns launched last spring by students protesting Israel’s mass slaughter in Gaza brought the issue of the militarization of American higher education back into the spotlight. Of course, financial ties between the Pentagon and American universities are nothing new. As Stuart Leslie has pointed out in his seminal book on the topic, The Cold War and American Science, “In the decade following World War II, the Department of Defense (DOD) became the biggest patron of American science.” Admittedly, as civilian institutions like the National Institutes of Health grew larger, the Pentagon’s share of federal research and development did decline, but it still remained a source of billions of dollars in funding for university research. And now, Pentagon-funded research... Read more Source: The Pentagon Goes to School appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — In a Lost Universe (With You Know Who)
- at 9/26/24 7:32amImagine yourself in space, looking down on our world and yet unable to return any time soon. Consider it our bad luck, in fact, that Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams were the two Americans sent to the International Space Station, 250 miles above this planet, for a few days in June and now find themselves stuck there until perhaps next February. If only it had been Donald Trump and J.D. Vance. If only indeed. Of course, in some sense, both of them are already in deep space, far beyond where Wilmore and Williams find themselves. And if you dont believe me, just ask any dog or cat from Springfield, Ohio. Heres the truly sad thing, though: if Donald Trump... Read more Source: In a Lost Universe (With You Know Who) appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — Militarism Abuse Disorder
- at 9/24/24 7:31amMy name is Frida and my community is military dependent. (I feel, by the way, like I’m introducing myself at a very strange AA-like meeting with lousy coffee.)As with people who have substance abuse disorders, Im part of a very large club. After all, there are weapons manufacturers and subcontractors in just about every congressional district in the country, so that members of Congress will never forget whom they are really working for: the military-industrial complex. Using the vernacular of the day, perhaps its particularly on target to say that our whole country suffers from Militarism Abuse Disorder or (all too appropriately) MAD. I must confess that I don’t like to admit to my military dependency. Who does? In my... Read more Source: Militarism Abuse Disorder appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — War Forever, Everywhere
- at 9/22/24 3:34pmCount on one thing: armed conflict lasts for decades after battles end and its effects ripple thousands of miles beyond actual battlefields. This has been true of America’s post-9/11 forever wars that, in some minimalist fashion, continue in all too many countries around the world. Yet those wars, which we ignited in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, are hardly the first to offer such lessons. Prior wars left us plenty to learn from that could have led this country to respond differently after that September day when terrorists crashed planes into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Instead, we ignored history and, as a result, among... Read more Source: War Forever, Everywhere appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — What Does It Take to Destroy a World Order?
- at 9/19/24 7:32amOnce upon a time in America, we could all argue about whether or not U.S. global power was declining. Now, most observers have little doubt that the end is just a matter of timing and circumstance. Ten years ago, I predicted that, by 2025, it would be all over for American power, a then-controversial comment that’s commonplace today. Under President Donald Trump, the once “indispensable nation” that won World War II and built a new world order has become dispensable indeed. The decline and fall of American global power is, of course, nothing special in the great sweep of history. After all, in the 4,000 years since humanity’s first empire formed in the Fertile Crescent, at least 200 empires have... Read more Source: What Does It Take to Destroy a World Order? appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — The Sphinx and the Sultan
- at 9/17/24 7:34amAt least one thing is now obvious in the Middle East: the Biden administration has failed abjectly in its objectives there, leaving the region in dangerous disarray. Its primary stated foreign policy goal has been to rally its partners in the region to cooperate with the extremist Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu while upholding a rules-based international order and blocking Iran and its allies in their policies. Clearly, such goals have had all the coherence of a chimera and have failed for one obvious reason. President Biden’s Achilles heel has been his “bear hug” of Netanyahu, who allied himself with the Israeli equivalent of neo-Nazis, while launching a ruinous total war on the people of Gaza in the wake of... Read more Source: The Sphinx and the Sultan appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — We’re Getting Sick of Noise Pollution
- at 9/15/24 3:49pmThe most pressing environmental crisis of these times, our heating of the Earth through carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas pollution, is closely connected to our excessive energy consumption. And with many of the ways we use that energy, we’re also producing another less widely discussed pollutant: industrial noise. Like greenhouse-gas pollution, noise pollution is degrading our world and its not just affecting our bodily and mental health but also the health of ecosystems on which we depend utterly. Noise pollution, a longstanding menace, is often ignored. It has, however, been making headlines in recent years, thanks to the booming development of massive, boxy, windowless buildings filled with computer servers that process data and handle internet traffic. Those servers... Read more Source: We’re Getting Sick of Noise Pollution appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — The Armageddon Agenda
- at 9/12/24 7:36amThe next president of the United States, whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, will face many contentious domestic issues that have long divided this country, including abortion rights, immigration, racial discord, and economic inequality. In the foreign policy realm, she or he will face vexing decisions over Ukraine, Israel/Gaza, and China/Taiwan. But one issue that few of us are even thinking about could pose a far greater quandary for the next president and even deeper peril for the rest of us: nuclear weapons policy. Consider this: For the past three decades, weve been living through a period in which the risk of nuclear war has been far lower than at any time since the Nuclear Age began so low,... Read more Source: The Armageddon Agenda appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — A Personal Meditation on Growing Old
- at 9/10/24 7:32amThe Washington Post headline reads: “A big problem for young workers: 70- and 80-year-olds who won’t retire.” For the first time in history, reports Aden Barton, five generations are competing in the same workforce. His article laments a “demographic traffic jam” at the apexes of various employment pyramids, making it ever harder for young people “to launch their careers and get promoted” in their chosen professions. In fact, actual professors (full-time and tenure-track ones, presumably, rather than part-timers like me) are Exhibit A in his analysis. “In academia, for instance, as he puts it, young professionals now spend years in fellowships and postdoctoral programs waiting for professor jobs to open.” I’ve written before about how this works in the academic... Read more Source: A Personal Meditation on Growing Old appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — Where Can We Live?
- at 9/8/24 3:32pmIn 2019, a group of homeless folks were living on a deserted piece of land along the Chehalis River, a drainage basin that empties into Grays Harbor, an estuary of the Pacific Ocean, on the coast of the state of Washington. When the city of Aberdeen ordered the homeless encampment cleared out, some of those unhoused residents took the city to court, because they had nowhere else to go. Aberdeen finally settled the case by agreeing to provide alternative shelter for the residents since, the year before, a U.S. court of appeals had ruled in the case of Martin v. Boise that a city without sufficient shelter beds to accommodate homeless people encamped in their area couldnt close the encampment.... Read more Source: Where Can We Live? appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — From the Arsenal of Democracy to an Arsenal of Genocide
- at 9/5/24 7:32amDuring World War II, American leaders proudly proclaimed this country the “arsenal of democracy,” supplying weapons and related materiel to allies like Great Britain and the Soviet Union.To cite just one example, I recall reading about Soviet armored units equipped with U.S. Sherman tanks, though the Soviets had an even better tank of their own in the T-34 and its many variants.However, recent news that the United States is providing yet more massive arms deliveries to Israel (worth $20 billion) for 2026 and thereafter caught me off guard. Israel quite plainly is engaged in the near-total destruction of Gaza and the massacre of Palestinians there. So, tell me, how over all these years did the self-styled arsenal of democracy become... Read more Source: From the Arsenal of Democracy to an Arsenal of Genocide appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — Trumptopia and Beyond
- at 9/3/24 7:34amYes, long ago, I dreamt of being a novelist. Two ancient manuscripts packed away in a distant corner of my closet attest to that (ir)reality, as does one novel focused on the world of publishing (in which Id been an editor) that made it into print, even if it was barely noticed. Still, from time to time, Ive thought about trying to write fiction again. These days, however, when I consider that possibility, I find myself smiling, however grimly. After all, how could you truly write fiction in a world and Im not just thinking of Donald Trump (though I most distinctly am thinking of him) that seems ever more fictionalized? How could you write fiction in a... Read more Source: Trumptopia and Beyond appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — Farewell, the American Century
- at 8/25/24 3:33pmIn a recent column, theWashington PostsRichard Cohen wrote, What Henry Luce called the American Century is over. Cohen is right. All that remains is to drive a stake through the heart of Luces pernicious creation, lest it come back to life. This promises to take some doing. To solve our problems requires that we see ourselves as we really are. And that requires shedding, once and for all, the illusions embodied in the American Century. When the Time-Life publisher coined his famous phrase, his intent was to prod his fellow citizens into action. Appearing in the February 7, 1941 issue of Life, his essay, The American Century, hit the newsstands at a moment when the world was in the throes... Read more Source: Farewell, the American Century appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — Donald Trump Confronts Kamala in his Usual Fashion
- at 8/22/24 7:35amOne of the nation’s best-known Black Republicans is former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In the twenty-first century (and perhaps ever), no African American woman rose higher in Republican politics than Rice, who served as President George W. Bush’s national security adviser and then his secretary of state, both firsts. Like her or not, agree with her politics or not, she brought significant experience, knowledge, and professionalism to those positions. Donald Trump’s first public words about Rice date back to 2006 when he labeled her with a vile term. In a speech before 8,000 people in New York City, he said, “Condoleezza Rice, she’s a lovely woman, but I think she’s a bitch. She goes around to other countries and... Read more Source: Donald Trump Confronts Kamala in his Usual Fashion appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — America the Unwell
- at 8/20/24 7:30amOne thing our government doesn’t like doing is challenging the greed of health insurance companies. I can speak with some authority about holes in the ever-fraying safety net of our healthcare system, including Tricare, the military health insurance plan used by most troops, veterans, and their families, other employer-sponsored health insurance, state-sponsored care like Medicare and Medicaid, and individually purchased plans. After all, I’m the spouse of a veteran who uses military healthcare and a clinical social worker. I serve military families that rely on a variety of health insurance plans to pay for their care and believe me, its only getting harder. To take one example: at least in my state, Maryland, Tricare, if it pays at all, compensates... Read more Source: America the Unwell appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — Requiem for the Home Front
- at 8/18/24 3:00pmAlmost three-quarters of a century ago, my mother placed a message in a bottle and tossed it out beyond the waves. It bobbed along through tides, storms, and squalls until just recently, almost four decades after her death, it washed ashore at my feet. I’m speaking metaphorically, of course. Still, what happened, even stripped of the metaphors, does astonish me. So here, on the day after my 71st birthday, is a little story about a bottle, a message, time, war (American-style), my mom, and me. Recently, based on a Google search, a woman emailed me at the website I run, TomDispatch, about a 1942 sketch by Irma Selz that she had purchased at an estate sale in Seattle. Did it,... Read more Source: Requiem for the Home Front appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — The Candidate from Hell
- at 8/15/24 7:31amDonald Trump is all too literally the candidate from hell and, yes, hes threatening to take the United States and the world to no place else! hell and back. Hes the greatest danger to this planet imaginable. And Im not even thinking about what else hed do, were he to win election 2024 and return to the Oval Office, having reassured his religious voters that, should they opt for him this November, theyll never have to do so again. (“Get out and vote, just this time You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what? It’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine, you won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.”) Forget all of that,... Read more Source: The Candidate from Hell appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — “Where California Goes, There Goes the Nation”
- at 8/13/24 7:31amCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom appears to be taking climate change seriously, at least when he’s in front of a microphone and flashing cameras. His talk then is direct and tough. He repeatedly points out that the planet is in danger and appears ready to act. He’s been called a climate-change crusader and a leader of Americas clean energy revolution. “[California is] meeting the moment head-on as the hots get hotter, the dries get drier, the wets get wetter, simultaneous droughts and rain bombs,” Newsom typically asserted in April 2024 during an event at Central Valley Farm, which is powered by solar panels and batteries. “We have to address these issues with a ferocity that is required of us.” These are... Read more Source: “Where California Goes, There Goes the Nation” appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — The Pentagon Church Militant and Us
- at 8/11/24 3:23pmWhen it comes to our nation’s military affairs, ignorance is not bliss.What’s remarkable then, given the permanent state of war in which we find ourselves, is how many Americans seem content not to know. Citizens of courage will surely choose the path of challenge. There are many reasons for this state of affairs. Our civilian leaders encourage us to be deferential toward our latest commander/savior, whether Tommy Franks in 2003, David Petraeus in 2007, or Stanley McChrystal in 2010. Our media employs retired officers, most of them multi-starred generals, in a search for expertise that ends in an unconditional surrender to military agendas. A cloud of secrecy and “black budgets” combine to obscure military matters, ranging from global strategy to... Read more Source: The Pentagon Church Militant and Us appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
- — The Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
- at 8/9/24 7:37amOn August 9, 2001, in Colombia, riot police and private security forces from the Cerrejón coal mine one of the largest open-pit coal mines in the world surrounded the remote community of Tabaco. They then dragged residents out of their homes and bulldozed what remained of that town’s structures. There was, after all, coal under the town and the mines owner, Exxon Mobil Corporation, wanted to access it. Since that date, the displaced residents of Tabaco have been fighting for compensation and (as guaranteed by both Colombian and international law) the reconstruction of their community. So far, no such luck. Note that August 9th was then and is now the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, as... Read more Source: The Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples appeared first on TomDispatch.com.
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