Category: Foreign Policy

John Bolton’s Wars (a poem)

If Rudy* is a “hand grenade”*Why did Bolton* send his aideTo disarm the whole charadeWhile Bolton lounges in the shade? Well, that is how his wars are made:From the safety of Bolton's brain. Note: *Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of NYC serving as President Trump's personal attorney and covert diplomat in Ukraine. *John Bolton was the … Continue reading John Bolton’s Wars (a poem) →

Why I am a “bleeding-heart liberal”

To be "liberal" is to be "open to new ideas" and "favourable to or respectful of individual rights and freedoms." Given the above definition, can a true liberal be a promoter or defender of that most ancient flaw of humanity--war? Is such a thing as a "liberal hawk" logical or possible? One of the oldest … Continue reading Why I am a “bleeding-heart liberal” →

Syria: War Still Not the Answer

The ongoing war in Syria is a vast catastrophe; what began as a peaceable resistance movement against the Assad regime, one among many in the "Arab Spring" of 2011,  has devolved into a brutal war in which at least 300,000 have been killed and as many as 96,000 Syrian civilians have died, including more than 17,000 children. It … Continue reading Syria: War Still Not the Answer →

Let’s Stop Saying “Nuclear Option”

Must politicians and journalists succumb to the language of war? Or the flip side: Must we put words like "peace" on weapons of war? I'm thinking of the U.S. nuclear missiles called "peacekeepers." The "war" on this or that, we say, or the dropping of "bombs" to mean big news; the use of "killer" as an adjective synonymous with … Continue reading Let’s Stop Saying “Nuclear Option” →

It’s a Really Good Time for an Anti-War Movement

First published February 17, 2017 in The Capital Times If there is any consolation to be found in the election of President Trump, it is the opportunity to make anti-war protest great again. Most liberals/progressives were willing to overlook Hillary Clinton’s militaristic sympathies during the Democratic primary and in the national election. I certainly did, … Continue reading It’s a Really Good Time for an Anti-War Movement →

Why it’s Realistic to Ban Nuclear Weapons and Why U.S. Should Lead

Talks are underway this week at the United Nations in New York on a possible global treaty to officially ban all nuclear weapons. More than 120 nations are participating, but not surprisingly the nuclear nations (those that own nuclear weapons), including the United States, and various allies of them are not eager to outlaw what they … Continue reading Why it’s Realistic to Ban Nuclear Weapons and Why U.S. Should Lead →

“War is the Health of the State”–But Not People

  How's this for a grand generalization? The United States is not great at providing health care and really good at waging war. And by "good" I do not mean effectively. We wage war a lot because we can afford to and very few Americans ever personally feel its considerable terrible effects. And we don't do health care very effectively … Continue reading “War is the Health of the State”–But Not People →

In Guns We Trust, Again and Again

Surely it's time to refute the great American myth our elected representatives in Washington, D.C. so believe in: an armed citizenry and war abroad will protect us from criminal and terrorist violence.  There is a sort of mass mental incongruity going on, a splitting of the political brain in which the epidemic of "mass shootings" is deplored and denounced but ignored while generally … Continue reading In Guns We Trust, Again and Again →

Let’s just build a wall around Wisconsin

Since the building of really big walls for the good of the nation is now a popular idea among some Americans, especially Republican presidential candidates and a former Republican presidential candidate,  Wisconsin Republicans now governing the state should consider building a wall around the state's borders. Such a wall would keep the wrong people out and … Continue reading Let’s just build a wall around Wisconsin →