Category Archives: Foreign Policy

Ken Burns’s War Stories

Posted on September 23, 2017 by

[Original version at History News Network, 21 September 2017] I began my first book on Vietnam (Masters of War) with a poem, Adrian Mitchell’s “To Whom It May Concern”: You put your bombers in, you put your conscience out. You … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreign Policy, Ken Burns, Military, PBS, Politics, Uncategorized, Vietnam | 1 Comment

Does Russia Matter?

Posted on May 14, 2017 by

Memes aren’t great ways to learn a lot about history or politics, though they’re used that way a lot.  Still, some are funny and make a good point in a few lines in a way that might take paragraphs otherwise.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Constitutional Crisis, Foreign Policy, History, Politics, Repression, Russia, Trump, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Huddled Masses–Keep Out!

Posted on January 28, 2017 by

Not since I had to remember and recite “The New Colossus” in elementary school have I seen so many references to Emma Lazarus’s poem on the Statue of Liberty as in the past week. “Give me your tired, your poor, … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreign Policy, Immigration, Middle East, Muslims, Politics, Repression, Trump | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

“. . . to maintain this position of disparity”

Posted on February 3, 2016 by

George Kennan is one of the more important diplomats (and scholars) in the history of U.S. foreign relations. Best known as the “father” of the Cold War policy of “containment,” Kennan was the ultimate “cold warrior” of the immediate postwar … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreign Policy, Military, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

They’ve Hated Us . . . (Postscript: Hillary and Israel)

Posted on January 10, 2016 by

A few days ago I discussed a document about “resurging” anti-Americanism in the Arab world, juxtaposing it with Barack Obama’s warning of a “new phase” in Middle Eastern terrorism after the Paris andSan Bernardino attacks. The memorandum, sent from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreign Policy, History, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

“They’ve” Hated Us For a Long Time . . .

Posted on January 8, 2016 by

On December 6th, 2015, just a few days after the San Bernardino shootings, President Barack Obama spoke to the nation from the oval office to discuss the ongoing “Global War on Terror.” The recent attacks in Paris in San Bernardino … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreign Policy, Middle East | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Violence is As American As Cherry Pie”: Here and There

Posted on December 10, 2015 by

A Collinsville, Illinois mob dragged Robert Prager out of his home in 1918, paraded him around town, and lynched him dead. Prager was a German immigrant during World War I who proudly flew the American flag, but spoke with an … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreign Policy, History, Immigration | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment