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'Learning From History': A Goal? A Delusion? A Trap?
Last week, as part of The Atlantic’s discussion of the 15th anniversary of the disastrous invasion of Iraq, I wrote…
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The New Series on the Vietnam War, and the Mysteries of Historical Resonance
The Ken Burns / Lynn Novick 18-hour series on The Vietnam War began its run on PBS on Sunday night and…
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Trump and the Chickenhawk Chronicles
Late last night I did an item arguing that Donald Trump represented a classic “chickenhawk” figure from the Vietnam era—someone…
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‘Here's to the People Who Are Not Known’
In writing about the inevitable but sad passing of my last surviving uncle, Robert L. Fallows of the Philadelphia area…
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David vs. Goliath in the South China Sea: David Wins, at Least This Round
The ruling this morning by Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague in favor of the Philippines, and very strongly…
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Soldiers and the State: Who Owes What to Whom?
Last week I published a long note from a young veteran, on his view of the Chickenhawk Nation conundrum. (Original…
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What the Public Owes the Military—And Is Not Providing During This Election Year
Among the lost opportunities in this crazed electoral system is any real discussion of the topic all candidates claim to…
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Trump Time Capsule #8: Illegal Immigrants Are Treated Better Than Veterans
Daily Trump #8, May 29, 2016, Illegal immigrants have it too easy Yesterday at the Rolling Thunder mass…
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Stories for Memorial Day
I would like to mention three. The first is a story my wife Deb wrote in our American…
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Obama ‘Needs to Stop Sounding Like Dad’
After President Obama’s anti-ISIS speech, I said that I agreed with his strategy and its underlying logic, but could understand…
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Does a Chickenhawk Nation Invite Terrorism?
After President Obama’s speech on ISIS last night, I argued that he was making a least-bad, sane, shrewd case about…
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Pool Photographer / Reuters Obama the Analyst
In his speech about ISIS, the president shows the strength and the weakness of his logic-driven approach.
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Why a 70-year-old Movie Is Relevant to Today's ‘Moral Injury’ Debate
Following the books, TV shows, and movies mentioned here and here, a few more suggestions. The Good Soldiers…
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For the ‘Moral Injuries’ Reading List: God Is Not Here, Consequence, Generation Kill, and Others
Late last night I explained why I thought that Nancy Sherman’s Afterwar was an important non-fiction entry in the still-not-large-enough…
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An Important Book on Moral Injuries: ‘Afterwar’
In my “Tragedy of the American Military” article early this year and in many updates since then…
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Coach Belichick: Cheater? Maybe. Chickenhawk? No.
Let’s continue our saga of the professional sports-world’s embrace of military imagery, costuming, and honoring-our-heroes celebration. A reader points…
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The One Thing You Should Read Today, on Veterans Day
It is this extraordinary report, by Brian Castner, published today in Motherboard. It is called “One Degree of Separation in…
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How Remembrance Day Is Observed in Some Other Cultures
In response to this past week’s NFL observances of Veterans Day, including camouflage-themed clothing for coaches and sideline staff, a…
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The NFL's Chickenhawk Celebrations, From Some Veterans' Points of View
Will Bardenwerper, who joined the Army after the 9/11 attacks and served as an infantry officer in Iraq, has…
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On Flag and Camo Fetishism in a Chickenhawk Era
Short-version background to this post: what I’m calling Chickenhawk Nation is a country whose troops are always at war, but…
