”(O)nce war is forced upon us, there is no other alternative than to apply every available means to bring it to a swift end. “War’s very object is victory, not prolonged indecision. “In war there is no substitute for victory.” Familiar to every graduate of West Point, the words are from the farewell address of Gen. MacArthur, to Congress on April … [Read More]

“Don’t you remember 9/11 asked a called at WTMA, who could have been anyone on any given day since the Iraq war began who’s has asked the same question countless times. “I certainly do remember 9/11, sir, which is why I want to bring the troops home from Iraq immediately. I want to prevent it from happening again.” The caller replied, … [Read More]

Perhaps I’m missing something big in the “movement conservative’ accounts about what we should be doing to the Russians for their invasion of Georgia. But so far all I’ve encountered is more of the usual neocon blather. For informational purposes: this military action took place after the Georgians had tried to keep their pro-Russian province of South Ossetia from seceding. Although … [Read More]

The latest issue of The American Conservative (July 14) includes a provocative symposium on whether World War II should be considered “the good war” and, no less significant, whether Winston Churchill deserves the adulation that the media have accorded him as “man of the century.” The contributions are all well documented and boldly framed, and it would be hard to find … [Read More]

To combat Islamic terrorists more effectively, the US government should spend some real energy on image management, perhaps hiring a big Hollywood guru. Consider Maliki’s alleged insouciance. It’s good for the mission for us to get slapped down by Maliki if it appeases the honor-obsessed locals. Indeed, it may have a double benefit: slowing down the insurgents and providing a face-saving … [Read More]

Conservatives historically have taken pride in their hard-headedness.  It is supposed to be a manly persuasion with a long view, rooted in concepts like deferred gratification, the proper appreciation of applied violence, skepticism of fads and fashions, and a dour view of human nature.  In lean economic times, conservatives counsel austerity and sound money, even if this means very painful effects … [Read More]

I confess, I am lacking in bloodlust, and my desire for punitive vengeance against people who have never done me or my country any harm is pitifully weak.  One of the things that people have become confused about is their acceptance of the idea that the government is a competent judge of who is and who is not our enemy, such … [Read More]

Meee-ooow!—In what has got to be the cattiestiest interview since the Cheshire Cat took on the Cowardly Lion, Gore Vidal displays his utter contempt for the New York Times. In answer to “Why do you think that critics have traditionally praised your essays more than your fiction?” good ol’ Gore throws the question back in the interviewer’s face, averring: “That’s because … [Read More]

There is a fascinating little British film from the middle of the century named “It Happened Here” which depicts life in Great Britain after the Nazis cross the channel and subjugate the island. Using not a single frame of archive footage, it was made by two British teenagers over the course of eight years before it was finally released in 1965. … [Read More]

America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan both involve fractious societies, weak governments installed by force from without, rampant criminality, persistent insurgencies, and the spectre of unknown costs from a U.S. withdrawal. The chief reason we are told to stay on both battlefields—in particular Afghanistan—is that they may become natural havens for terrorists without U.S.-imposed order. Yet the dominant rhetoric of critics … [Read More]