War
White Heat
angry old men crave war and dissolution
Read MoreThe Chancellor
night hitler became chancellor said no power will get me out alive 1-30-33
Read MoreKeys to Gate
Must have door key or burglars enter home, deadbolt key or they kick in door, car door key or punks swipe coat, ignition key or thieves drive away, office key or crooks ransack place, cabinet key or employees know business, suitcase key to get out of town, carry-on key to access tranquilizers, and computer password…
Read MoreCable Wars
Ben loves war documentaries especially those with Alexander riding Bucephalus into hostile flanks, and Washington rousing frozen untrained troops, and photogenic Grant and Lee posing before ordering slaughter of several hundred thousand young men, and grainy Great War footage showing death in fetid trenches, and better films of proud performers Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Roosevelt, and…
Read MoreRestrepo in Afghanistan
After U.S. soldier Robert Bales murders sixteen civilians, most women and children, you want to understand more and peer into lives of Americans fighting in Afghanistan. You can’t go there and don’t have to. In your suburban living room a large flat screen on the wall video streams any movie you choose, in this case…
Read MoreHistorian Presents the Statistics of War
I bumbled by that smoking, manure-laden vehicle that didn’t explode in New York City last week and felt foolish I wasn’t the one who detected it and that I should have since I’ve spent my career analyzing wars but concede I’m only a historian, hiding in academia, who would’ve cringed at the sound of real…
Read MoreThe Atomic Cafe
Welcome to The Atomic Café where we serve vivid images of tests from July 1945 Alamogordo leading to uncontested flight over Hiroshima about which crewman notes hard to conceive damage they’ve done. Smiling President Truman reports we’ve taken biggest scientific gamble in history, awful responsibility, and won, and thank God it’s our responsibility and not…
Read MoreFrom Germany, a Comedy about Hitler
“Did you know they’ve been laughing about Hitler in Germany?” asked the publicist. “Now?” I responded. “No, I didn’t. They ribbed him quite a bit until he took power in 1933, and they still did once in a while later in the 30’s. But they had to be careful.” “This is different. They’ve made a…
Read MoreSurgery on Iraq
Let’s cut the bullshit – the stuff that so often comes from the mouths of leaders everywhere – and deal with some facts: The Bush administration repeatedly lied about the capabilities and intentions of Iraq to do harm to the United States. The Bush administration was internationally condemned for even contemplating an attack on a…
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