War Gets Easier All the Time

War Gets Easier All the Time

War is lovely, Let’s attack; Only costs Could hold us back. It used to be that war was a really big deal. Conflicts such as Vietnam could tear the country apart. Times have changed, with decisions on war quickly becoming back-page stuff. Our wars were scarcely...

Crossing the Lexicon

Osama bin Laden’s demise raises many moral, legal, political, and historical questions. As I’ve edited and posted a steady stream of commentary about this post-9/11 milestone, one persistent editorial question has touched on all these issues. Specifically,...

The Game is Changing in Iran

Last year, a powerful computer virus called “Stuxnet” targeted Iran’s nuclear program. By the time it was discovered, the virus had succeeded in setting back the country’s nuclear progress. Now, Iran claims to have identified a new threat. The...
Making an Exception for Osama bin Laden

Making an Exception for Osama bin Laden

I don’t like to exult in the death of people, not even people I don’t like. I think it’s bad form. I’m making an exception in the case of Osama bin Laden, however. From the point of view of a comfortable middle-class American (which I certainly...
Special Lineup: Osama Bin Laden’s Demise

Special Lineup: Osama Bin Laden’s Demise

The repercussions of Osama bin Laden’s death aren’t going to disappear overnight, but we felt that it made sense to weigh in on the news sooner rather than later. Therefore, OtherWords is running commentaries about the al-Qaeda mastermind’s demise on...