Peace and Security
Don’t Tread on My Guns
Do you remember when Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) returned to Congress just in time to cast a vote for raising the debt ceiling and slashing the safety net? I wish that she had instead returned to the Capitol to cast a decisive and historic vote for gun control.
9/11 is No Excuse for Bashing Muslims
On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, we’ll be transfixed once more by images of the planes ramming into the World Trade Center and people, caught in the flames, leaping to their deaths. We’ll see pictures of the burning Pentagon and hear stories of the heroic firefighters and police officers who sacrificed their lives to save others.
10 Years of 9/11 Wars is Enough
The 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is sure to bring televised images of somber reflection. Looking back is, in some ways, easier for commentators and pundits than wrestling with the current state of Washington’s so-called “war on terror.”
Al-Qaeda Lost the Battle Long Ago
Osama bin Laden didn’t live to see the 10th anniversary of September 11. And his organization, according to many U.S. government insiders, is on its last legs since his death at the hands of U.S. Special Forces in May. “We’re within reach of strategically defeating al-Qaeda,” Defense Secretary Leon Panetta recently observed. Others disagree, pointing to the strength of al-Qaeda in Yemen.
Endless War Isn’t the Answer to 9/11
Tens of millions of people will soon observe the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. In New York City, the names of the nearly 3,000 people who died on that day will be read out loud, and presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama will join the families of the victims to unveil a new memorial.
Terrorism in the Eye of the Beholder
Muslims Don’t Have a Monopoly on Terrorism
Too many Americans think the term “terrorism” only applies to Muslims. Christians, Jews, atheists, agnostics, Unitarians or Quakers who commit unspeakable acts of horror often aren’t deemed to be real terrorists.
We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby, Since 1776
National Public Radio presented a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence on the Fourth of July. It properly honored the brilliance, perseverance, and clarity of the document’s authors and the people they represented in challenging the British Empire. Yes, the colonists admitted wanting to exterminate the “savages” whose land they coveted, which was dead wrong. But their powerful phrasing could easily resonate today in Sudan, Afghanistan, Palestine, or East Timor.
The Defense Industry Threatens America’s Economy
India has the military-industrial complex all figured out. So does Saudi Arabia. Neither of them has one. Who needs to build weapons when you can simply buy them at a discount elsewhere? Not that anyone really needs so many weapons anyway, but it’s still a lot cheaper to tap the competitive arms market for a few specific items than to build a massive infrastructure to keep churning out whole arsenals for yourself.
Heading for Havana
For most Americans, visiting Cuba is inconceivable.Not so for travelers from the rest of the world. The Caribbean country’s stunning beaches, colonial architecture, vintage cars, and vibrant musical culture attract more than 2 million tourists a year from Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere.
