Links to Recent Articles of Interest
By Alfred McCoy, TomDispatch.com, posted June 21
“In this century, as in the last one, the geopolitical struggle over Eurasia has proven to be a relentless affair, one that, in the years to come, will likely contribute both to Beijing’s rise and to the ongoing erosion of Washington’s once formidable global hegemony.” The author teaches history at the University of Wisconsin and has written, among other books, To Govern the Globe: World Orders and Catastrophic Change (Haymarket Books, 2021)
By Anatol Lieven, Foreign Policy, posted June 20
A wide-ranging historical discussion of the conflicts that have typically accompanied the fall of empires. Rarely has absolute victory for one side been possible, leaving “pragmatic compromise” as the best option. The author is a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and has written several books on Russia and its neighbors.
By Richard F. Hamm, History News Network, posted June 19
“Samuel Alito’s leaked majority draft opinion announcing the end of Roe v. Wade will throw the policy of abortion to the states, but the history of alcohol prohibition tells us that it is unlikely to stay there.” The author teaches history at SUNY Albany and is coeditor with Michael Lewis of the book Prohibition’s Greatest Myths (Louisiana State U. Press, 2020).
“John F. Kennedy’s Speech at American University [June 10, 1962]”
Symposium sponsored by the Simone Weil Center at American University
Four scholars including historian Peter Kuznick discuss the significance of President Kennedy’s speech on the Cold War, delivered to graduates of American University fifty years ago.
By Margaret Power, Chicago Tribune, posted June 6
Responds to an op-ed by Adam Carrington of Hillsdale College, complaining about “indoctrination” in US colleges. The author teaches history at Illinois Institute of Technology and is a co-chair of Historians for Peace and Democracy.
By Joanna Paxton Federico, Washington Post, posted June 5
A capsule history of the National Rifle Association’s success in overcoming majority public opinion on gun regulations. The author is a doctoral student at Rutgers University studying policy responses to mass school shootings.
By Paul J. Croce, History News Network, posted June 5
Complex, sometimes contradictory lessons from the experience of wars in which the combatants of disproportionate strength. The author teaches history and American Studies at Stetson University.
By Leslie J. Reagan. Politico, posted June 2
On the draft Supreme Court opinion in the Mississippi abortion case. The author teaches history and law at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Among her books is When Abortion Was a Crime: Women, Medicine, and Law in the United States, 1867-1973 (U. of California Press, 1997).
Interview with Noam Chomsky by C. J. Polychroniou, Truthout, posted June 2
A critique of US policy in the Ukraine war against the background of the war’s “colossal” consequences, including the threat of mass starvation in much of the world as well as escalation to nuclear warfare.
By Stephen M. Walt, Foreign Policy, posted June 2
” Does defeating an aggressor really teach others to behave better? It would be a more benign world if this were the case, but a quick glance at the past century or so suggests otherwise.” The author teaches international relations at Harvard University.
By Anatol Lieven and Ted Snider, Responsible Statecraft, posted May 25
Warns that in the context of hypernationalism in Russia, any successor to Putin is likely to be worse, and points to the failure of US regime-change efforts in other countries. Anatol Lieben is a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and Ted Snider is a columnist for Antiwar.com.
Thanks to Kevin Young and an anonymous reader for suggesting articles that are included in the above list. Suggestions can be sent to jimobrien48@gmail.com.