The Russian invasion of Ukraine has now entered its third year. The war currently seems to be a stalemate. However, either the Russians or Ukrainians might have a break-through and rapidly gain ground, potentially leading to a crisis for the losing side. The risk also remains of the war escalating into a broader conflict between … Continue reading A Stalemate Is the Best Option: The Future of the Ukraine War
Ripples from Gaza: The Threat of a Wider Middle East War
The Gaza War has taken a terrible human toll within Israel and Palestine while also threatening to escalate into a larger regional war. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has had violent repercussions in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen and the Red Sea. The recent strikes by the United States and its allies on Yemen are the latest … Continue reading Ripples from Gaza: The Threat of a Wider Middle East War
World Out of Balance: Reflections on Selective Concern about Violent Conflicts
I have periodically written about violent conflicts that are generally overlooked in the United States. In 2023, I reviewed Ethiopia’s recent civil war, the collapse of Haiti’s government, and Sudan’s civil strife.[1] Given that these bloody and tragic events have attracted comparatively little attention, I must ask: Why do some conflicts receive significantly more attention … Continue reading World Out of Balance: Reflections on Selective Concern about Violent Conflicts
Overlooked Conflicts: Ongoing Violence at the End of 2023
Although the Ukraine-Russia war and the Gaza war have dominated the news, other countries have been suffering violent conflicts recently. In several pieces this year, I highlighted contemporary wars and other conflicts that are too often overlooked. As 2023 ends, here is an update on the status of these conflicts. NOTE: This piece discusses sexual … Continue reading Overlooked Conflicts: Ongoing Violence at the End of 2023
A Complex Man’s Complex Legacy: What the Movie ‘Rustin’ Leaves Out
The great civil rights activist and thinker Bayard Rustin (1912-1987) has received renewed attention thanks to the recently released movie Rustin. The movie is an engrossing look at Rustin’s role as an advisor to Martin Luther King and as the organizer of the 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom in Washington, DC. Rustin organized one … Continue reading A Complex Man’s Complex Legacy: What the Movie ‘Rustin’ Leaves Out
“They Destroyed Everything That Had Kept Me Here”: Rising Violence in the West Bank
While world attention has understandably been focused over the past month on the Israel-Hamas violence centered around the Gaza Strip, violence has also been escalating in the West Bank. Long-running Israeli violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has intensified since Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack that killed roughly 1,200 Israelis, most of them civilians.[1] … Continue reading “They Destroyed Everything That Had Kept Me Here”: Rising Violence in the West Bank
Sleepwalking toward Nuclear War: The Lessons of the Able Archer Scare
Since the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, nations have repeatedly come close to using nuclear weapons again and even to all-out nuclear war. The most famous episode in which nations came close to nuclear war was the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.[1] However, another terrifying case of narrowly averted nuclear war occurred 40 years ago this … Continue reading Sleepwalking toward Nuclear War: The Lessons of the Able Archer Scare
People in Need of a Safe Haven: The Struggle to Help Afghan Refugees
The Afghan people are suffering today from both the Taliban’s repressive rule and international economic penalties imposed on their nation. The United States can help Afghans by reducing the penalties on Afghanistan, as well as by giving refugees fleeing Taliban rule a safe haven within its borders.[1] Various legal routes to refuge are theoretically available … Continue reading People in Need of a Safe Haven: The Struggle to Help Afghan Refugees
A War That No One Will Win: The Violence in Israel and Palestine
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has erupted into a terrible new wave of violence. To date, thousands of people, including over 1,500 Palestinians and over 1,200 people in Israel, have been killed. Thousands more have been injured.[1] If not stopped, the violence seems destined to escalate to ever-more-devastating levels. The Attack The violence began October 7, when … Continue reading A War That No One Will Win: The Violence in Israel and Palestine
A Plea for Quiet—and for Peace: Consistent Life Ethic Themes in ‘Fahrenheit 451’
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury’s classic dystopian science fiction novel, turns 70 years old this October. The novel has been described as being about censorship, which is an accurate but limited characterization.[1] The book contains other themes, some of which may interest consistent life ethic activists. The novel imagines a future United States in which owning … Continue reading A Plea for Quiet—and for Peace: Consistent Life Ethic Themes in ‘Fahrenheit 451’
Peacemaking for Life 