The Obama Administration’s Broadly Defined Lethal Powers

Two documents have been made public this year that provide more information about the Obama administration’s targeted killing policy. The first is a Justice Department paper that describes the administration’s justification for killing American citizens who are living overseas and are thought to be terrorist leaders. The second is a letter from Attorney General Eric … Continue reading The Obama Administration’s Broadly Defined Lethal Powers

The “Light Footprint”: Economy and Secrecy in Obama’s Military Policies

Barack Obama is now more than three-and-a-half years into his presidency and at least a preliminary assessment of his approach to foreign policy is possible. Three journalists have each written such analyses, all of them published this year: Kill or Capture: The War on Terror and the Soul of the Obama Presidency, by Daniel Klaidman; The Obamians: … Continue reading The “Light Footprint”: Economy and Secrecy in Obama’s Military Policies

No-Win Scenario for Consistent Lifers? Thoughts Inspired by Bloodlands

History has a way of challenging your beliefs. Past human experience, with all its complexity, ambiguity, hard cases, and agonizing choices, can cast doubt on previous certainties about justice or right and wrong. Advocates of the consistent life ethic might find their beliefs challenged in this way by the extremely dark chapter of human experience … Continue reading No-Win Scenario for Consistent Lifers? Thoughts Inspired by Bloodlands