A recent op-ed in the New York Times reminded me of how policymakers, journalists, and activists can be selective in the injustices they pay attention to and how this selectivity can attract criticism. How useful is this criticism, and what can we learn from it? I think criticism of such selectivity can be worthwhile and … Continue reading The Consistent Life Ethic and the Problem of Selective Concern about Injustice
Category: Afghanistan
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
Lifting a Terrible Burden: The Need to End Sanctions on Afghanistan
More than two years after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, the Afghan people’s situation remains dire. The Taliban’s rule continues to be highly repressive and to fall particularly hard on women. The country is also facing a humanitarian crisis, with over half its people living below the poverty line and some 15 million lacking adequate … Continue reading Lifting a Terrible Burden: The Need to End Sanctions on Afghanistan
Comprehending Horror through Animation: The Art of the Anti-War Animated Movie
Animation fascinates me. Like painters, animators can create images of stunning beauty. Being free from the limitations of human actors or physical locations, animators can also depart from strict realism and create images that are fantastical, metaphorical, or otherwise stylized. Animation’s stylization can allow animated films to deal with darker, more serious topics such as … Continue reading Comprehending Horror through Animation: The Art of the Anti-War Animated Movie
A Time to End the Killing: The Significance of Ayman al-Zawahiri’s Death
Ayman al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian doctor who became the head of al Qaeda, reportedly met his death on July 30. President Joseph Biden announced that Zawahiri had been killed in Kabul, Afghanistan, by a US airstrike.[1] The airstrike may have been carried out with a missile fired by a drone.[2] The US killing of Zawahiri, who … Continue reading A Time to End the Killing: The Significance of Ayman al-Zawahiri’s Death
Help War’s Victims: End the Economic Punishment of Afghanistan
Having already endured decades of civil war, Afghanistan’s people must now face economic collapse and abysmal poverty. The Taliban’s victory, in August 2021, over the US-backed Afghan government led to a dramatic decrease in foreign support to Afghanistan. The United States has also placed economic sanctions on Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. These events have contributed to a … Continue reading Help War’s Victims: End the Economic Punishment of Afghanistan
A Mistake from the Beginning: Looking Back on the Afghanistan War
The longest war in American history ended this August, as US troops left Afghanistan. What the US withdrawal will ultimately mean for both countries is not yet clear. However, I would argue the original US intervention in Afghanistan was a mistake. Consider the following: The United States’ intervention in Afghanistan was costly in lives. From … Continue reading A Mistake from the Beginning: Looking Back on the Afghanistan War
Peacemaking for Life 