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