A new eruption of violence has been shaking the Middle East this week, as Israel has begun bombing Iran and Iran has retaliated in kind against Israel. Israel initiated the attack on its long-time adversary in an attempt to destroy or at least damage Iran’s capacity to build nuclear weapons. Whatever effect the current conflict … Continue reading Adding Fuel to a Nuclear Fire: The Israel-Iran Conflict
Category: Peace Activism
Big, Beautiful Bombs: The Outrage of the Budget Bill and Spending on Nuclear Weapons
The US Congress is currently considering a budget bill that, despite being dubbed “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” will do serious harm to millions of people. Among the most harmful aspects of the bill are its changes to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provide healthcare coverage and food assistance, respectively, to low-income … Continue reading Big, Beautiful Bombs: The Outrage of the Budget Bill and Spending on Nuclear Weapons
Persuading People to Act against the Nuclear Threat: Some Findings and Recommendations
A perennial question for activists is “How do you get people to join you?” Persuading people to accept your views on an issue and then to act on these views is a major challenge. Addressing this challenge, specifically regarding activism against the threat of nuclear weapons, is the subject of the recent report Rewriting the … Continue reading Persuading People to Act against the Nuclear Threat: Some Findings and Recommendations
Turning Back the Nuclear Threat: Some Practical Steps
The following is adapted from remarks given at the Vigil to End the Nuclear Danger, a peace witness outside the White House on March 8, 2025. The vigil was co-sponsored by the Consistent Life Network, as well as the American Solidarity Party of DC and Maryland, Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore, and Rehumanize International. We are … Continue reading Turning Back the Nuclear Threat: Some Practical Steps
Seeking an End to a Catastrophic War: The Ukraine War after Three Years
The Ukraine-Russia war is now in its fourth year. The war has become, in one sense, a relatively static conflict, with neither Ukrainian nor Russian forces advancing dramatically and battles being fought over very small pieces of territory. However, in another sense, the war has changed significantly over time by becoming ever more costly and … Continue reading Seeking an End to a Catastrophic War: The Ukraine War after Three Years
A More Hopeful Path: Working for Peace in a World at War
The following is adapted from remarks given November 9, 2024, at the quarterly peace vigil in Washington, DC, sponsored by the Consistent Life Network. We are here today to witness for peace and for the protection of human life. We are here today to oppose the greatest threat to peace and human life in our … Continue reading A More Hopeful Path: Working for Peace in a World at War
The Costs of an Unwinnable War: One Year after October 7
The violence in the Middle East sparked on October 7, 2023, has now continued for a year and shows little sign of ending. The Israeli military assault on Gaza, initially begun in response to the Hamas attacks in Israel that killed 767 civilians and 376 security personnel, continues to wreak devastation on Palestinians in Gaza.[1] … Continue reading The Costs of an Unwinnable War: One Year after October 7
The Consistent Life Ethic and the Problem of Selective Concern about Injustice
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
“The Single Largest Humanitarian Crisis on the Planet”: Sudan’s Fall into the Abyss
Although the Ukraine-Russia war and the Gaza war have dominated the news, other countries have been suffering violent conflicts recently. In this and other pieces, I highlight contemporary wars and other conflicts that are too often overlooked. The civil war that broke out in Sudan in 2023 still rages in the summer of 2024. The … Continue reading “The Single Largest Humanitarian Crisis on the Planet”: Sudan’s Fall into the Abyss
Apocalypse Imagined: The Urgent Message of “Nuclear War: A Scenario”
Among the recent signs of renewed attention in the United States to the threat from nuclear weapons, perhaps the most important is the book Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen.[1] Published in early 2024, the book was a New York Times best-seller for several weeks and the focus of a well-attended webinar organized by … Continue reading Apocalypse Imagined: The Urgent Message of “Nuclear War: A Scenario”
Peacemaking for Life 