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Chickenhawk Responses No. 7: Winning Battles, Losing Wars
The story so far: My piece on "The Tragedy of the American Military" is here; the "Gary Hart Memo" is here; an extra reading list is here; and for previous reader responses see No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No....
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Mario Cuomo, a Thinker in Public
While in transit, I've heard the sad news of Mario Cuomo's death. From sketchy connections in airport(s), here are two ways to remember him. First, Cuomo's speech 30 years ago at the Democratic...
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The 'Case Against Credentialism,' Then and Now
As Capt. David Ryan remarked in a Tweet just now, "So much for the Right to be Forgotten." Thirty years ago, when Ronald Reagan was in his second term, I did a cover story for this magazine called "The...
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Chickenhawk Response No. 8: The Economic Realities (and Unrealities) of a...
The story so far: My piece on "The Tragedy of the American Military" is here; the "Gary Hart Memo" is here; an extra reading list is here; and for previous reader responses see No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No....
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A Question About Cuomo: How Did He Do It?
[Please see update below.] A note just now, from reader Allison B., raising a question about Mario Cuomo's performance as orator: I read your quick Cuomo obit and last night watched the Notre Dame...
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'West Wing' on the Music of Oratory
Two days ago, on the occasion of Mario Cuomo's death, I mentioned his ability to "think in public" through his major speeches, notably his address on private faith and public policy at Notre Dame. This...
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Chickenhawk Responses No. 9: Meanwhile, the Realities
Background: My piece on "The Tragedy of the American Military" is here; the "Gary Hart Memo" is here; an extra reading list is here; and for previous reader responses see No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4,...
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California High-Speed Rail: A Minor End, an Important Beginning
Yesterday in Sacramento, Jerry Brown was sworn in, at age 76, for his fourth and final term as governor of our most populous and economically most important state. Today, in Fresno, he will preside at...
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Chickenhawk America, in Today's News
Today's followups on the question of whether America is a "Chickenhawk Nation," as I argue in this months issue. 1) "If inequality is our problem, military service is the answer." A powerful op-ed in...
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There Will Always Be a Chinese State Media
I find this constancy oddly soothing. From today's People's Daily report on a new northern-China bullet-train rail line: Somehow I don't see the California High-Speed Rail authority matching this PR...
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California High-Speed Rail: The Collector's Edition
Over the past six months, I've done a long series of posts on the case for, and against, and then again for the north-south high-speed rail project that Jerry Brown has made a test of his legacy as...
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The Chickenhawk Chronicles, No. 11: A Failure of Grand Strategy
Through the past week, while tied up with other projects, I've been reading through the enormous and valuable correspondence that has come in about America's "chickenhawk" status. For reference, my...
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Our Diverse Land, Chapter 93,271
On January 11, I was carefully carrying a load of trash outside my house in Washington D.C., trying like crazy to avoid skidding into oblivion on the two-inch layer of ice on each step. On January 13,...
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The Glamorous Life of a Journalist, Collaboration Edition
From the email inbox this morning, quoted in full except for the sender's name: To: James Fallows From: J ..... Subject: Are you interested in article collaboration? theatlantic.com Hi, I am just...
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Chickenhawk Chronicles No. 12: Careerism and Competence
Background: My piece on "The Tragedy of the American Military" is here, and for previous reader responses see No. 1, No. 2,No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, No. 7, No. 8, No. 9, No. 10, and No. 11. Today's...
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Chickenhawk, No. 13: Vandergriff as Yoda?
Background: My piece on "The Tragedy of the American Military" is here, and for previous reader responses see No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, No. 7, No. 8, No. 9, No. 10, No. 11, and No. 12....
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A Generation of Lions, Led by Lambs — the Chickenhawk Chronicles
A recurring theme in responses I have received about my "Tragedy of the American Military" article involves generational rifts. Today's young officers and enlisted troops, those who came of age in the...
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Solving the Chickenhawk Problem: Is It All Up to the Vets?
An interesting reply from a reader who has just left the Air Force after six years as an officer: You wrote your article to talk about the importance of an engaged citizenry that thought and talked...
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We're Not Chickenhawks: A View From the Left
I've mentioned in some previous updates — a full index is after the jump — that most of the response I've received on "The Tragedy of the American Military" has been from people with some military...
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On SOTU Day, a 'City Makers Summit' and Some Next Steps in Civic Life
If you are in DC tomorrow morning, January 20, please join us (or watch online) for the 2015 City Makers Summit at the Newseum. The premise is that cities are the arenas for the fastest-adapting, most...
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