H-PAD Notes 5/31/18 – Links to recent articles of interest

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“Motivations for the Dead-End Policy on Iran”
By Paul Pillar, LobeLog.com, posted May 31
The author is a 28-year veteran of the US intelligence community. He critiques the recent speech by Mike Pompeo and traces its roots.
 
“Standing on the Brink: The Secret War Scare of 1983”
By Jill Kastner, The Nation, posted May 31
“During the nadir of Soviet-American relations in the early 1980s,the Reagan administration’s tough foreign policy and massive military buildup convinced the Soviet leadership that Washington might be preparing a preemptive nuclear strike against Moscow.”
 
“What’s Dangerous about Calling Immigrants ‘Animals’?”
By Richard E. Frankel, History News Network, posted May 29
The author teaches German history at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and this essay is about the 1930s precedent for current political rhetoric.
 
“The Two-State Solution: An Autopsy”
By Henry Siegman, London Review of Books, May 24 issue
The author is president emeritus of the US/Middle East Project and a former senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
 
“How Pompeo’s ‘Severest Sanctions’ on Iran Will Backfire”
By Juan Cole, Informed Comment blog, posted May 22
“Unilateral US sanctions as a means of regime change or radically changing regime behavior have a strong record of failure.” The author teaches history at the University of Michigan.
 
“Trumpism Is the New McCarthyism”
By Ellen Schrecker, The Nation, posted May 21
“Just as McCarthism did decades ago, Trumpism concelas the Republican Party’s long-term program to dismantle the public sectior.” The author is a professor of history emeritus at Yeshiva University and author of several books on the McCarthy era.
“Gazans Have the Right to Invade Israel–At Least if You Believe One of Israel’s Justifications for the Six-Day War”
By Jon Schwartz, The Intercept, posted May 16
 
“How the Idea of Return Has Shaped the Israeli-Arab Conflict for 70 Years”
By Nathan Thrall, Time, posted May 15
The author is the director of the Arab-Israeli Project of the International Crisis Group.
 
“On a Firm Foundation of Mayonaise: Human and Natural Threats to the Construction of a New U.S. Base at Heneko, Okinawa” 
By C. Douglas Lummis, Asia-Pacific Journal, posted May 15
“Regime Change for Dummies”
By Stephen M. Walt, Foreign Policy, posted May 14
“A brief global history of a tactic that’s back in style: toppling other coun tries’ governments.” The author teaches international relations at Harvard University.
 
Thanks for Mark Selden and an anonymous reader for suggesting articles included in the above list. Suggestions can be sent to jimobrien48@gmail.com.