Links to Recent Articles of Interest
By William Fitzhugh Brundage, Aeon, posted February 20
"For 400 years, Americans have argued that their violence is justified while the violence of others constitutes barbarism." The author teaches history at the University of North Carolina and his latest book is Civilising Torture: An American Tradition (Harvard U. Press, 2018).
By Andrew J. Bacevich, Harper's, posted February 20
A highly readable essay on the history of American expansionism and warmaking since the nineteenth century. The author is a professor emeritus of history and international relations at Boston University and president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.
"'The Right to Do Whatever I Want as President': Impunity Guaranteed for Torturers (and Presidents)"
By Rebecca Gordon, TomDispatch.com, posted February 18
On the lack of accountability for war crimes in the "war on terror." The author teaches at the University of San Francisco and is writing a book on the history of torture in the United States.
By Marisa Peryer, Undark, posted February 17
On the scapegoating associated with many past epidemic diseases, going back to the Plague of the fourteenth century. Undark is a nonprofit digital magazine focused on the intersection of science and society.
By Daniel Denvir, Jacobin, posted February 12
On a long history of anti-immigrant prejudices and policies going back to the nineteenth century. The author is a visiting fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute and is author of the forthcoming Verso Press book All-American Nativism.
By Peter Drieir, The Nation, posted February 7
Compares two recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom (named by two different presidents). The author teaches politics at Occidental College.
By Margaret Power and Alex Aviña, History News Network, posted February 6
On the approval by the American Historical Association business meeting last month calling for an end to collaboration between high education and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The authors teach Latin American history at, respectively, Illinois Institute of Technology and Arizona State University.
By Matthew Connolly, New York Times, posted February 4
About the Trump administration's go-ahead for the accelerated destruction of government records, including those related to abuse of immigrant detainees. The author teaches history at Columbia University.
By Edo Konrad, Responsible Statecraft, posted February 1
The author is the editor of +972 magazuine, based in Tel Aviv.
By Yuki Tanaka, Asia-Pacific Journal/Japan Focus, posted December 31
The author is a historian and editor and has had several books published on World War II, including Japan's Comfort Women: Sexual Slavery and Prostitution during World War II and the U.S. Occupation. This article was inadvertently omitted from a previous listing.
Thanks to Mark Selden and an anonymous reader for suggesting articles included in the above list. Suggestions can be sent to jimobrien48@gmail.com.