war policy
Why a War of “Regime Change” in Iran Would Be a Catastrophe
by John Whitehead What direction the conflict between Israel and the United States and Iran will take is unknown. As of this writing, the ceasefire between Israel and Iran is holding and the United States has not bombed Iran again since June 22. We can hope this situation continues. Military conflict among these nations might…
The Huge Mistake: The U.S. Joins Israel in Bombing Iran
Editor’s note: This is a quick response to last weekend’s events, and we expect to have more to say with the rapid developments this situation is likely to have. The date of publication, June 24, is also the third anniversary of the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, so we pro-lifers in the United States…
Signal Chat: The Media Misses the Actual Scandals
by Rachel MacNair A journalist is mistakenly invited and included in a group chat of top officials discussing a military strike in Yemen. Details of the operation that’s about to happen are given there, but the reporter doesn’t divulge them to anybody at that point. Indeed, it’s not until the strikes happen as detailed that…
Seeking an End to a Catastrophic War: The Ukraine War after Three Years
by John Whitehead The Ukraine-Russia war will soon enter its fourth year. The war has become, in one sense, a relatively static conflict, with neither the 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…
The Problem of Selective Concern about Injustice
by John Whitehead 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 some aspects of criticizing such…
Gaza War: Outrageous and Foolish
Statements of heartache and horror abound around the world. Every war is monstrous, and it hurts so badly when a new one is declared Here we offer comments focused on the one that flared up so badly this last weekend. Stephen Zunes Facebook Posts Professor of Politics, University of San Francisco Zunes is co-editor of…
Looking Beyond Anti-Imperialism: A Response to Some Arguments about the Ukraine War
by John Whitehead A New York Times article caught my eye recently because it seemed to confirm a tendency I had noticed among certain peace activists, particularly those on the political Left. The article comments, “As the war in Ukraine drags on, it is not uncommon to hear peace activists and progressive politicians, including many…
Act Before We Reach “Midnight”: The Need to Seek a Cease-Fire in Ukraine
by John Whitehead Introduction The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists recently announced that they had adjusted their “Doomsday Clock,” a symbolic measure of threats to humanity, to 90 seconds to “midnight”—that is, global catastrophe. This current status is the closest to midnight the Doomsday Clock has been in its 75-odd-year history. This dire prediction, the…
The Need for Peacemakers: Two Urgent Dangers That Require a Response
by John Whitehead Peacemaking is urgently needed today. Peacemaking is needed in response to a variety of ongoing violent conflicts in the world. I will highlight just two conflicts that my own country, the United States, is currently involved in and that demand particular attention from peacemakers. The first is the ongoing conflict with Russia…
A Personal Reflection on a Just War
by Fr. Jim Hewes Presidents and others over the years have tried to make the case to the American people (including those of us who are Christian) of what constitutes a necessary war or “just war.” As we form our consciences about war, let us keep in mind several points when someone is talking…