Recently Published

General McChrystal, General Petraeus, and General Confusion

by Michael H. Hunt

Barack Obama’s Afghanistan commanders are something else.  First, they promoted a highly debatable counter-insurgency strategy.  Then, despite the num

From Hanigan to SB 1070: How Arizona Got to Where It Is Today

by Geraldo Cadava

Exactly thirty-four years ago, on August 18, 1976, white ranchers in southern Arizona kidnapped, tortured, and robbed three Mexican migrants who crossed the border at Douglas on their way to Elfrida, where farm work awaited them.  For the next five years, until trials of the ranchers ended, the incident drew international attention. This past March, rancher Robert Krentz was murdered just a few miles from where the Hanigans tortured their victims.  While authorities have not arr

The People’s Historian and the FBI Zinn Files

by Peter N. Kirstein

Howard Zinn was the quintessential scholar activist at the time of his death at age eighty-seven in Santa Monica, California on January 27, 2010.  He had been the target of a quarter-century long FBI surveillance operation.  Just four years after his return from World War II in 1945, the FBI opened its investigatory file on Dr. Zinn (hereafter referred to as the Zinn Files).  The 423-page report monitored his activities as special agents and unscrupulous informants throughout the c

Repealing Birthright Citizenship Wasn't a Good Idea Back in the Forties Either

by Greg Robinson

The recent wave of public anger over illegal immigration has given rise to a movement to amend the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees birthright citizenship for all native-born children, in order to strip children of illegal immigrants of

Channelling George Washington: How Not to Fight a War

by Thomas Fleming

“I’ve hemmed and hawed over talking to you about this for a good—or bad—week.  I’ve always been reluctant to criticize a sitting president.  That’s especially true in the case of President Obama because of his symbolic imp

Channelling George Washington: Hating Things Military

by Thomas Fleming

“Have you read a single newspaper or magazine story anywhere describing one of our soldiers in Afghanistan doing anything courageous or admirable?”“Now that you mention it, General—no.”“This hostili

Channelling George Washington: Book Return

by Thomas Fleming

“Instead of worrying about the happiness of the whole country, what do you say to devoting tonight’s visit to the sort of thing that keeps an ex-president happy?”“I’m all for t

Channelling George Washington: The Glorious Fourth (Again)

by Thomas Fleming

“Here we are again, about to celebrate our most important holiday. What did we talk about last year?”  The deep voice was surprisingly mellow, considering the thorn

Channelling George Washington: The General and Patrick Henry

by Thomas Fleming

“Well, I did it.  I did what Martha insisted I HAD to do.  I invited Tom Jefferson and Jemmy Madison over for a glass of ambrosia and hoped there were no hard feelings about our little dustup.”

Channelling Martha Washington

by Thomas Fleming

“Is this Thomas Fleming? I hate to wake you up but it’s VERY important that we talk.”It was a woman’s voice, with the gentlest, most piquant Southern accent I’d ever hear

Channelling George Washington (and Thomas Jefferson)

by Thomas Fleming

“This is Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom and founder of the University of Virginia. Notice I don’t even mention the fact that I was governor of Virginia, sec

Channelling George Washington: Foreign Policy ala Thomas Jefferson

by Thomas Fleming

“To see this country happy is so much the wish of my soul, nothing on this side of Elysium can be placed in competition with it."  “President Washington?  You don’t sound

Channelling George Washington: The Learning Curve

by Thomas Fleming

“To see this country happy is so much the wish of my soul, nothing on this  side of Elysium can be placed in competition with it." “You’re sounding very cheerful tonight, Mr

Channelling George Washington: Illusions of Victory

by Thomas Fleming

"To see this country happy is so much the wish of my soul, nothing on this side of Elysium can be placed in competition with it.""What's on your mind tonight, Mr. President?"&

Channelling George Washington: Presidents Criticizing Presidents

by Thomas Fleming

"To see this country happy is so much the wish of my soul, nothing on this side of Elysium can be placed in competition with it." "What's on your mind tonight, Mr. President?"

Channelling George Washington: The Imperial Congress

by Thomas Fleming

"To see this country happy is so much the wish of my soul, nothing on this side of Elysium can be placed in competition with it.""President Washington?  Are we going to discuss the imperi

Channelling George Washington: The Role of the Presidency

by Thomas Fleming

"To see this country happy is so much the wish of my soul, nothing on this side of Elysium can be placed in competition with it."  “President Washington? Is there a new problem on the po

Channelling George Washington: Campaign Finance

by Thomas Fleming

"To see this country happy is so much the wish of my soul, nothing on this side of Elysium can be placed in competition with it." “President Washington! I haven’t heard from you for a while.” “I

Channelling George Washington: The Glorious Fourth!

by Thomas Fleming

     “I thought this might be a good time to talk about revolutions.”      This time I had  no difficulty recognizing the deep voice. I had been hoping Mr. Washin

Channelling George Washington

by Thomas Fleming

“To see this country happy is so much the wish of my soul, nothing on this side of Elysium can be placed in competition with it." The deep voice made the hair on the back of my neck tingle. “Huh?&rdquo