Gertrude of Arabia and the Makings of Iraq
Gertrude Bell conquered the male-dominated fields of her time: history, archeology, politics, and diplomacy. She also created a country sized chimera. As the first anniversary of the United States’ troop withdrawal from Iraq approaches, it feels appropriate to look to the past rather than the future—a practice often ignored in a country whose More...
Making Fascism Fashionable with John F. Kennedy
“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country…” —John F. Kennedy Fifty years ago, John F. Kennedy, in his 1961 inaugural address delivered one of the greatest More...
The Man Who Would Be King: William Walker’s Invasion of Nicaragua
It’s hard to imagine now, but there was once a time when the international military intervention of the United States was condemned at home, while invited abroad. Well, maybe not invited, but long ago a U.S. More...
Lest We Forget, Mitt Romney is Still a Crazy Son of a Bitch
Amid meaningless debates in which candidates are busy arguing over whose version of the same version of healthcare reform is the best version, it’s easy for the American public to lose sight of what More...
Defending a Monster: the Case for Caligula
If you know the name Caligula at all it’s probably thanks to the movie that featured a young Malcolm Mcdowell in the titular role lubricating his arm with butter and then fisting some hapless Romans. If conventional More...