This article features commentary from active-duty Marine, Captain Michaela Larson. The views are solely her own and are not intended to represent the official views of the United States Marine Corps A troubling threat is encroaching upon the U.S military, and I’m not talking about the threat of world war. All six branches of the […]
Tag: War in Afghanistan
The Fallacy of Guns, Gold & Glory: Time for the US to Reevaluate its Foreign Policy
On February 4th of 2021, Joe Biden stood in the U.S. Department of State headquarters and delivered an important message to Americans everywhere: it was time for the United States to reclaim its role as a guardian of democracy on the global stage. He portrayed American leadership as the key to combating what he called […]
US Veterans and the Real Cost of War
The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan marks the end of a 20-year military presence that is now estimated to have cost $5.8 trillion. Today, the returning wave of U.S. veterans has left us with an additional cost to the war: the cost of veteran health and welfare and the failure of our American institutions to meet […]
A Simple TikTok Trend? Or Blatant Jingoism?
On August 30th, 2021, after 20 years of military occupation, the Pentagon announced the completion of withdrawal of US forces in Afghanistan. Marine Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie stated, “The last C-17 lifted off from Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 30th, this afternoon….” Weeks prior to the withdrawal, Taliban forces had swiftly regained control of […]
The Ascendancy of Non-State Armed Actors
States no longer need to declare war to wage it. Citizens have, for the most part, remained ignorant of their respective nations’ new “foreign policy” and the increasing ease to engage in conflict. Underlying the new strategies of modern warfare include modern economic and political upheaval, globalization, but also most importantly, an upheaval of the […]
Is the End in Sight? Seeking an Exit from Afghanistan
U.S. Marines departing from Helmand province from Camp Bastion, October 27, 2014. – Image released by the US Marine Corps, Wikimedia Commons. “We will not waver. We will not tire. We will not falter. And we will not fail. Peace and freedom will prevail.” – Former President George W. Bush announcing the beginning of the […]
Soldiers of Fortune: the Rise of Private Military Companies and their Consequences on America’s Wars
By Alexander Casendino War and conflict are synonymous with human history, and where there is conflict, there are often mercenaries who reap the profits. These “armies for hire” appeared as early as Ancient Egypt and Rome, with rulers deploying paid auxiliary forces to supplement imperial armies. In present-day America, mercenaries have consolidated into one of […]