Week of January 28, 2013
HNN Poll: The Ten Most Important Documents in American History
RESULTS:
What were the criteria? Any textual document -- book, article, speech, law, essay, or even blog, but excluding the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights (they're in default) critical to the development of American government, society, or culture, by any author, from any time period right down to the present day, was eligible for nomination! These were the top ten nominees. For more information on the poll, click here.
Up Front
 Kerry Admits It: “Foreign Policy is Economic Policy.”Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica Speaking one of the hidden myths of the State Department. Tags: economics, economic history, foreign policy, John Kerry |
News at Home
 In Defense of Transactional PresidentsJoseph S. Nye, Jr. Transformational presidents get all the attention, but it's actually transactional presidents who tend to be more competent. Tags: George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, leadership, presidency |
 Whatever Happened to George W. Bush?Burton Kaufman Dubya's post-presidency is shaping up to be a lot like his father's. Tags: George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, presidents, post-presidency |
News Abroad
 Obama’s Inaugural and the Danger of an Iran WarJuan Cole At the brink of peace for the first time in ten years, we face the prospect of a new war. Tags: Barack Obama, inaugural address, inauguration, Iran |
 Actually, Women Have Served in Combat BeforeBradley Craig From the American Revolution to the Eastern Front of World War II, women have been on the front lines for centuries. Tags: American Revolution, military history, women's history, World War II |
 Why the State Department is Breathing a Sigh of Relief over the Algerian HostagesLawrence A. Peskin America didn't pay much attention to the crisis, but had it gone on the pressure would've built up. Tags: Algerian hostage crisis, Barbary pirates, History News Service, Thomas Jefferson |
 Obama's Anti-ZionismDaniel Pipes His re-election gives him the room to express his anti-Israel bias. Tags: Barack Obama, Israel, anti-Zionism, Israeli/Palestinian conflict |
 BFFs: America's Inauguration and Israel's Election Celebrated DemocracyGil Troy "It is past time we ceased to apologize for an imperfect democracy. Find its equal." Tags: Israel, United States, Canada, democracy |
Historians & History
 Crafting the Rules for HellRobin Lindley Interview with John Fabian Witt on the laws of war in American history. Tags: Civil War, Francis Lieber, John Fabian Witt, laws of war |
 The Hidden Link Between Illegal Immigrants and Fugitive Slaves Stanley Harrold Thanks to fugitive slave laws, runaways were the illegal immigrants of their day. Tags: fugitive slave laws, illegal immigrants, runaway slaves, slavery |
Education
 Beware the Corporatization of American UniversitiesSteve Hochstadt Athletics are already ruled by the almighty dollar; academics are next. Tags: colleges, education reform, higher education, universities |
Culture Watch
 Zero Dark Dirty: The "Good War" LivesIra Chernus's MythicAmerica WWII-style moviemaking meets the morally ambiguous war on terror. Tag: Hollywood, Osama bin Laden, war on terror, Zero Dark Thirty |
 Django Unchained's White Abolitionist VisionStephen Kantrowitz By depicting most slaves as helpless, Tarantino portrays slavery through an antebellum lens. Tags: abolitionism, Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino, slavery |
 Jam OnBruce Chadwick The thrills and spills of roller derby are back in The Jammer. Tags: New York City, Off-Broadway, theater, theater review |
 A Gay Man, a Housewife, and MussoliniBruce Chadwick All is not well in 1938 Fascist Italy in Working on a Special Day. Tags: New York City, Off-Broadway, theater, theater review |
Books
 Review of Paul and Karen Avrich’s Sasha and Emma |