Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

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MythicAmerica explores the mythic dimension of American political culture, past, present, and future. The blogger, Ira Chernus, is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder and author of Apocalypse Management: Eisenhower and the Discourse of National Insecurity.

His new “MythicAmerica: Essays” offer an online introduction to the study of American myths. Read about the blog and the author here.

To receive periodic email summaries of the blog, send an email to update@mythicamerica.us, with “Update” in the subject line. You can communicate directly with Ira at the same address.

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• 
  Dec 16, 2015
  

  Liberals Are Ambivalent About War Against Evil

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  Are our enemies humans or devils? Liberals are not sure.
  

• 
  Nov 30, 2015
  

  Don’t Put All Blame for War Fever on Conservatives

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  Liberals must bear a share of the responsibility too.
  

• 
  Nov 11, 2015
  

  Here's What Is New in Our Latest Fight with China

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  We didn't stigmatize China in quite the way we used to.  
  

• 
  Sep 24, 2014
  

  Don't Blame Climate Change Deniers

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  The real political problem is the many millions who won't act because they aren't sure they have all the facts. 
  

• 
  Jul 9, 2014
  

  Israel's Strategy and America's Mythology

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  Israel's real goal in attacking Hamas is obvious, but ignored by the U.S. mass media. 
  

• 
  Jun 16, 2014
  

  "Iraq" Is Still Arabic For "Vietnam"

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  Obama on Iraq sounds eerily like JFK on Vietnam
  

• 
  Jun 5, 2014
  

  Mental Health vs. Gun Control: A Devil's Bargain

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  A GOP mental health bill could pit liberal pragmatists against idealists. But it doesn't have to.  
  

• 
  May 25, 2014
  

  A Civil War Myth That Hurts Us All

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  This myth may ease whites' pain, but it keeps the nation's wound open
  

• 
  May 12, 2014
  

  Pity the Poor Second Term Presidents

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  But history has a curious way of forgetting their failings.
  

• 
  May 5, 2014
  

  Church and State in America: A Brief Primer

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  Whatever position you hold on this issue, you'll find some support in our nation's history.
  

• 
  Apr 25, 2014
  

  9/11 Museum Stirs Memories -- and Protest

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  Ultimately the question at stake is how to portray the meaning of America.
  

• 
  Apr 8, 2014
  

  Americans Still Blind to Israel's Domination of Palestinians

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  It serves American interests to pose as a neutral mediator between two supposedly equal foes. 
  

• 
  Apr 1, 2014
  

  Americans Have Stopped Looking For Another Hitler

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  The public is no longer inclined to see foreign affairs as a battle of America versus the devil.  
  

• 
  Mar 17, 2014
  

  Ukraine + Flight 370 = Bad News for Neocons

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  Americans don't buy the neoconservative story of America as the bulwark against global chaos. 
  

• 
  Mar 4, 2014
  

  The Washington Post's Editorial Fantasies Put Ukrainian Lives at Risk

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  "Realism" is one of those fantasies, but its distorted American version is even more dangerous. 
  

• 
  Feb 25, 2014
  

  A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Apocalypse

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  The "end of history" has a history, a pre-history, and a future we can shape.
  

• 
  Feb 16, 2014
  

  Maybe "The '60s" Really Did Begin in 1960

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  Protests in 1960 and 2014 evoke more reflection on the process of political change. 
  

• 
  Feb 4, 2014
  

  When Did "the '60s" Begin? A Cautionary Tale for Historians

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  We shouldn't confuse the seeds of a great change with the reality of the change itself. 
  

• 
  Jan 23, 2014
  

  Is Israel a "Jewish Nation "? Is the U.S. an "American Nation"?

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  Insecurity about national identity, in Israel and the U.S., is blocking the path of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. 
  

• 
  Jan 7, 2014
  

  Iran a U.S. Ally? Who Would Have Thunk It?

  by Ira Chernus's MythicAmerica

  Emerging U.S. - Iran cooperation should remind us how fast we can change our myths, if we choose to.