Archive for February, 2010
President Obama Rejects the Narrow, Dogmatic Views of the Jedi
Posted: February 28, 2010 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, Afghanistan war, civilian casualties, civilian deaths, Episode III, Gandhi, Jedi, King, Nobel, nonviolence, Obama, Revenge of the Sith, Sith, Star Wars, war, war in Afghanistan
Responses to “Why the Christian Church Is Not Pacifist” by Reinhold Niebuhr
Posted: February 23, 2010 in UncategorizedTags: christian realism, Christianity, Jesus, nonviolence, pacifism, Reinhold Niebuhr, theology
I’ve just read “Why the Christian Church Is Not Pacifist,” and here are my brief responses. I realize the following does not necessarily summarize that to which it refers. Niebuhr is a dense writer, so I’d encourage you to read the actual text if you want to know more. Here are my almost-stream-of-consciousness thoughts: Niebuhr [...]
Responses to Niebuhr’s Critique of Christian Pacifism in “Moral Man & Immoral Society”
Posted: February 16, 2010 in UncategorizedTags: Christianity, Jesus, Moral Man & Immoral Society, nonviolence, pacifism, Reinhold Niebuhr
I just finished reading Reinhold Niebuhr’s Moral Man & Immoral Society, a work that greatly influenced President Obama’s formulation of the role of his faith in his foreign policy. This book contains much of Niebuhr’s thought about pacifism, nonviolence, conflict and violence. Here are my initial responses to his arguments: Niebuhr’s critique, along with many [...]
“Precision Guided Munitions” Kill Children, Other Civilians in Marjah, Afghanistan
Posted: February 15, 2010 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, Brave New Foundation, civilian casualties, civilian deaths, Marjah, Rethink Afghanistan, smart bombs, Society of Christian Ethics
A few days ago a commenter on my blog took issue with my post, “Fallujah, New Orleans and Marjah“. Part of our disagreement focused on whether the Marines could precisely target their munitions. The commenter said in part: What do you know about Marine Corps military operations? What do you know about the accuracy of [...]
Civilian Casualties in Marjah “Inevitable” as Largest Military Operation of Afghanistan War Begins
Posted: February 10, 2010 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, Afghanistan war, airstrikes, civilian casualties, civilian deaths, Helmand, Larry Nicholson, Marjah, Obama, Rethink Afghanistan, Taliban, war in Afghanistan
Military officials say that civilian casualties in Marjah, Afghanistan are “inevitable” as U.S. and allied forces launch Operation Moshtarak, the largest military action since the U.S-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Thanks in part to conflicting messages from ISAF and in part due to some residents’ inability to flee, many civilians remain in Marjah, in [...]
Fallujah, New Orleans and Marja
Posted: February 8, 2010 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, Afghanistan war, air strikes, airstrikes, civilian casualties, civilian deaths, Fallujah, Larry Nicholson, Marja, New Orleans, Obama, Operation Moshtarak, war in Afghanistan
The media is buzzing in anticipation of the impending launch of Operation Moshtarak in Marja, Afghanistan. It will be the biggest military operation of the war so far, and, in many ways, the first fruit of President Obama’s repeated choices to add more troops and firepower to the mess that is the Afghanistan war. Marja [...]
