Stuart Lyle. Introduction by William Astore. Ah, the Smart Phone generation. I see my students gazing into them, texting with them, flipping through photos, watching videos, taking photos, you name it. Smart phones promise to link us together, but they paradoxically encourage selfish and anti-social behavior as well. People are more atomistic and narcissistic as…
The tradition of the citizen-soldier is still alive in this country — just look at our National Guard units. But the burden of military service is obviously not equally shared, with the affluent and famous tucked away safely at home. How many people remember that Jimmy Stewart, legendary Hollywood actor, flew dangerous combat missions in…
W.J. Astore Ever since the attacks of 9/11/2001, the United States has actively celebrated martial virtue. We’ve portrayed our troops as heroes. Presidents have celebrated them as the best led and best trained and most effective military in all of human history. To question the wisdom of such hagiographic portrayals is to be dismissed as…
The Contrary Perspective 