Description
Book Synopsis Bill Ehrhart''s experiences in the Vietnam War have defined his life--first as an enlisted member of a Marine infantry battalion, then as an author, poet and teacher who has spent fifty years explicating the war and its consequences in books, lectures and interviews.
In these essays he explores a diverse range of topics. They include gun violence and the Second Amendment, American politics and the accelerating destruction of civil society, Afghanistan and other foreign policy misadventures, Israel and Palestine, the nature of patriotism, history as fact and mythology, the blessings of technology, the vast mystery of the universe, the attraction of Grand Tour bicycle racing, the much misunderstood writer Stephen Crane, poets you should know about but probably don''t. And more.
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- Preface
- 1. Paul Fussell: A Remembrance
- 2. "Turning Thirty/Sixty"
- 3. Thank You for Your Service
- 4. With All My Heart, Dan
- 5. What We Can and Can't Afford
- 6. What Daddy Did in the War: "Casey" Kehs Remembers World War II
- 7. The Arrogance—and Emptiness—of Power
- 8. Remarks in Honor of the Media FBI Burglars
- 9. Where the Dangers Lie
- 10. Con Thien and Dancin' Jack
- 11. Me and Veterans of Foreign Wars
- 12. The American War in Vietnam: Lessons Learned and Not Learned, University of Tokyo, June 30, 2015
- 13. When the Chickens Came Home to Roost: The Vietnam War and the 60s Generation
- 14. Samuel Johnson Was Right
- 15. Remarks at the Horsham Air Guard Station
- 16. In Memory of Horace Coleman
- 17. A True Spat-Upon Soldier Story
- 18. God, Jesus, and the Vietnam War
- 19. The Tail Wagging the Dog
- 20. America's Modern Military: Who Serves and Who Doesn't
- 21. From Pennridge to Vietnam: What I Knew and Didn't Know
- 22. "A Band of Brothers": Senior Dinner Remarks
- 23. A Foolproof Solution to Gun Violence in the U.S.
- 24. Earth Songs II: A Review
- 25. Chiseled in Stone by God's Hand?
- 26. Veterans Day vs. Armistice Day
- 27. Bernie Sanders: Extreme Radical Socialist
- 28. Captain Crozier Deserves a Medal
- 29. Tom McGrath: A Political Poet
- 30. A Letter to My Daughter: Election 2020
- 31. Racism: As American as Apple Pie
- 32. Trump and the Military: Is Anyone Really Surprised?
- 33. Why I'm Not Voting for Donald Trump
- 34. The Democratic Party Has One Last Chance
- 35. Insurrection: Are We Really Surprised?
- 36. Is This Who We Are?
- 37. Will You Settle for Returning to Politics as Usual?
- 38. Welcome to the Shooting Gallery
- 39. "We Forced Them to Be Brutal to Us"
- 40. It's Time to Dump the Filibuster
- 41. Afghanistan: The Graveyard of Empires
- 42. Afghanistan: Vietnam Redux
- 43. Afghanistan: Who's Responsible?
- 44. Sanitizing American History
- 45. Re-thinking American History
- 46. More Fun Facts About American History
- 47. It's a Big Universe Out There
- 48. Do You Believe in Unicorns?
- 49. You Want to Serve Your Country?
- 50. A New Birth of Freedom
- 51. This Is Democracy?
- 52. Who Needs Diversity, Equity, or Inclusion?
- 53. Does This Mean War?
- 54. Propaganda 101: The Art of Creative Lying
- 55. What Is a Bayonet? Or, Who Wins and Who Loses?
- 56. Going Green, Or: Poetic Justice
- 57. Smedley Darlington Butler: From Consummate Imperialist to Strident Anti-Imperialist
- 58. In Praise of 21st Century Luddism
- 59. Woe Is Me!
- 60. A Farewell to Arms?
- 61. The Way Things Are
- 62. Let's Talk About Original Intent
- 63. The New Normal
- 64. Trumpster Nation
- 65. Why I Like to Watch Bike Racing
- Military History of W.D. Ehrhart
- About the Author
- Index
