Roundup

Martin Sostre's Vision of Collective Liberation

by Garrett Felber

Martin Sostre's refusal to allow the New York prison system to subject him to invasive and violating searches showed how he placed bodily autonomy at the center of a radical critique of racial oppression. At what would be his 100th birthday, his legacy is considered. 

The Roundup Top Ten for March 24, 2023

The top opinion writing by historians and about history from around the web this week. 

The Police Car is PR for Power without Accountability

by Jeffrey Lamson

As the central feature of police technology and the main way that departments present themselves to the public, police cars have long been key symbols in police efforts to claim greater legitimacy, resources and power. 

On Abortion, Corporate Chains Like Walgreens Fear the Republicans More than the "Woke"

by Mary Ziegler

Despite claims that "woke" corporations are pushing a left-wing agenda, Republican Attorneys General have successfully pressured Walgreens under threat of litigation to stop selling mifepristone in states where abortion remains legal. 

How Can Haiti Move Forward?

by Marlene L. Daut

Calls for international intervention in Haiti need to consider how the history of foreign interventions—which have been aimed at helping governments instead of people—has brought the nation to its current state of crisis. 

Iraq Discredited Liberal Interventionists. Why are they Still in Charge?

by Daniel Bessner

"War for oil" explains only part of the push to invade Iraq in 2003; the ideological belief that American militarism serves a noble and righteous cause appealed to many liberals. That general belief has been frustratingly immune to 20 years of exposure of facts about the falsehoods that sold the war. 

A Known and Unknown War

by Michael Brenes

"Time and distance are essential to the historian’s craft. They help us pursue the false promise of objectivity. I should embrace them when thinking about the Iraq War, but I don’t."

Nikki Haley's Campaign May Capitalize on Gender Stereotypes, but at a Cost to Women

by Jacqueline Beatty

The former South Carolina governor and UN Ambassador is seeking to separate herself from other conservatives by leaning into certain gendered stereotypes; this reinforces the idea that women leaders are fundamentally different, which has historically kept women from equal political footing. 

History of Reproductive Law Shows Women in Power aren't the Solution

by Lara Friedenfelds

The end of Roe v. Wade makes difficult pregnancies and miscarriages potentially legaly perilous for women. The history of how the law determines fault in a lost pregnancy shows that women are as capable as men of participating in a regime that punishes other women for the ends of their pregnancies. 

The Crisis of the Intellectuals

by Ibram X. Kendi

A dire health crisis forced the author to ask what his intellectual work was ultimately for. Intellectuals more broadly need a similar push from the dire state of democracy, and should be assured that when they face pushback about being "illiberal" or "presentist" or violating the traditions of their discipline, they're on the right track. 

A Prominent Story about How "Diversity" Entered College Admissions is Wrong

by Charles Petersen

The plaintiffs in a case seeking to outlaw affirmative action in admission policies are relying on a false narrative that "diversity" entered Harvard's admissions criteria as a way to limit the number of Jews admitted. While the existence of Jewish quotas is documented, the two aren't connected. 

We Miss Dr. Strangelove now that We've Learned to Stop Worrying and Forget the Bomb

by Andrew Bacevich

Kubrick's classic film forced viewers to confront the possibility that the controls of the world's nuclear weapons were held by fools, fanatics, and outright lunatics. Today, it's too easy to ignore it altogether. 

Iraq's Militarized Politics Keep the Country in Turmoil

by Simona Foltyn

Sectarian divisions and easy access to weapons have ensured that force remains a determinative factor in Iraqi politics.   

Don't Bother Looking for a Place to Rent in DC

by Rebecca Gordon

New congressman Maxwell Frost's struggles to find an apartment in the capital echoes the "Bourgeois Blues" Leadbelly sang in 1937. What does it say about democracy if representatives of the people can't live in Washington? 

20 Years Later, a Massive Effort to Forget the Runup to Iraq Invasion

by Stephen Wertheim

The impulse for American leaders to forget about Iraq and move on reveals the pathologies of American primacy in world affairs. 

Despite Ike's Warning, We're Still Nailed to a Cross of Iron

by William Astore

At the start of his presidency, Eisenhower warned of the dangers and costs of escalating militarism. By the end of his term, he was convinced the Military-Industrial Complex had entrenched itself. It was only getting started. 

On Marx, The Critique of Capitalism, and our Environmental Crisis

by Walter G. Moss

From E.F. Schumacher to Bernie Sanders, there is much to learn from left-wing critics of the environmental destructiveness of capitalism; the critiques are also important for how the follow and depart from the ideas of Marx. 

The Roundup Top Ten for March 17, 2023

The top opinion writing by historians and about history from around the web this week. 

"If they were White and Insured, Would they have Died?"

by Udodiri R. Okwandu

Texas's new maternal mortality report shows that historical patterns of medical racism are continuing, and the state plans to do little but blame Black women for the inadequate care they receive. 

Houston's Highway History Teaches Planners What Not to Do

by Kyle Shelton

Transportation planners have begun to collect the opinions of community residents affected by proposed highway projects, but they have yet to begin to meaningfully incorporate those concerns into planning. Doing so could prevent repeating the blighting effects of urban transporation projects.