Mac Owens

The “Scott Thomas” Saga at TNR Continues

By Mac Owens | July 30, 2007 |

My post on the “Scott Thomas” affair at The New Republic elicited a spirited debate. It has now taken some interesting turns. First of all, the author has now identified himself. Here is what he wrote in TNR: My Diarist, “Shock Troops,” and the two other pieces I wrote for the New Republic have stirred…

The Press’ Predisposition to Believe the Worst about the Troops

By Mac Owens | July 25, 2007 |

The New Republic has come under fire by bloggers for a series of recent articles purportedly written by an active duty soldier in Iraq. The picture he draws of US soldiers is not a pretty one. Many commentators, including a number of folks who are serving, or have served, in Iraq, believe the articles, written…

The Democratic Party’s Legacy of Racism–Part II

By Mac Owens | July 15, 2007 |

Responding to my post on the Democratic Party’s legacy of racism, Bobby Oliveira wrote: Up until the Voting Rights Act, which LBJ predicted “would lose the South for years to come”, you are exactly correct. However, since that day, all those folks, foreshadowed by Strom Thurmond in 1948, have left and now hang out with…

Amanda, Please! And all that Jazz

By Mac Owens | July 15, 2007 |

A couple of months ago, I started a series on the” pubs of Newport.” I intend to resume this series soon, but I want to expand on something I mentioned in my piece on the Atlantic Beach Club: Newport jazz and Amanda Carr. Here’s what I wrote in April: During the non-summer months, the ABC…

The Democratic Party’s Legacy of Racism

By Mac Owens | July 15, 2007 |

In December 2002, I got myself into a heap of trouble by writing an op-ed for the Providence Journal arguing that, despite its current reputation as the party of racial progress, the real legacy of the Democratic Party was racism and slavery (“The Democratic Party’s Legacy of Racism”). The catalyst was the reaction of the…

The Hadithah Prosecution Unravels

By Mac Owens | July 14, 2007 |

In May of 2006, Time magazine reported that several Marines from 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division had killed more than 20 Iraqi civilians in the town of Hadithah in al-Anbar Province, in retaliation for the death of one of their comrades by a roadside bomb in November 2005. Almost immediately, opponents of the…

The Iraq War

By Mac Owens | July 14, 2007 |

My recent post excerpting a part of John McCain’s Senate speech on the consequences of withdrawing precipitously from Iraq elicited a number of thoughtful comments (in addition to a couple questioning the quality of my education. But as Tony Soprano would say, “whaddaya gonna do?”). The following comment to my earlier post raises what I…

Thinking about Iraq: McCain vs. RI’s Senators

By Mac Owens | July 13, 2007 |

I have my disagreements with John McCain regarding immigration and campaign finance, but when it comes to understanding the Iraq War, he—unlike our RI senators—is a real mensch. Here are some excerpts from his speech the other day. Let us keep in the front of our minds the likely consequences of premature withdrawal from Iraq.…

Teaching American History and Government

By Mac Owens | July 11, 2007 |

I just returned from two weeks at Ashland University in Ohio where I taught two courses as part of an excellent program for teachers of American history and government. It is a program that serious teachers in Rhode Island ought to investigate: the Master of American History and Government (MAHG) degree program, a unique curriculum…

Let’s Hope Our Senators Didn’t Sleep Through Econ 101

By Mac Owens | June 12, 2007 |

I’ve been on the road for a couple of weeks, so I’m only now catching up. This piece ran in the Newport Daily News of 30 May. Of course, the title is wishful thinking. By the way, I believe gasoline prices will drop from their high point at the end of May. The last couple…