William Astore

In the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision from January 2010, we learned that corporations are citizens, entitled to the freedoms and rights we as ordinary American citizens enjoy. "Corporations are people, my friend," insisted Mitt Romney to a group of hecklers on the campaign trail.

So,...

After the shock and awe of 9/11, the United States essentially adopted a sword-and-shield strategy to prevent future terrorist attacks. The sword, of course, was the U.S. military with its self-touted goals of "global reach, global power" and "full-spectrum dominance." The shield, too, was primarily the U.S. military, augmented and...

As a series, Mad Men prides itself on its meticulous, even fanatical, attention to detail.

But military details seem to elude its creators. Last night's show featured an enlisted man saluting Captain (Dr.) Greg Harris indoors at a restaurant. This is contrary to military customs and courtesies....

The events of 9/11 came as a tremendous shock to America. Equally shocking was the failure of the intelligence community to detect and prevent these attacks. It was a failure to "connect the dots," explained Richard Shelby, vice-chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, in his investigative report issued...

When you dare speak truth to power, the reality is that power already knows the truth, doesn't want you to share it, and will punish you for your trouble.

That's the clear lesson from the State Department's persecution of Peter Van Buren, who dared to tell...

Addressing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on March 6, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said that, "No greater threat exists to the security of Israel and to the entire region [of the Middle East] -- and indeed the United States -- than a nuclear armed Iran."

The ongoing controversy over the national memorial to President Dwight D. Eisenhower provides us with an opportunity to recall Ike's legacy and his deeper meaning to America. Ike was of course a national hero, the supreme allied commander who led the assault at D-Day on June...

Do you believe with President Obama that our military today constitutes a "generation of heroes" and that their teamwork and courage in battle show us the proper path forward in civilian life? Do you believe that the deadly effectiveness of the Navy SEAL team that killed Osama bin...

Do we have a truly free press, one that is willing to challenge the powerful and to serve the people?

A recent editorial by Arthur S. Brisbane at the New York Times suggests that our press is more lapdog than watchdog.

A truly free press needs guts. It...

I don't know if Herman Cain is innocent or guilty of the allegations made against him of unwanted sexual advances and harassment. If he's innocent, I don't blame him for making defiant speeches.

But I do blame him for answering these allegations while standing in front of five American flags.

As a society, we talk about the importance of leaders in all walks of life, but when it comes to our classrooms, many of us seem to want to empower the followers while executing the sages when the former do poorly on standardized tests.

Nowadays, a teacher or professor...

Connecting sports to military service and vice versa has a venerable history. The Battle of Waterloo (1815) was won on the playing fields of Eton, Wellington allegedly said. Going over the top at the Battle of the Somme (1916), a few British soldiers kicked soccer balls in the general direction...

In a telling piece in TomDispatch.com, Jonathan Schell notes the pretzel-like linguistic turns the Obama administration has taken to deny the U.S. is at war in Libya. Especially disturbing is his comment that as long as no American troops are being killed, and as long as we can...

This Memorial Day, let's remember and learn from our heroes who are gone from us. For me, my heroes are my parents, both of whom grew up in single-parent families during the Great Depression. Let's start with my Mom. Our concept of "hero" today often works against moms; our culture...

In last night's speech to the nation on Libya, President Obama opened with a passage of unalloyed praise to the U.S. military. The venue had something to do with it: He was speaking at National Defense University at Fort McNair. As the military's Commander-in-Chief, he surely sought to...

I'm proud of Philip J. Crowley. As Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, Crowley had the guts to denounce the sustained (mis)treatment of Private Bradley Manning as "ridiculous" and "counterproductive" and "stupid." For this burst of principled honesty, the Obama administration cashiered him. Never has...

"Support Our Troops" is a popular slogan, and one that many people slap on their cars, trucks, and SUVs in the form of a magnetic ribbon. For a few people, sadly, this is where their "support" both begins and ends: With a ribbon that costs a few bucks. Indeed, such...

Yesterday, Secretary of Defense Bob Gates told cadets at West Point that "In my opinion, any future defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa should 'have his head examined,' as General MacArthur...

I've been inspired by the bravery and resilience shown by Kiwis in the face of a devastating earthquake that struck their country on Tuesday. The recent speech by their prime minister, John Key, was a model of Kiwi practicality and coolness under pressure mixed with generosity and optimism....

I finally got around to watching Michael Douglas reprise his role of Gordon Gekko in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. It's a mixed bag, but Douglas does give yet another riveting speech that rivals his "greed is good" of the original Wall Street. Let's call it the NINJA speech.

Addressing...