Ira Chernus  
PROFESSOR OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER

OP-ED COLUMNS

My op-ed columns and commentaries have been published in a wide variety of sources over the years. Now they appear most often on the websites for which I write regularly: www.commondreams.org, www.tomdispatch.com, and www.alternet.org.

 

ELECTION CAMPAIGNS

SPECIAL LONGER ESSAYS

THE WAR IN IRAQ

 

ISRAEL, PALESTINE, AND THE MIDDLE EAST

 

THE WAR ON TERRORISM

 

WAR AND PEACE ISSUES

 

THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION

 

OTHER TOPICS

 

ELECTION CAMPAIGNS

General Entrap-Us or General Entrapped? (April 6, 2008)

How McCain Stays Popular Despite Supporting Disastrous Wars (April 2, 2008)

Anti-War Voters Trust McCain to Make Decisions About 'War on Terror' ( March 12, 2008)

Hillary Flirting With Fear (March 11, 2008)

The Race John McCain Will Run (February 10, 2008)

The Edwards Campaign: What Went Wrong? (February 1, 2008)

Faith and Politics: Rules of the Game (December 20, 2007)

The Democrats' Dilemma (July 21, 2007)

The Unfinished Story of Election 2006: We Get to Choose the Ending (November 13, 2006)

Why Are They Afraid to Call It Marriage? (Octobder 26, 2006)

Rove Produces Theater of Fear (September 29, 2006

Karl Rove's Scheherazade Strategy (July 6, 2006)

If It's Political War, Who Is The Enemy? (December 1, 2004)

Voting Their Fears: National Insecurity the Key to Bush Victory (December 13, 2004)

Don't Blame the Bible-Thumpers for Bush Victory (November 4, 2004)

Am I a Flip-Flop If I Help the Democrats? (October 25, 2004)

Bush, Kerry Agree: No End to Terrorism (October 18, 2004)

The Story Behind the Debate (September 29, 2004)

Kerry Offers "Four More Years" Of War (September 21, 2004)

Bush and the Old West Myth (September 13, 2004)

Why Are Democrats Afraid Of Peace? (July 28, 2004)

Kerry and Edwards Recite Israeli Mantra (March 1, 2004)

Election-Year Appeals To Fear May Backfire (February 15, 2004)

Tom Friedman Wants A Democrat Who Can Win World War III (January 21, 2003)

 

SPECIAL LONGER ESSAYS

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em: Wielding the Nuclear Option (May 14, 2005)

Voting Their Fears: National Insecurity the Key to Bush Victory (December 13, 2004)

American Jews and the Myth of Israel (March 13, 2003)

"Compassionate Conservatism" Goes to War ( October 30, 2001)

Israel and the United States: Fighting Terror in the National Insecurity State (October 18, 2001)

Fighting Terror in the National Insecurity State (October 26, 2001)

Fredric Jameson's Interpretation of Postmodernism (1992)

 

THE WAR IN IRAQ

Liberal Hawk Says Iraq No Longer Matters (December 2, 2007)

New Pieces Changing the Iraq Puzzle (October 21, 2007)

Glued to Our Seats in the Theater of War (September 17, 2007)

Bush PR Machine Works Magic in Iraq (September 2, 2007)

The Forgotten Vietnam - Iraq Parallel (August 22, 2007)

The "Support Our Troops" Myths (March 15, 2007)

Will We Suffer from the Iraq Syndrome? Beware of the Boomerang (March 3, 2007)

A New Strategy For Ending The War (February 19, 2007)

Take Some Of Cheney's Words Seriously (February 4, 2007)

2, 3, Many Vietnams -- And Iraqs (January 28, 2007)

A War Of Stomach Versus Spine . . . Or Heart (January 21, 2007)

Why Bush Fights: It's the Morality, Stupid (January 9, 2007)

U.S. and Israel Shoot Down Chances for Middle East Peace (June 25, 2006)  

MLK's Message to a Dead Soldier's Friend (January 16, 2006)

Is Anyone Responsible for Disaster in Iraq? (October 24, 2005)

Did God Talk to Bush? Part 2 (October 8, 2005)

Cindy Sheehan Story Shows Elite Split on War (August 18, 2005)

Thomas Friedman's Bad Bummer (April 13, 2005)

Bush's Christmas Gift: A Grand Illusion (December 24, 2004)

What Now? Take the One-Question Poll (November 19, 2004)

Visions of Iraq, America Are Colliding (September 23, 2004)

Senate "Intelligence"(?) Committee Re-Writes History (July 28, 2004)

Iraq's Political Puzzle, Piece by Piece (May 10, 2004)

"Abuse at Abu Ghraib": Now Showing at a Theater Near You (May 3, 2004)

Peace Movement Is Missing a Golden Opportunity (April 28, 2004)

U.S. Leaders Split on Iraq Policy (April 14, 2004)

U.S. "Torture Lite" Led to Saddam's Capture (December 17, 2003)

World War II Analogy Poses Dangers for Bush (December 11, 2003)

Imitating Israel is Dumb U.S. Policy (December 13, 2003)

U.S. Policy in Iraq Vanishing Down the Rabbit Hole (December 6, 2003)

Focus on "Will and Resolve" Could Get Bush Re-elected (November 3, 2003)

Bush Lies on Iraq are Only the Symptom, Not the Disease (July 15, 2003)

Did Bush Say God Told Him to Go to War (June 28, 2003)

Outrage at Administration Lying Misses a Crucial Point (June 9, 2003)

Ideology is Key to Corporate Imperialism in Iraq (May 8, 2003)

Blaming the Victim is an Old Habit (April 6, 2003)

The Warmakers Are Not Evil. They're Just Misguided -- Really (March 29, 2003)

Bring Back the Body Count (March 24, 2003)

To Get Peace Message Heard, Call Our Leaders Misguided, Not Evil (March 23, 2003)

Don't Feel Powerless. The Peace Movement Is More Important Than Ever (March 19, 2003)

U.S. Jews Could Pay High Price for Iraq War (March 15, 2003)

The "Bush & God" Scam: Don't Buy It (March 10, 2003)

Neck-Biters And Belly-Gazers (March 3, 2003)

U.S. Arms Control Hypocrisy is the Real Threat to Security (February 23, 2003)

A War to Save the Dollar: But Where are the Real People? (February 15, 2003)

Nuclear Threats Do More Harm Than Good (January 30, 2003)

Shock and Awe: Is Baghdad the Next Hiroshima? (January 26, 2003)

For Peace Movement, Optimism = Realism = Peace (January 14, 2003)

What Would Martin Do? (December 7, 2002)

Trial Ballon For War On Iraq (February 18, 2002)

 

THE WAR ON TERRORISM

Fighting Terror in the National Insecurity State (a longer essay; October 10, 2001)

Laughing and Crying With Thomas Friedman (October 7, 2007)

Civilian Deaths in Afghanistan No Coincidence (July 2, 2007)

Transformational Diplomacy (June 29, 2006)

Why Bush Said We Can't Win War On Terror (September 2, 2004)

Bush Critics Want Right Thing For Wrong Reason (March 25, 2004)

Terror and Taboo in the Homeland (March 15, 2004)

In Madrid Attack, There Is No "Truth" (March 14, 2004)

Which Martin Luther King Will We Honor This Year? (January 12, 2002)

Why They Believe The Big Lie (January 12, 2002)

King Still Calls Us To Love Our Enemies (January 6, 2002)

The Big Lie (January 5, 2002)

Is Osama bin Laden the Lord of the Rings? (December 28, 2001)

Are Dying Afghans "Collateral Damage"? (December 10, 2001)

Pearl Harbor Myth Holds Dangers (December 2, 2001)

It's Too Quiet On This Bus (November 21, 2001)

Means & Ends in Afghanistan (November 18, 2001)

Martin Luther King: A Domestic Terrorist? (October 29, 2001)

"Enduring War" May Last Forever (October 22, 2001)

Fate of Wartime Presidents (October 9, 2001)

No Convincing War Aims (September 17, 2001)

Tragedy and Retaliation (September 12, 2001)

A Jewish Response to the Tragedy (September 11, 2001)

 

WAR AND PEACE ISSUES

The Real Eisenhower: Planning to Win Nuclear War (March 18, 2008)

My Dr. King and the Challenge of National Security (January 21, 2008)

North Korea and Iraq: A Tale of Two Stories (October 12, 2006)

Dubai: Home Base for Cold War Against Iran (March 13, 2006)

50 Years After Bus Boycott, MLK's Path Not Taken (January 16, 2006)

New U.S. Plan for Nuclear Intimidation (May 2, 2005)

U.S. Plans Tidal Wave of Nuclear Proliferation (January 4, 2005)

Nonviolence: As American As Cherry Pie (July 10, 2004)

Tom Friedman's Scary Plan for World War III (January 9, 2004)

Brazil: The Next Nuclear "Threat"? (January 2, 2004)

Bush Administration Split on Iran Nuke Policy (November 24, 2003)

So Many Scandals, So Little Time (October 3, 2003)

Since 9/11: The Invisible War (September 10, 2003)

Nuclear Weapons are No Cure For American Epidemic of Fear (August 6, 2003)

Korea Armistice 50 Years Ago Created Conservative Spirit in U.S. (July 25, 2003)

Thank You, Christians, for Your Gifts (December 25, 2002)

Eisenhower Victory Charted Path to Insecurity (November 4, 2002)

A Time For Nuclear Rituals (August 8, 2002)

Biological Weapons Treaty in Jeopardy (May 22, 2001)

Anti-China Opinions Can Be Incendiary (April 24, 2001)

How Cold Wars Begin (April 23, 2001)

Helen Caldicott and Anti-Nuclear Activism (April 5, 2001)

Rumsfeld Nomination Should Spark Space Weapons Debate (January 21, 2001)

Bush and Gore Renew Old Military Debate (October 27, 2000)

The 50th Anniversary of the Korean War (June 21, 2000)

National Missile Defense (June, 2000)

WTO Protest in Seattle (December 1, 1999)

Defeat of Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (October 13, 1999)

Son of Star Wars: National Missile Defense (June 19, 1999)

Hiroshima Anniversary, 1999 (August 5, 1999)

 

THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION

Neocons May Be Down, Not Out, With Iran Nukes (October 3, 2006)

Inaugural Address Blends Politics and Religion (January 21, 2005)

Republican Economic Game Plan (November 21, 2003)

Who's Afraid (Of) The Big Bad Bush? (October 27, 2003)

PATRIOT Act Promotes Homeland INsecurity (July 17, 2003)

Bush's Road Leads Back To Roman Empire (October 5, 2002)

Bush Is Irrelevant and Must Go (June 25, 2002)

Bush Sticks His Neck Out For Nobody (February 28, 2002)

The Imperial Presidency (May 21, 2001)

Choosing War With China (April 10, 2001)

Faith-based Initiatives Signal Authoritarian Trend (February 18, 2001)

Inaugural Address was Divisive Appeal to Christian Right (January 21, 2001)

Motives for Bush's Faith-Based Initiatives is Unclear (January 30, 2001)

The "Compassionate Conservative" Scam (February 2, 2001)

The Case of the Disappearing Vice-President (January 1, 2001)

Bush Won Because Nader Was Right (December 15, 2000)

 

ISRAEL, PALESTINE, AND THE MIDDLE EAST

Does Israeli Intelligence Lie? (Jan. 11, 2009)

To Help Palestine, Be Pro-Israel Too (Jan. 6, 2009)

The Paradox of Israel: Regional Super Power and the Largest Jewish Ghetto Ever Created (Jan. 2, 2009)

Israelis Get Truth On Gaza (December 28, 2008)

Israeli Violence Endangers Us, Not the Presidential Candidates (March 3, 2008)

Election-Watchers May Miss Chances for Peace (February 26, 2008)

Bush's Israel Problem -- And Ours (January 8, 2008)

Spectacle at Annapolis Spurs Nuclear Danger (November 28, 2007)

Six Day War Transformed American Jewish Life (June 7, 2007)

Another Hamas Peace Plan Ignored (November 2, 2006)

Israel Preparing Next, Bigger, War (August 24, 2006)

Why Israel May Fight Again (August 15, 2006)

Why Does Israel Do This Stuff? (August 14, 2006)

I Am Pro-Israel. Therefore I Criticize Israel (August 7, 2006)

U.S. Elite Leader Endorses Hamas Peace Plan (August 1, 2006)

Israelis See Their Own Nation as "Neighborhood Bully" (July 19, 2006)

Israeli Warmakers Give People What They Want (July 14, 2006)

The U.S., Israel, and Iran (July 1, 2006)

Israel Shoots Down Chances for Peace (June 27, 2006)

Israel's Policies Assassinate Jews, Too (June 9, 2006)

Future of Israel In Its Own Hands (June 4, 2006)

Israel Could Benefit fronm Hamas Victory (January 28, 2006)

Israel's Attack on Gaza Aims to Stop Peace Process (October 7, 2004)

U.S. Helping Israel On A False And Dangerous Course (June 29, 2004)

Beyond the Myths, Peace is Possible (December 21, 2003)

Peace Activists Should Push Geneva Initiative (November 30, 2003)

Ten Days of Repentance: A Wise Tradition for Every Nation (September 26, 2003)

Israel Destroys Chances for Peace by Destroying Palestinian Leadership (September 18, 2003)

Six Day War Changed Everything Except Jewish Fears (June 3, 2003)

Media Could Doom Roadmap to Peace (May 28, 2003)

Nonviolence Is Starting to Matter in the Middle East (May 12, 2003)

New Palestinian Leadership May Dim Hopes for Peace (April 25, 2003)

MSNBC Reveals Facts On Israel's Weapons Of Mass Destruction (April 21, 2003)

After Iraq War, Why Is This Passover Different From All Other Passovers? (April 16, 2003)

The Invisible Death of Iain Hook (November 24, 2002)

Protest Against Israel, But Don't Divest (September 12, 2002)

If You Love Israel, Stop The War Against Iraq (August 17, 2002)

I Criticize Israel Because I Am Jewish (August 8, 2002)

Yom Kippur: A First Step to Peace (September 13, 2002)

Legacy of Six Day War Still Shapes Jewish Life (June 4, 2002)

I Criticize Israel Because I Am Jewish (May 1, 2002)

Is It Good or Bad for the Jews? (April 24, 2002)

Israeli Offensive May Transform U.S. Judaism (April 13, 2002)

The Israeli Offensive and Israeli Politics (April 5, 2002)

Charges of Anti-Semitism Hurt Jews the Most (March 15, 2002)

Persuasion and Perspectives (January 28, 2002)

Old Hanukkah Story Irrelevant and Dangerous (December 9, 2001)

Zionist Idea of Security Blocks Path to Peace (September 4, 2001)

Israel Retaliates Against the Wrong People (August 27, 2001)

Not So Easy to Write Off Palestine (March 22, 2001)

Chanukah 2000 (December 4, 2000)

Day of Atonement 2000 (Oct. 5, 2000)

The History of Jerusalem (July 28, 2000)

Barak / Arafat Summit Meeting (July 27, 2000)

Recent Nazi Attacks (August 17, 1999)

The Peace Process (August 14, 1998)

Israel's 50th Anniversary (May 21, 1998)

Louis Farrakhan and Assassination of Rabin (June, 1995)

 

OTHER TOPICS

 

Is Religion a Threat to Democracy? (January 19, 2008)

Re-Create '68? (January 2, 2008)

Who Knows Why the University of Colorado Fired Ward Churchill? (July 27, 2007)

Is God On Our (Right? Left?) Side (March 6, 2006)

Praise the Lord and Pass the Petition (February 27, 2006)

The Real Tragedy Is That Television Creates Reality (October 19, 2005)

Beyond the (In)Security State: Where Fear Can't Take Us (September 26, 2005)

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em: Wielding the Nuclear Option (May 30, 2005)

Nazi Shadow is Slowly Passing (April 21, 2005)

"Culture of Life" Is A Culture of Fear (April 1, 2005)

Prof May Be Fired For Questioning American Innocence (February 4, 2005)

Rev. King Spoke To Atheists, Too (January 16, 2005)

Certainty and Ambiguity on the Left (September 15, 2004)

9/11: The Politics Of Eternal Mystery (September 11, 2004)

What You Can Learn On Your Summer Vacation (June 17, 2004)

Group Marriage: A Legal Right? (May 17, 2004)

Graduation Day 2004 (May 9, 2004)

Football and Sex at Colorado: The Real Scandal (February 20, 2004)

Valentine's Day Taught Political Lessons (February 15, 2004)

Sex and Liberalism: The CU-Boulder Connection (February 2, 2004)

Pentagon Goes Crazy For Massive Climate Change (January 31, 2004)

The Most Radical Act: Do It Today (October 16, 2003)

Arnold In Wonderland (October 8, 2003)

Colonialism Creates Multicultural Society, Like It Or Not (September 2, 2003)

U.S. Journalist, Under Attack in Indonesia, Needs Our Help (June 19, 2003)

Mainstream News Makes More Sense as Shakespearean Drama (June 17, 2003)

We Aim To Advance Nation's Highest Ideals (May 25, 2003)

My New Year's Resolution: Think Globally. Love Locally. (January 1, 2003)

"One Nation, Under God"? (July, 2002)

School Crisis Is An Old Story (October, 2000)

Student "Riots" Put Officials in a Tough Spot (November 15, 1999)

 

 

 

 


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