Alvah's Books

Novelist, screenwriter, and HUAC informer Budd Schulberg passed away at his residence at West Hampton, NY. Mr. Schulberg was 96 years old. A son of Hollywood, Mr. Schulberg was famous for his screenplay On the Waterfront, the novel What Makes Sammy Run?, which angered both Hollywood and the CPUSA. Mr. Schulberg  also testified in front of HUAC in 1951 and named 17 directors and writers–three of whom were members of the Hollywood Ten.

Below is a review I wrote that appeared on the website for Political Affairs Magazine– an online magazine of ideology, politics, and culture. The publication’s mission is to  provide analysis and investigate what is new and changing in the world – from a working-class point of view.  Political Affairs is a publication of the Communist Party, USA

American Wars: Illusions & Realities
Edited by Paul Buchheit
Paperback: 192 pages
Clarity Press, 2008.

In this slender, but thought-provoking book, Paul Buchheit, professor at Chicago Colleges, founder of fightingpoverty.org and co-founder of Global Initiative Chicago, packs a wallop in presenting the glorified illusions of war, juxtaposing them with the realities and horrors of military force and occupation.

Divided into six sections that each examine a highly regarded human value (Honor, Truthfulness, Self-Awareness, Compassion, Altruism, Realism) every essay is presented with a specific and distorted illusion – typically advocated by hawks in government and big business – followed by a statement reflecting the true nature of war. Professor Buchheit and a distinguished group of writers, which include academic scholars, veterans, and experienced researchers, and who have been in the forefront of the human rights and peace movements, challenge the conventional rhetoric of warfare and our forced attempts to democratize the world.

To read the rest of the review, click on the title.