Mike Pilewski writes about life, politics and culture in the United States
It’s official: America’s spy agencies are not allowed to collect the communications data of Americans without a warrant. With a two-thirds majority, the US Senate amended the law on Tuesday to prohibit this specifically. Since Edward Snowden’s revelations two years ago, efforts had been underway in Congress to either make the spying program official or to rein it in. While … >>
You’ve no doubt heard by now of the latest threat to international stability. A radical group called ISIS has rapidly taken over one third of Iraq and one third of Syria. ISIS is a coalition of known Sunni insurgent groups, including the Mujahideen Shura Council and Al Qaeda in Iraq. Saying they have a “take no prisoners” attitude is an … >>
Ten years ago today, the United States invaded Iraq — a country that had not threatened the US and that had no means of attacking it. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were killed; two million became refugees. A total of 4,475 American soldiers were killed, and another 32,221 suffered significant injury, disfigurement or amputation. Many more suffered traumatic brain injuries … >>
It’s an odd thing to say, but this column began because of a mistake. Well, not a mistake exactly, but an unforeseen event. In the November 1999 issue of the magazine, to accompany an article someone else had written about George W. Bush, I introduced six of the other candidates for president. One of the most promising, in terms of … >>
If you don’t know how many states are in the United States, here’s an easy way to remember. This Friday marks exactly 50 years since America added its final, 50th, state: Hawaii. The country was ready: the growing availability of air travel in the 1960s made Hawaii a popular vacation spot for those who could afford it. Those who couldn’t … >>