James Cockayne (IPA): The Global Reorganization of Legitimate Violence: Military Entrepreneurs and the Private Face of International Humanitarian Law. From The American Interest, Edward N. Luttwak on Why Weapons Are So Expensive: Though computers constantly get cheaper and more powerful, new high-tech weapons end up costing more and more. What's wrong with the U.S. military? So a new industry was born, known in the trade as "Intelligence Support Systems", complete with its own annual conference. If you’re in Dubai next February, drop by. Homeland Insecurity: Anti-terrorism efforts vary from the marginally effective to the utterly pointless. A review of In Defense of Our America: The Fight for Civil Liberties in the Age of Terror by Anthony Romero and Dina Temple-Raston. A review of Made Love, Got War: Close Encounters with America's Warfare State by by Norman Solomon.
From The Nation, a review of books on Katrina and New Orleans. Reckless Abandonment: Is the Bush administration leaving Katrina-ravaged neighborhoods to die on the vine? A review of Down in New Orleans: Reflections from a Drowned City by Billy Sothern. In Nature’s Casino: With the cost of natural disasters far beyond the insurance industry’s ability to pay, a new market has sprung up to spread the risk. But how do you calculate the odds of catastrophe? A review of Sugarcane Academy: How a New Orleans Teacher and His Storm-Struck Students Created a School to Remember by Michael Tisserand. Climate Change and the Threat to the U.S. Coast: If you thought Katrina was the big one, wait till you see what's coming to your neighborhood.
From Political Affairs, an essay on Nature, Society and Human Survival. A review of Dirt: The Erosion of Civilization by David R. Montgomery. From Grist, are scientists overestimating — or underestimating — climate change? (and part 2 and part 3). It's tempting to think that if you scare the shit out of people that mass mobilization against global warming will at long last ensue. Call of the mild: Scientists are being asked to set aside their professional reticence and become vocal crusaders - for the sake of the planet. A review of Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future by Bill McKibben. Big Oil's Particular Profits: How oil companies are taking advantage of basic thermal science to squeeze billions of dollars a year out of consumers' pockets.
