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By ALLEN WOODS

During a career spanning World Wars I and II, development of nuclear weapons in the 1940s, and the frantic arms race of the 1950s, no one knew more about the power of the U.S. military and the industries that manufactured its weapons than Dwight Eisenhower. He steadily rose through the Army ranks until his appointment as Supreme Allied Commander of all forces in Europe in WWII, and then directed the operations which finally defeated the forces of Hitler and Mussolini. He resisted calls to run for president in 1948 and became President of Columbia University instead, hoping to promote “the American form of democracy” through education, and helped establish an institute to “study war as a tragic social phenomenon.”

By ALLEN WOODS

Nearly all social thinkers (including the artificial ones of AI) emphasize that functioning, peaceful societies must agree on a group of shared meanings for communicating. These include gestures (a handshake, hug, tip of the hat, tap on the heart, etc.), images and symbols, and spoken and written words. They are “the glue that holds society together, enabling individuals to understand each other, cooperate effectively, and build a cohesive and vibrant social life.”

By ALLEN WOODS

Fear is a powerful emotion, capable of driving behavior that would be completely irrational without it. In America, it is now a legal justification for killing someone who appears threatening, whether the threat is credible or not. The same rationale fueled America’s invasion of Iraq in 2003 because we were falsely convinced it possessed weapons of mass destruction.

By ALLEN WOODS

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter gave a heartfelt, but politically disastrous speech. He described an American “crisis in confidence.” People faced a stubborn Mideast hostage crisis, long lines at gas stations for scarce, expensive gas, the highest inflation rate of any presidential term in history (almost 10%!), and unemployment rates of nearly 8% (inherited from the previous Ford administration).

By ALLEN WOODS

Let’s hear it for the biographers! They can sometimes be as creative as the people they profile.

By ALLEN WOODS

I’ve spent weeks before and after the November election puzzling over images of undecided or pro-Trump voters, and came away baffled. How could young Black voters, young Latinos, low-income voters, and women of any age and ethnicity vote for a candidate who has proved himself a racist, relentlessly scapegoated immigrants from Latin America, gave tax cuts (and promised more) that siphon money from the poor into rich people’s pockets, and been convicted of being a sexual predator?

By ALLEN WOODS

As the U.S. entered The Reign of Trump II, a group in D.C. celebrated by marching through the streets. Their chant echoed off the buildings, and reverberated across America: “Whose streets? Our streets.”

By ALLEN WOODS

In 2012, The New Yorker profiled Apollo Robbins, universally accepted as the best pickpocket in the world at the time, but one who always returned what he had stolen, including watches, keys, billfolds, eyeglasses (being worn at the time), coins, cartridges from ballpoint pens, etc., etc. One of his most famous demonstrations was in 2001 when, at the age of 27, he struck up a conversation with Secret Service agents protecting former President Jimmy Carter.

By ALLEN WOODS

No one except the most extreme political or religious fanatics encourages or embraces murder. Its prohibition is a bedrock value in every society and stated explicitly in laws, and religious and moral teachings.But, of course, there are exceptions....

By ALLEN WOODS

I was blessed to celebrate what many think of as a “traditional” Thanksgiving: we ate turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, pumpkin pie and lots more, resulting in a few naps afterwards in front of the TV football game. Our...

By ALLEN WOODS

In the weeks since the gut punch of Donald Trump’s reelection, The Boston Globe reports that some fervent supporters of Kamala Harris have fully retreated from the political arena — an area which now feels like the Roman Colosseum where slaves and...

By ALLEN WOODS

 For people who care deeply about national politics, the 2024 election is barreling down on us like the locomotive in the 1950s TV Superman intro, but we don’t have the superpowers to stop it. Continuing to stand on the tracks isn’t really a smart...

By ALLEN WOODS

With the presidential election less than two weeks away, America has come to a turning point, a watershed, an inescapable fork in the road. As one of my favorite philosophers, Yogi Berra, allegedly counseled, “When you come to a fork in the road, take...

By ALLEN WOODS

In our currently fractured world, many people delve into a bit of soul-searching. Social and political divisions create uncomfortable feelings of anger, frustration, even hatred, and it’s natural to question their sources and usefulness. I also...

By ALLEN WOODS

In the hit movie Network (1976), a mentally unstable TV newscaster prompts a meteoric rise in his ratings by convincing viewers to open their windows and shout “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore.” Although the specific target of...

By ALLEN WOODS

In my first try at college, beginning in 1968, I didn’t major in journalism, or English, but experimented with writing, and read voraciously. A literate friend tutored me in the types and styles of writing, including the period’s passionate debate on...

By ALLEN WOODS

I’m generally not a fan of speeches at political conventions. The long list of speakers preaches to the choir when they need to reach a broader congregation. They feel free to make extravagant promises without specifics or programs to support them....

By ALLEN WOODS

One inevitable, and unenviable, task of getting older is accepting that people who made an impact on your life die. Today, they might be termed “influencers,” although for me, influence stemmed from actions and accomplishments beyond looking...

By ALLEN WOODS

It seemed the voracious broadcast media fanned out almost before the vivid red blood streaming down Donald Trump’s face had a chance to be cleaned in an ambulance. They wanted reactions from eyewitnesses, and asked the usual inane questions.Most...

By ALLEN WOODS

Americans spent a lot of time and emotion fighting among ourselves in 1969. We fought over the Vietnam War, the compulsory military draft, and the “counterculture” springing from it. As a youngish man (or oldish boy) nearing 20, I was happy to march...

By ALLEN WOODS

Languages are marvelously fluid and flexible. Words are created, meanings “morph” to reflect common usages, and some are discarded when they’re no longer relevant.“Outrage” crossed the English Channel from France around 1300 with a different meaning....