Why Americans back the war

[CFZB]

wow AND your smater than this guy ...you should get off the internet "PISSING ON MY POST " and do some good for the world....



Biographical Sketch
Writer James Carroll was born in Chicago on January 22, 1943. He has been a civil rights activist, antiwar demonstrator and a Catholic priest, but he left the priesthood in 1974 to concentrate on his writing.
The author has described his 1978 novel about Irish immigrants, Mortal Friends, which has sold more than one million copies, as "the book that gave me my career." He has also stated that his life and family have profoundly influenced his writing, which includes subjects as diverse as the Catholic church, the Vietnam War, the Boston Irish, the FBI and the Rosenberg spy case. However, it is his deeply-felt memoir, An American Requiem, the National Book Award winner, described by Robert Patton in the Washington Post as one of the "best memoirs of Vietnam combat" that is closest to his own life story.

James Carroll attended Georgetown University and graduated from St. Paul's College, Washington, D.C. with a B.A. in 1966 and an M.A. in 1968. He studied with Southern poet Allen Tate at the University of Minnesota. He is married to novelist Alexandra Marshall. The writers have two children, Elizabeth and Patrick, and live in Boston, where Carroll is a columnist with the Boston Globe.

James Carroll has written several religious works, and has contributed articles and poetry to journals, including Catholic World, Poetry, Christian Century, Ploughshares, and The New Yorker.

For further biographical information see the following titles in the Reference Section of the Main Library:

Who's Who in America
Biog. Ref. E663 .W56
Contemporary Authors v. 81-84
Biog. Ref. Z1224 .C6 v.81-84
Contemporary Literary Criticism v. 38
Ref PN771 .C59 v.38
Current Biography May 1997
Biog. Ref. CT100 .C8

Books by James Carroll
Forbidden Disappointments: Poems. New York: Paulist Press, 1974.
The Winter Name of God. New York: Sheed and Ward, 1975.

Madonna Red. Boston, Little, Brown, 1976.

Mortal Friends. Boston, Little, Brown, 1978. (PS3553 .A764 M6)

Fault Lines. Boston, Little, Brown, 1980. (PS3553 .A764 F3 1980)

Family Trade. Boston, G.K. Hall, 1982.

Prince of Peace. Boston, Little, Brown, 1984.

Supply of Heroes. New York, Dutton, 1986. (PS3553 .A764 S8 1986)

Firebird. New York, Dutton, 1989.

Memorial Bridge. Boston, Houghton, Mifflin, 1991. (PS3553 .A764 M4 1991)

The City Below. Boston, Houghton, Mifflin, 1994. (PS3553 .A764 C58 1994)

An American Requiem. Boston, Houghton, Mifflin, 1996. (PS3553 .A764 Z464 1996 )



Interviews
Basbanes, Nicholas. "James Carroll: a Memoir of Fathers and Sons: Interview." Publishers Weekly. 243 (May 27, 1996): 52-53.*
*Full text of this article is available through the Brandeis Libraries' Electronic Research Center workstations . To access from the Brandeis University Library's Homepage, click on "InfoTrac Web", then click on the "Proceed" button, and enter "Expanded Academic ASAP." At the entry box type the search: carroll james and submit.

Gilmour, Peter. "Father, Son, and an Unholy War: Peter Gilmour Interviews James Carroll." U.S. Catholic. 62:5 (May 1, 1997):27.**

Kenney, Michael. "Publish and Cherish: Alexandra Marshall and James Carroll Live a Literary Love Story." Boston Globe. February 27, 1997:E1

Spalding, John D. "Father & Son, God & Country." Commonweal. 124:10 (May 23, 1997):12.


Articles and Essays about James Carroll
Baumann, Paul. "Notebook: Re: James Carroll." Commonweal 124:10 (May 23, 1997): 6.
Carroll, James. "Annals of Vietnam: A Friendship that Ended the War." New Yorker. October 21, 1996:130-156.

Green, Martin. "The FBI and Leo Tolstoy: James Carroll's Themes: the Pull of Violence and the Moral Necessity of Nonviolence." Atlantic Monthly. July 1994:100-106.*

*Full text of this article is available through the Brandeis Libraries' Electronic Research Center workstations . To access from the Brandeis University Library's Homepage, click on "InfoTrac Web", then click on the "Proceed" button, and enter "Expanded Academic ASAP." At the entry box type the search: carroll james and submit.

Kennedy, Eugene. "The Bright, Wounded Generation." Commonweal108:7(April 10, 1981):216-218.

O'Rourke, William. "James Carroll." Signs of the Literary Times. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1993. 102-104.

Schott, Webster. "Maguire the Mettlesome Priest." New York Times Book Review. November 4, 1984:44.****

****In order to view this document via the Internet, one may become an online subscriber to The New York Times from their home computer (currently free) by going to The New York Times web site (http://www.nytimes.com/). After subscribing, click on "books". In order to search the New York Times Book Review archives for the full text of the review, type 'james carroll' using the single quote marks, and scroll down to the review you wish to read.

Suplee, Curt. "Confessions of an Ex-Priest: James Carroll's Ministry of Fiction." Washington Post. June 1, 1982:B1.

Tagliabue, John. "Still Exorcising Demons from a Long-Ago War." New York Times. November 14, 1996:C15.

Thompson, Betty. "Touches of Grace from Three Writers." Christian Century. 107:8 (March 7, 1990):237.


Reviews of An American Requiem
"An American Requiem." New Yorker. 72 (August 12, 1996):73
Bushkoff, Leonard. "A Son's Memoir of Sadness and Hope." Christian Science Monitor. May 23, 1996:B1.

Eder, Richard. "At War with My Father; Memoir. Los Angeles Times Book Review. May 19, 1996:2.

Kisor, Henry. "James Carroll's Haunting Memoir." Chicago Sun-Times. June 16, 1996:14.

Lehmann-Haupt, Christopher. "For One Man and His Father, the War at Home." The New York Times. May 9, 1996:C18.

Niebuhr, Gustav. "The War at Home." The New York Times Book Review. May 19, 1996:7:36.****

****In order to view this document via the Internet, one may become an online subscriber to The New York Times from their personal computer (currently free) by going to The New York Times web site (http://www.nytimes.com/). After subscribing, click on "books". In order to search the New York Times Book Review archives for the full text of the review, type 'james carroll' using the single quote marks, and scroll down to the review you wish to read.

Patton, Robert. "In Memoriam." Washington Post Book World. June 16, 1996:12.

Samway, Patrick. "Terrible Longings." America. 174:19 (June 8, 1996):24.*

*Full text of this article is available through the Brandeis Libraries' Electronic Research Center workstations. To access from the Brandeis University Library's Homepage, click on "InfoTrac Web", then click on the "Proceed" button, and enter "Expanded Academic ASAP." At the entry box type the search: carroll james and submit.

Uebbing, James. "An American Requiem." Commonweal. 123:13 (July 12, 1996):25.*

*Full text of this article is available through the Brandeis Libraries' Electronic Research Center workstations. To access from the Brandeis University Library's Homepage, click on "InfoTrac Web", then click on the "Proceed" button, and enter "Expanded Academic ASAP." At the entry box type the search: carroll james and submit.

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Last updated: 03/04/03
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[MattTheSkywalker]

"this is complete and total bullshit. And it is poorly written. And illogical. And wrong. And contradictory. "

and this is your opinion...which you are Entitled to...........right?

i thought it was a very thought provoking article...judging by your post you found it the same....

James Carroll is a wonderful author. His book "Constantine's Sword" is among my personal favorites; a true history of Europe in the grips of the Catholic church for 1600 years. I recommend it highly; maybe the best book I have ever read.

Carroll's formal seminary education is clear when you read the article you provided. It is clear that he adheres to the doctrine of American exceptionalism while expecting nothing else of the rest of the world. (Iran, North Korea etc.)

We are supposed to be morally superior even in an inferior world (his implicit statement). Not surprisingly, that's the same thought process a Catholic priest would have; that he should "minister to the world", just as the US should, while doing no wrong.

The sheer illogic and hypocrisy of his article is delivered with the straightforwardness only a Catholic priset can muster when shoveling such nonsense. Carroll left the priesthood, it did not leave him.

Lastly, if you are familiar with this author, you'll understand that he shares some personal sense of guilt (thorugh his parents) for the Holocaust and the role of the church in it). Carroll's Dad was an army officer and his mom held a position which allows Carroll to meet the pope and do all sorts of church shit, which formed his thought process visible in this article.

it;s really easy to see....and really easy to see why he's so full of shit here. I could go deeper into it, but I don't think you have enough background on this author, or on formal Catholic education, to make a discussion worthwhile.

Am I smarter than he is? Don't know. probably

Do some good for the world? I've created 100+ jobs, as well as serving my country.

What have you done, other than copy, paste, and point fingers?

 

[CFZB]

nothing you win good job ..have a party by your rugged individual-self...ill pull myself up by my bootstraps here with the common people ....

 

[EnderJE]

A tragedy, sure. Anyone have any stats on improvements?

True, I would like to see the total stats. I'm tired of either side saying that its getting better or worse to help their version of the truth.

We could destroy Iraq in a week. Level it flat, occupy, conquer and enslave its people tomorrow. We're not there to destroy it, that is self evident by our actions. Talk to someone who's been there.

Note: I don't advocate American militarism for the sake of militarism. It is a credit to our nation that we do not seek to grow our empire through military conquest. But we could own the world pretty fast.

Personally, I doubt this. If the US tried, I could see the world come back at you. Sure, you could level one small country, but I doubt that you'd take on the world. Besides, if you thought that the terrorism to the US was bad before. After all, Nero, Britain, everyone gets their time in the sun, but it doesn't last forever.

Doomsday predictions always get the attention of dumb readers.

Calling people dumb, doesn't help either. Just lay out ALL facts and let the people decide for themselves.

If you don't think this war is warranted, then you believe the Middle east is fine. If you believe the Middle east is fine....you must be deaf and blind.

Presuposition. I don't think that that the war is warranted unless there is a clear and present danger against your country. You may see it. I don't. Enlighten how Iraq was a danger to the US.

If the Iraqi want freedom (and I'm sure alot did), then my opinions it that they should have a revolution for their freedom. If they rely on another country (US), then when they are free, they start bitching about the new country who helped them out.

 

[75th]

oh i dunno ....ask a republican .....they have lots of reasons to go to war apparently....multiple reasons for the same issue ..it realy is a neat-o trick

Or you can ask for the all but 1 democrat who voted for the war. They should know.

You partisan people are really idiotic.

 

[CFZB]

Or you can ask for the all but 1 democrat who voted for the war. They should know.

You partisan people are really idiotic.

your right that was a stupid crack on my part...im sure some republicans didnt want war....a lot are coming around now as well.....(i was pissed off or something at that point i dont remember ) ...i need a stick to beat off all the bush backers and that doesnt mean republican ,most conservative republicans dont recognize what he is either...

 

[SVT-TROY]

.



How can terrorism ever be stopped?

When fear of them stops. Fear no man (it's alright to be scared of women though).

 

[AristotleBC]

Are you saying that we weren't engaging in empirical activities then??? Please... Iraq makes these activities worse, but the neo-con movement in some form or another has been moving into all phases of American poiltics and foreign policy since the fifties...

Please define "empirical activities."

(You mean imperial activities, but please define it.)


Does this mean anything outside isolationism? Is isolationism really that realistic now? Did it even work well for us in the 20th century?


One thing I tire of are the armchair theorists. "Oh wouldn't it be great if the world was this way. The world should be this way."

Never addressing reality.

 

[MattTheSkywalker]

True, I would like to see the total stats. I'm tired of either side saying that its getting better or worse to help their version of the truth.

My sources are from people who have been there; I was in the Army for a while and alot of my friends were part of the invasion / rebuild.

Their stories are that we ar enot brutally killing people wholesale, we are doing wverything we can to foster good relations, etc.

Personally, I doubt this. If the US tried, I could see the world come back at you. Sure, you could level one small country, but I doubt that you'd take on the world. Besides, if you thought that the terrorism to the US was bad before. After all, Nero, Britain, everyone gets their time in the sun, but it doesn't last forever.

I was a soldier, I hate the idea of war, I know the people who fight it, I want them to live, on all sides. The idea of a state sending people out to die is abhorrent to me.

But I must say, the rest of the world is no match for American military might. We have more aircraft carriers than the rest of the world put together, doubled. We have fighter planes beyond anyone else, and we have trhe economic resources to build up a war machine like nothing that has ever been seen before. We've shot down missiles with lasers in tests; with a militarisitc posture we could filed this in weeks. Our tanks are so far beyond what anyone else has.....

The only thing stopping the US from conquering the world is the US. That makes us different than past empires. Will we last forever? No. Every nation collapses, so we the US.

Russia can't even silence Chechnya. China can't even feed its people.

Calling people dumb, doesn't help either. Just lay out ALL facts and let the people decide for themselves.

Actually I did a pretty good job of that in my post, I thought.

Presuposition. I don't think that that the war is warranted unless there is a clear and present danger against your country. You may see it. I don't. Enlighten how Iraq was a danger to the US.

The war in Iraq is designed to change the look of the Middle East; to impact Iran and Saudi Arabia and hasten the civil unrest there that will bring about democracy.

Both of those nations are teetering on collapse; Iran's citizenry is 60% under 30 years old and not too in love with hard line government. Saudi Arabia has 30% unemployment and per capita income has fallen 80% since 1980.

Both of those nations are state terror sponsors; no one denies this.

Our strategic goal is to bring about change throughout the region; we invaded Iraq to plant those seeds by hastening reform there, and allowing that to serve as a model.

This strategy can be critiqued, but it never is on this board. Rhetoric prevails, like in most of America.

If the Iraqi want freedom (and I'm sure alot did), then my opinions it that they should have a revolution for their freedom. If they rely on another country (US), then when they are free, they start bitching about the new country who helped them out.

That's a fair criticism of our strategy. Congrats, you;re the first

 

[Mandinka2]

No it isn't. We don't care what Joe Islam does, but when he starts bombing us so we get out of Saudi, or so he can try and destroy the "Great Unbeliever" in prelude to the world being encircled into an Islamist theocracy, we care and call him a terrorist.

How does that square with the US sponsored "terrorism/freedom-fighting" that "liberated" (oh dear!) Afghanistan from the Soviets in the name of Islam ?