On Richard Perle, Lobbyist, Businessman And, Perhaps Not Coincidentally, Chairman of the Defense Policy Board

On Richard Perle, Lobbyist, Businessman And, Perhaps Not Coincidentally, Chairman of the Defense Policy Board

On Richard Perle, Lobbyist, Businessman And, Perhaps Not Coincidentally, Chairman of the Defense Policy Board

The plans to start this war were laid
Within the Sissy Hawk Brigade–
A band of Vietnam evaders
All puffed up now as tough crusaders.

Facebook
Twitter
Email
Flipboard
Pocket

The plans to start this war were laid
Within the Sissy Hawk Brigade–
A band of Vietnam evaders
All puffed up now as tough crusaders.
Yes, now, as then, they love inciting
A war that others will be fighting.

In recent weeks, there’s been much talk
Of Richard Perle, a sissy hawk.
There’ve been some articles about
Just whether Perle has used his clout,
While fighting evil hell for leather,
To profit. (Hawks have nests to feather.)

A pity that some lads who fought
In Vietnam were later brought
Back home again in body bags
Adorned with battle stars and flags:
They missed the fruits that dedication
Can bring to those who serve their nation.

We cannot back down

We now confront a second Trump presidency.

There’s not a moment to lose. We must harness our fears, our grief, and yes, our anger, to resist the dangerous policies Donald Trump will unleash on our country. We rededicate ourselves to our role as journalists and writers of principle and conscience.

Today, we also steel ourselves for the fight ahead. It will demand a fearless spirit, an informed mind, wise analysis, and humane resistance. We face the enactment of Project 2025, a far-right supreme court, political authoritarianism, increasing inequality and record homelessness, a looming climate crisis, and conflicts abroad. The Nation will expose and propose, nurture investigative reporting, and stand together as a community to keep hope and possibility alive. The Nation’s work will continue—as it has in good and not-so-good times—to develop alternative ideas and visions, to deepen our mission of truth-telling and deep reporting, and to further solidarity in a nation divided.

Armed with a remarkable 160 years of bold, independent journalism, our mandate today remains the same as when abolitionists first founded The Nation—to uphold the principles of democracy and freedom, serve as a beacon through the darkest days of resistance, and to envision and struggle for a brighter future.

The day is dark, the forces arrayed are tenacious, but as the late Nation editorial board member Toni Morrison wrote “No! This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.”

I urge you to stand with The Nation and donate today.

Onwards,

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editorial Director and Publisher, The Nation

Ad Policy
x