Webinar on-demand: The legacy of the Korean War on U.S. democracy, economy, and society

WATCH THE EVENT LIVE BELOW

Thursday, June 25 from 4 to 5 pm ET: the Quincy Institute hosted a Zoom webinar on the legacy of the Korean War on American democracy, economy, and society.

June 25 marks the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, which technically is still ongoing. President Harry Truman defended U.S. participation in Korea as a “police action,” setting the stage for future presidents to circumvent Congressional declarations of war when sending U.S. troops overseas. The Korean War also cemented the post WWII military-industrial complex, which has grown into a seemingly unbreakable iron triangle of federal budget appropriations, weapons procurement, and lobbying contributions to members of congress by the arms corporations. This panel discussed how the United States became so heavily militarized, and what we might do to walk back the endless war preparation and footing.

The panel featured Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17), a member of the House Armed Services Committee and chief sponsor of H.Res.152 calling for a formal end to the Korean War; Mary Dudziak, QI Non Resident Fellow and Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law at Emory University School of Law; and Nikhil Pal Singh, QI Non Resident Fellow and Professor of Social and Cultural Analysis and History at New York University. Quincy Institute CEO Lora Lumpe moderated this discussion.