In Search of Monsters — Humane Warfare

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Is the United States currently at war? How do we distinguish between a country at war vs. peacetime? In this episode of In Search of Monsters, Qi Non-Resident Fellows Mary Dudziak and Samuel Moyn join host Chris Lydon to dive into these questions, looking at what constitutes war-time, the normalization of endless war, and the notion of the ‘prettification’ of modern warfare.

First, Mary Dudziak discusses the persistence of war in the 21st century, exemplified most clearly with the War on Terror. In addition, she details how such wars have seemingly become completely disconnected from the public eye. Continuing with this conversation, Sam Moyn then looks at how a shift in focus   to how wars are being fought has tacitly accepted warfare in the first place, perversely perpetuating war in a ‘prettified’ form. Together, the experts provide a succinct condemnation of American foreign policy and its hyper-militarized orientation.

Listen to the full episode here:

Additionally, check out these related resources:

• Sweeping’ DoD plan to mitigate civilian harm merely humanizes endless war – Sam Moyn in Responsible Statecraft, August 31st, 2021. 

• Afghanistan a year later: Will ‘over the horizon’ normalize Endless War? – Mary Dudziak in Responsible Statecraft, August 15th, 2021.

• Beyond Humanity: How to Control America’s Use of Force – Sam Moyn’s Quincy Brief, July 2020.