In Search of Monsters — A Just War

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Talking time around the war in Ukraine may be approaching. This radio hour may be a moment in that trend: reaching out for strong views we hadn’t heard, in head-on disagreement about the morality and the meanings of the war. Ukraine can be hard to talk about, not least because the blind killing since the Russian invasion and the risks of nuclear escalation are almost unspeakable. The risks of talking, and not-talking, are there, too. Thirty self-styled progressives in Congress wrote (and then withdrew) a letter to President Biden this week, urging pro-active talks now to end the war. If Republicans win control of the Congress, it is said, they will start cutting expenditures on military aid to Ukraine. So, strong talk of all sorts is on the way.

Thus on this hour of In Search of Monsters, we hear from two very different perspectives on the war in Ukraine. James Carroll is the novelist, historian, former Catholic priest and peace activist; Andrew Bacevich is the writer, fighter, and university-based historian. When Jim Carroll went off to the seminary as a teenager, Andy went off to West Point as a soldier and then to Vietnam. Over time, he came around to a strong antiwar conviction and activism in the form of the Quincy Institute. Each providing unique, intriguing perspectives, the two guests made for a truly compelling discussion.

Listen to the full podcast here:

Additionally, check out these related resources:

• Don’t Rule Out Diplomacy in Ukraine – Samuel Charap and Miranda Priebe, Foreign Affairs, October 28th, 2022

• Part 1: A Just War? – James Carroll, September 7th, 2022

• The Perils of Shaping a Recalcitrant World – Alex Jordan and Andrew Bacevich, The Nation, June 22nd, 2022.