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During his academic career, Lawrence Wittner served as president of the Peace History Society and as convener of the Peace History Commission of the International Peace Research Association. He also recently completed a term as co-chair of the national board of Peace Action (the largest grassroots peace organization in the United States). In 2016, he was elected by the voters of New York?s 20th congressional district as a Bernie Sanders delegate to the Democratic national convention. He currently serves as a board member of the Peace Action Fund of New York State and of the Citizens for Global Solutions Education Fund, as well as a member of the executive committee of the Albany County Central Federation of Labor (AFL-CIO).
A former co-editor of the journal Peace & Change, Lawrence Wittner is the author or editor of thirteen books, including Rebels Against War, American Intervention in Greece, Peace Action, Working for Peace and Justice, and the award-winning scholarly trilogy, The Struggle Against the Bomb, which is available in abbreviated form as Confronting the Bomb (Stanford University Press). His hundreds of published articles and book reviews have appeared in journals, magazines, newspapers, and online publications around the world. He has given lectures about peace, war, and nuclear disarmament in dozens of nations and has delivered addresses about such issues at the Norwegian Nobel Institute and at the United Nations.
Further information about him can be found on his website, https://www.lawrenceswittner.com/.
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Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Turning Back from the Brink of Nuclear War An escalating nuclear arms race among the nine nuclear powers is rapidly spiraling out of control. But a Back from the Brink campaign, promoting a package of nuclear arms control and disarmament measures, is also making headway. If successful, it will give us the time to finally secure an agreement for the creation of a nuclear weapons-free world.
Wednesday, October 22, 2025Turning Back from the Brink of Nuclear War An escalating nuclear arms race among the nine nuclear powers is rapidly spiraling out of control. But a Back from the Brink campaign, promoting a package of nuclear arms control and disarmament measures, is also making headway. If successful, it will give us the time to finally secure an agreement for the creation of a nuclear weapons-free world.
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Friday, October 10, 2025
Albert Einstein and the Problem of War Although Albert Einstein is best-known as a theoretical physicist, he also spent much of his life grappling with the problem of war. Today, as we face a violent, nuclear-armed world, Einstein's warnings about unrestrained nationalism and his proposals to control it are increasingly relevant.
Friday, October 10, 2025Albert Einstein and the Problem of War Although Albert Einstein is best-known as a theoretical physicist, he also spent much of his life grappling with the problem of war. Today, as we face a violent, nuclear-armed world, Einstein's warnings about unrestrained nationalism and his proposals to control it are increasingly relevant.
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Tuesday, September 23, 2025
A Dangerously Divided World Highlights the Need to Empower International Institutions Racist and xenophobic activism can be countered on the national level by government action. But, on the international level, nations can engage in criminal violence, exemplified by the brutal behavior of the Russian and Israeli governments. If international institutions were strengthened, however, this regressive behavior could be challenged effectively.
Tuesday, September 23, 2025A Dangerously Divided World Highlights the Need to Empower International Institutions Racist and xenophobic activism can be countered on the national level by government action. But, on the international level, nations can engage in criminal violence, exemplified by the brutal behavior of the Russian and Israeli governments. If international institutions were strengthened, however, this regressive behavior could be challenged effectively.
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Thursday, September 4, 2025
The Trump Administration is Deporting Russian Asylum Seekers, in Chains, to Their Doom in Putin's Russia The Trump administration has begun deporting Russian antiwar activists and other dissidents to Putin's Russia, where they have been turned over to the dreaded FSB. They are the first batch of about a thousand Russians, many of them critics of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, that have applied for asylum in the United States -- asylum that, in their case, is being rejected the Trump administration.
Thursday, September 4, 2025The Trump Administration is Deporting Russian Asylum Seekers, in Chains, to Their Doom in Putin's Russia The Trump administration has begun deporting Russian antiwar activists and other dissidents to Putin's Russia, where they have been turned over to the dreaded FSB. They are the first batch of about a thousand Russians, many of them critics of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, that have applied for asylum in the United States -- asylum that, in their case, is being rejected the Trump administration.
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Thursday, August 21, 2025
Trump's Assault Upon the United Nations is at Odds with U.S. Public Opinion During his political career, Donald Trump has promoted an aggressively nationalist path for the United States. By contrast, the United Nations is committed to international cooperation, the equal rights of nations, and social progress. Not surprisingly, then, Trump has worked consistently to undermine the United Nations.
Thursday, August 21, 2025Trump's Assault Upon the United Nations is at Odds with U.S. Public Opinion During his political career, Donald Trump has promoted an aggressively nationalist path for the United States. By contrast, the United Nations is committed to international cooperation, the equal rights of nations, and social progress. Not surprisingly, then, Trump has worked consistently to undermine the United Nations.
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Sunday, August 3, 2025
Eighty Years of Nuclear Terror Ever since the atomic bombings of Japanese cities in August 1945, the world has been living on borrowed time, for the advent of nuclear weapons opens the prospect that, if they are integrated into war, the world will be destroyed. But, even though nuclear disaster has grown increasingly likely, it remains possible to avert it.
Sunday, August 3, 2025Eighty Years of Nuclear Terror Ever since the atomic bombings of Japanese cities in August 1945, the world has been living on borrowed time, for the advent of nuclear weapons opens the prospect that, if they are integrated into war, the world will be destroyed. But, even though nuclear disaster has grown increasingly likely, it remains possible to avert it.
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Friday, July 25, 2025
Can International Organizations Survive the Rightwing, Nationalist Onslaught? At a time when international cooperation provides the key to preventing a variety of global calamities, it's tragic that major nations, ruled by nationalist, rightwing parties, are on a collision course with international organizations like the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the International Criminal Court, and the International Court of Justice.
Friday, July 25, 2025Can International Organizations Survive the Rightwing, Nationalist Onslaught? At a time when international cooperation provides the key to preventing a variety of global calamities, it's tragic that major nations, ruled by nationalist, rightwing parties, are on a collision course with international organizations like the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the International Criminal Court, and the International Court of Justice.
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Friday, July 4, 2025
Greed: The Survival of a Primitive Emotion Congressional passage of Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" exemplifies the latest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich over the course of human history. This greed-based behavior, which had a brutal logic in the past, when overall scarcity prevailed, no longer has a rational basis in the far more abundant modern world.
Friday, July 4, 2025Greed: The Survival of a Primitive Emotion Congressional passage of Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" exemplifies the latest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich over the course of human history. This greed-based behavior, which had a brutal logic in the past, when overall scarcity prevailed, no longer has a rational basis in the far more abundant modern world.
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Friday, June 20, 2025
Scuttling International Humanitarian Assistance Despite the traditional U.S. role as an important contributor to international assistance programs, the Trump administration has drastically cut such assistance, causing millions of people around the world to face the nightmares of hunger, disease, and displacement
Friday, June 20, 2025Scuttling International Humanitarian Assistance Despite the traditional U.S. role as an important contributor to international assistance programs, the Trump administration has drastically cut such assistance, causing millions of people around the world to face the nightmares of hunger, disease, and displacement
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Thursday, May 29, 2025
Why Trump, the "Peacemaker," Can't Secure Peace Although Donald Trump has proclaimed himself a "peacemaker," able to quickly end the Ukraine war, the Gaza war, and other violent world conflicts, his lack of success in this connection results largely from his commitment to expanding U.S. national power and territory. The United Nations -- especially a strengthened UN -- is far better suited to securing peace.
Thursday, May 29, 2025Why Trump, the "Peacemaker," Can't Secure Peace Although Donald Trump has proclaimed himself a "peacemaker," able to quickly end the Ukraine war, the Gaza war, and other violent world conflicts, his lack of success in this connection results largely from his commitment to expanding U.S. national power and territory. The United Nations -- especially a strengthened UN -- is far better suited to securing peace.
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Tuesday, April 29, 2025
The Limitations of Military Might Over the centuries, military might has had horrific consequences, including vast numbers of dead and wounded, population displacement, environmental damage, military coups, imperial arrogance, and the short-changing of social programs. Ironically, it also has a bad record of defending nations against attack.
Tuesday, April 29, 2025The Limitations of Military Might Over the centuries, military might has had horrific consequences, including vast numbers of dead and wounded, population displacement, environmental damage, military coups, imperial arrogance, and the short-changing of social programs. Ironically, it also has a bad record of defending nations against attack.
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Saturday, April 19, 2025
Plutocracy or Democracy? Despite the lofty rhetoric portraying the United States as a democracy, it has often resembled a plutocracy (in which the wealthy rule). Over the course of U,S, history, the nation has grown more democratic -- although only by overcoming determined opposition from its traditional elites. Today, the Trump administration is working to return the U.S. government to its earlier role as a guardian of privilege.
Saturday, April 19, 2025Plutocracy or Democracy? Despite the lofty rhetoric portraying the United States as a democracy, it has often resembled a plutocracy (in which the wealthy rule). Over the course of U,S, history, the nation has grown more democratic -- although only by overcoming determined opposition from its traditional elites. Today, the Trump administration is working to return the U.S. government to its earlier role as a guardian of privilege.
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Friday, April 4, 2025
A Different Approach is Needed if We Are to Survive in the Nuclear Age Nuclear dangers are increasing as additional nations seek a nuclear capability and as the nuclear powers conduct a new nuclear arms race. This lurch toward nuclear annihilation suggests that the assumption that national security can be maintained by nuclear weapons is false. If humanity is to survive, it must shift to a new paradigm for maintaining international security.
Friday, April 4, 2025A Different Approach is Needed if We Are to Survive in the Nuclear Age Nuclear dangers are increasing as additional nations seek a nuclear capability and as the nuclear powers conduct a new nuclear arms race. This lurch toward nuclear annihilation suggests that the assumption that national security can be maintained by nuclear weapons is false. If humanity is to survive, it must shift to a new paradigm for maintaining international security.
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Thursday, March 20, 2025
Global Chaos or Global Community? Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Donald Trump have defied international law and accelerated violence and chaos in international relations through their overheated nationalist policies. Fortunately, though, many people reject their approach, recognizing that the reckless pursuit of narrow national interests is a recipe for disaster.
Thursday, March 20, 2025Global Chaos or Global Community? Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Donald Trump have defied international law and accelerated violence and chaos in international relations through their overheated nationalist policies. Fortunately, though, many people reject their approach, recognizing that the reckless pursuit of narrow national interests is a recipe for disaster.
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Saturday, March 8, 2025
The Arrogance of Power Revived A key to understanding the Trump public berating of Zelensky is Trump's arrogance -- a reflection of his contempt for people with less power and money than he is accustomed to wield. In Trump's eyes they are underlings, and should be obedient to the Masters of the Universe, which include himself and Putin.
Saturday, March 8, 2025The Arrogance of Power Revived A key to understanding the Trump public berating of Zelensky is Trump's arrogance -- a reflection of his contempt for people with less power and money than he is accustomed to wield. In Trump's eyes they are underlings, and should be obedient to the Masters of the Universe, which include himself and Putin.
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Saturday, February 22, 2025
Trump is Moving Rapidly to Destroy Workers' Rights Only a month into his second term in office, Trump has embarked on an ambitious program of destroying the crucial rights of American workers. He has begun the firing of more than 200,000 federal government workers, nullified the contracts previously signed with unions representing workers, employed the anti-labor Elon Musk to decimate federal programs, and paralyzed the NLRB and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Saturday, February 22, 2025Trump is Moving Rapidly to Destroy Workers' Rights Only a month into his second term in office, Trump has embarked on an ambitious program of destroying the crucial rights of American workers. He has begun the firing of more than 200,000 federal government workers, nullified the contracts previously signed with unions representing workers, employed the anti-labor Elon Musk to decimate federal programs, and paralyzed the NLRB and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
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Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Two Different American Approaches to the World Americans have displayed through their government's policies quite different approaches to the world. Donald Trump's recent actions dealing with international affairs have been nationalistic and xenophobic. And some of these are consonant with American traditions. But numerous American policies of the past have shown a far greater respect for the global community.
Tuesday, February 11, 2025Two Different American Approaches to the World Americans have displayed through their government's policies quite different approaches to the world. Donald Trump's recent actions dealing with international affairs have been nationalistic and xenophobic. And some of these are consonant with American traditions. But numerous American policies of the past have shown a far greater respect for the global community.
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Monday, January 27, 2025
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Provides a Way to Avert Nuclear Catastrophe The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons went into force in January 2021, and would ban nuclear weapons. Thus far, 94 nations have signed the treaty and 73 have followed up by ratifying it. But the nine nuclear powers are not among them. Even so, a powerful nuclear-disarmament movement, coupled with a strengthened United Nations, could bring them into the treaty and, thereby, end the nuclear menace.
Monday, January 27, 2025The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Provides a Way to Avert Nuclear Catastrophe The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons went into force in January 2021, and would ban nuclear weapons. Thus far, 94 nations have signed the treaty and 73 have followed up by ratifying it. But the nine nuclear powers are not among them. Even so, a powerful nuclear-disarmament movement, coupled with a strengthened United Nations, could bring them into the treaty and, thereby, end the nuclear menace.
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Thursday, December 26, 2024
A Global Minimum Wage Would Reduce Poverty and Corporate Power In today's world of widespread poverty and unprecedented wealth, the implementation of a global minimum wage would provide very significant benefits for large numbers of low-wage workers and for unions.
Thursday, December 26, 2024A Global Minimum Wage Would Reduce Poverty and Corporate Power In today's world of widespread poverty and unprecedented wealth, the implementation of a global minimum wage would provide very significant benefits for large numbers of low-wage workers and for unions.
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Saturday, December 7, 2024
Resistance to the International Criminal Court by the World's Most Powerful Nations The International Criminal Court, designed to prosecute individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression, has recently stirred up a hornet's nest with its issuance of arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu. But the world's most powerful nations have always regarded it with fear and hostility.
Saturday, December 7, 2024Resistance to the International Criminal Court by the World's Most Powerful Nations The International Criminal Court, designed to prosecute individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression, has recently stirred up a hornet's nest with its issuance of arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu. But the world's most powerful nations have always regarded it with fear and hostility.
