Ep. 82 - ‘Broken Places’

Few living writers speak as eloquently and incisively about the terrible contradictions of armed conflict as Marine Corps veteran and award-winning author Phil Klay. On this episode, Klay joins Commonweal senior editor Matt Boudway to discuss his new book Uncertain Ground: Citizenship in an Age of Endless War, a collection of essays, journalism, and other nonfiction written over the past ten years. Their conversation touches on a number of topics, including war and religious faith, the complex reintegration of returning soldiers, and the deceptive political rhetoric that surrounds and shrouds modern combat. For further reading: “A Whip of Cords,” Phil Klay “War & Penance,” Philip G. Porter “The Paradoxes of Deterrence,” Bernard G. Prusak