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Camillo "Mac" Bica, Ph.D., is a professor of philosophy at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, a long-time activist for peace and justice, a member of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and the coordinator of the Long Island Chapter of Veterans for Peace.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011 A Witness to History (2 comments)
On the recent National Student Walk-out day, I was to teach two classes at a college not very far from Liberty Square, the site of the Wall Street occupation. Despite my doubt whether many if any of my students would answer the call, I decided to pre-empt the boycott and hold my classes at Liberty Square.
Sunday, October 9, 2011 The Invisible Wounds of War
In this article I will consider what has been accurately termed the "invisible wounds of war" and three perspectives on healing, e.g., the Clinical Model,the Normal Response Modeland my Combat Injury Model, where such injuries and veteran readjustment difficulties are regarded as the wounds of war, specifically Combat Related Psychological, Emotional, and Moral (PEM) Injuries.
Friday, March 25, 2011 Pedagogism -- War on Teachers (10 comments)
Though it has been endemic in this country for a number of years, prejudice against and hatred of teachers,has increased to a level where the very survival of our educational system and the well being of our children are threatened.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011 The Fairness Draft (3 comments)
Given war's extreme profitability for the privileged and the wealthy (the corporatists, bankers, politicians -- the military industrial Congressional complex) and the fact that with the AVF, they and/or their children will never step onto the battlefield and suffer war's deleterious effects, it is not surprising, therefore, that our nation is embroiled in quagmire, the longest and most expensive war in American history.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010 No Cause for Parades (4 comments)
As we mark Veterans Day 2010 with parades and sales at the mall to "honor and recognize" the sacrifices and service of veterans and of our troops, perhaps we might consider postponing these celebrations and marketing strategies to another more appropriate occasion and shift our focus from mythologizing war to understanding its realities and consequences, both as it impacts upon our soldiers and veterans and upon our economy.
Friday, July 9, 2010 We Who Advocate Peace (1 comments)
They wage preemptive war, occupy and bomb sovereign nations, utilize robotics to murder and then dehumanize hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children as collateral damage. We who advocate peace and justice say that such acts of war and occupation are illegal, immoral and a barbaric and paranoid response to contrived evil; and they say we are unpatriotic, treasonous, and unsupportive of the troops.
Saturday, May 29, 2010 Memorial Day: Celebrating Militarism and the Weapons of War (6 comments)
Memorial Day is not about sales at the mall, barbecues, and picnics. Neither is it a time to celebrate militarism, the machinery of war, or entice young people, through highly manipulative and deceptive practices, into enlisting in the military. Most importantly, it is not about exploiting patriotism and the sacrifices of our young Servicemen and Women for purposes of commercial marketing and corporate profit.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 Atrocity and War (15 comments)
The American servicemen in the Wikileaks video who so nonchalantly "engaged the target" --" slaughtering some 12 human beings --" are no different from the pilots and bombardiers from the "greatest generation" who with equal nonchalance, incinerated millions of civilians during the terror bombings of Hamburg, Dresden, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, etc
Saturday, March 27, 2010 On the Duty to Conscientiously Object (4 comments)
Selective Conscientious Objection, then, is the claim by non pacifists first, that a particular war fails to satisfy the just war criteria, second, that it is illegal and immoral, and third, that all moral agents are obligated not to abide by the decisions of government and to refuse to participate in or to support the prosecution of this particular war. Consequently, in an unjust war, law and morality are in agreement.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010 Law, Morality, and Conscience in War
The Truth Commission on Conscience in War will take place place on March 21st at the Riverside Church in New York City. At a time when our nation is engaged in wars and occupations in at least four countries, this discussion of the profound moral and legal dilemmas faced not only by members of the military but by all American citizens in whose name these wars are conducted, is both a timely and important undertaking.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 March of Folly
Tell me again what it is we are accomplishing in the antiwar/peace movement?
Friday, January 8, 2010 A New Strategy for America
In the face of escalating violence in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen, and with continuing acts of terrorism targeting America and our allies, it is time for President Obama to effect real and meaningful change by acting reasonably, rationally, responsibly, and in accordance with the mandate of a Nobel Peace Laureate to not only end war and violence in the world but to foster peace and understanding.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 Hell No, We Won't Go . . . Again (1 comments)
The intent of this article is to respond to those on the left, to antiwar and peace activists who, disappointed by an obdurate and unresponsive political leadership and frustrated by the apathy and indifference of the vast majority of American citizens to the death and destruction prosecuted in all our names, advocate reinstating the draft to make war more inclusive - personal and relevant to a greater number of people.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 Revitalizing the Anti War Movement (5 comments)
If it is truly our intent to revitalize the anti war movement, we must begin a dialogue to redefine our goals and to re-evaluate and clarify our tactics and strategy. That is, we must become more focused on ending American militarism and imperialism, war and occupation, and we must build a coalition of voices by practicing tolerance and understanding for a diversity of views and opinions.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009 Is All Fair in Love, War, and Journalism? (4 comments)
Whether to take and then to publish photographs of injured, dead, and dying American Servicemen and women remains a deeply troubling and hotly debated issue. The most recent incident involved the Associated Press's decision to release, against the wishes of his family, a photo by Julie Jacobson showing a mortally wounded Marine, Lance Corporal Joshua M. Bernard, being administered to by his comrades.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 Fratricide at Camp Liberty
Dr. Bica Discusses the tragic killings at Camp Liberty in Iraq.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009 Deadly Games
It is clear that the military has realized the value and effectiveness of video games in enticing young men and women to enlist. In this article, using the Army Experience Center as an example,Dr.Bica argues that a moral society and concerned citizenry should not stand idly by while its children are being manipulated into making choices they may not otherwise have made, choices that will affect them for the rest of their lives
Thursday, July 31, 2008 Warrior to Warrior: Welcome Home (4 comments)
A rather grim but realistic "welcome home" and call to action from a former Marine officer who served in Vietnam to members of the military returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Friday, May 23, 2008 On This Memorial Day (2 comments)
Camillo "Mac" Bica argues that Memorial Day is not about parades, air shows that celebrate the instruments of war, picnics, or sales at the mall. Rather, he challenges his fellow veterans, at least those who know war, to use this day to remind all Americans of the tragedy, futility, and waste of war.
Friday, March 7, 2008 Deconstructing Winter Soldier (1 comments)
In this article, Dr. Bica argues against any misconception regarding the upcoming Winter Soldier, Iraq and Afghanistan hearings.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007 Beyond PTSD, Part Three The Moral Casualties of War: War Crazy (2 comments)
In this installment of Beyond PTSD, in the hope of providing a more complete picture of the psychological, emotional, and moral impact of war, Professor Bica offers, not theoretical analysis, but personal observations regarding the aftermath of war. In doing so, he will ask the reader not to think so much as to feel.
Sunday, May 27, 2007 To My Fellow Veterans on Memorial Day (1 comments)
Memorial Day is for most the traditional beginning of the summer season. It is, as well, a wonderful opportunity to purchase that much needed lawnmower or television set during the many Memorial Day sales down at the mall. With our eagerness to put the drudgery of the winter season behind us, we often forget what Memorial Day is truly about.
