Fight to Live, Live to Fight

Veteran Activism after War

By Benjamin Schrader

Subjects: Political Theory, International Relations, American Politics, Sociology Of War
Series: SUNY series in New Political Science
Hardcover : 9781438475196, 222 pages, July 2019
Paperback : 9781438475189, 222 pages, January 2020

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Table of contents

List of Abbreviations and Acronyms
Acknowledgments
Introduction

1. Autoarcheology of War

2. Forged in War, Battling for Peace

3. Occupy Veterans

4. Enviro-Warriors

5. Fighting Violence in the Ranks

6. Service, Citizenship, and the American Dream

7. Remaking Sense

Conclusion

Notes
Bibliography
Index

Examines US foreign and domestic policy through the narratives of post-9/11 US military veterans and the activism they are engaged in.

Description

While veterans are often cast as a "problem" for society, Fight to Live, Live to Fight challenges this view by focusing on the progressive, positive, and productive activism that veterans engage in. Benjamin Schrader weaves his own experiences as a former member of the American military and then as a member of the activist community with the stories of other veteran activists he has encountered across the United States. An accessible blend of political theory, international relations, and American politics, this book critically examines US foreign and domestic policy through the narratives of post-9/11 military veterans who have turned to activism after having exited the military. Veterans are involved in a wide array of activism, including but not limited to antiwar, economic justice, sexual violence prevention, immigration issues, and veteran healing through art. This is an accessible, captivating, and engaging work that may be read and appreciated not just by scholars, but also students and the wider public.

Benjamin Schrader is Visiting Professor for Central European University and Bard College's joint Globalization and International Affairs Program in New York City.

Reviews

"There is currently no book on the market that does what this book does (and could do) and I welcome it. There are books on veterans, of course, but there are none that focus in particular on veteran's activism written by a veteran activist and academic. The book is in many ways a testament to our time and a kind of generational story that I am sure many veterans will relate to." — Synne L. Dyvik, University of Sussex