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Atlantic Unbound | Archive
James Fallows
James Fallows is a national correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly and has worked for the magazine for more than 25 years. He has written for the magazine on a wide range of topics, including national security policy, American politics, the development and impact of technology, economic trends and patterns, and U.S. relations with the Middle East, Asia, and other parts of the world. Fallows grew up in Redlands, California and then attended Harvard, where he was president of the newspaper The Crimson. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1970 and then studied economics at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He has been an editor of The Washington Monthly and of Texas Monthly, and from 1977 to 1979 he served as President Jimmy Carter's chief speechwriter. His first book, National Defense, won the American Book Award in 1981; he has written seven others. He has worked as a software designer at Microsoft and from 1996 to 1998 he was the editor of U.S. News & World Report. In the five years after the 9/11 attacks, Fallows was based in Washington and wrote a number of articles about the evolution of U.S. policies for dealing with terrorism and about the war in Iraq. One of these articles, "The Fifty First State?," won the National Magazine Award, and another, "Why Iraq has no Army," was a finalist. He also writes a monthly technology column for the magazine. His books Breaking the News: How the Media Undermine American Democracy (January 1996), and Free Flight: From Airline Hell to a New Age of Travel were excerpted in the February, 1996, and June, 2001, issues respectively. Looking at the Sun (1994) was excerpted in several installments in the early 1990s. His book, Blind into Baghdad: America's War in Iraq (2006) is based on several of his Atlantic articles. Postcards from Tomorrow Square: Reports from China is forthcoming in January, 2009. He is married and has two sons. Recent articles by James Fallows: Rhetorical QuestionsWho will win the presidential debates? What does each candidate’s use of words say about how he would govern as president? Can Obama’s rhetorical skills lift him to the heights of Lincoln, FDR, and Reagan—or will his speechmaking do him in? After watching all 47 (!) of the primary season’s debates, our correspondent has the answers—and some harsh criticism for the moderators. China’s Silver LiningWhy smoggy skies over Beijing represent the world’s greatest environmental opportunity. Taxis in the SkyHow tiny jets, Soviet-trained math prodigies, American “ant farmers,” and dot-com refugees are revolutionizing air travel [Web only: Slideshow: "A Day on the DayJet"] “The Connection Has Been Reset”China’s Great Firewall is crude, slapdash, and surprisingly easy to breach. Here’s why it’s so effective anyway. State of the Union: Post MortemBush's 2008 State of the Union address, annotated by The Atlantic's James Fallows. The $1.4 Trillion QuestionWhat do we owe China? The Travel AdvisoryHow to get to the Wolong Reserve and how to support its panda programs. Among the PandasOur cub reporter exposes China’s soft underbelly. [Web only: Slideshow: "Panda Land"] The View from ThereWhat living in England, Japan, and China has taught one American about the character of his own country. Simple SecurityProtecting files and programs need not make you crazy—or even cost you a cent. Macau’s Big GambleEven as foreign investors pour billions into ever-glitzier casinos, the tiny peninsula’s bid to become the Vegas of the Orient depends on China’s larger willingness to embrace transparency and the rule of law. [Web only: Slideshow: "The Many Faces of Macau."] China Makes, The World TakesA look inside the world’s manufacturing center shows that America should welcome China’s rise—for now. [Web only: Slideshow: "Made in China."] What Was I Thinking?Computers may not be able to make decisions for you (yet), but they can sharpen your judgment. Group TherapyNew programs ease the frustration of working with others online. Wolfowitz = McNamara, Chapter 402I await a version of the The Fog of War starring Paul Wolfowitz. Intellectual Piracy? Who, Us?Shanghai resident James Fallows reports that his local pirate-video store is doing a brisk business, despite China's claim that it is cracking down on such enterprises. Wolfowitz = Swaggart, Chap. 1"Do the words 'Caesar's wife' ring any kind of bell? Or the name Jimmy Swaggart?" Virginia Tech ShootingOne American woman terrifies China. Sun-Times vs. China Update (re. Va Tech shooting)"Wasn't this pretty much what Orwell had in mind with the concept of the 'memory hole'?" Win in China!A reality-TV show is teaching the Chinese how to succeed in business. [Web-only: Watch video clips from the show] One-Button TranslationNewly sophisticated “machine translators” let you browse foreign Web sites in real time. Arthur Schlesinger Jr.A nice man, not just an eminent one. Another win for Carl MalamudOr: news you won't see in the May 2007 issue of the Atlantic Thoughts on Writing This ColumnJames Fallows on what most surprised him about this topic and the biggest development that happened after press time. The Boiled-frog MythHey, really, knock it off! Back in the U.S.A.What you first notice if you're in America after six months in China... Colbert-ologyWhat you know if you've seen the show live... Mr. Zhang Builds His Dream TownA singing workforce, Mongolian millionaires in Porsches, and saving the planet—inside the empire of a Chinese tycoon with more than money on his mind. [Web-only: "At Home With Mr. Zhang." A narrated slideshow.] Crash InsuranceNew programs back up everything you do— in real time, online, and automatically. Dear Vice President CheneyGo home, and shut up. Where Congress Can Draw the LineNo war with Iran. The Squeegee Men of ShanghaiForget running for president, Rudy. Come deal with the shoe-squeegee men of Shanghai. This Is What I Call a Cultural RevolutionQueuing Day in China. Thank you, Martha Raddatz"For the first time, I actually felt sorry for the President." Am I Being Too Rational?The prospect of war on Iran. The Surprising Antiwar Message of 24"If season 2 of 24 aired now, conservatives would assume that, torture and all, it had been sponsored by the Dennis Kucinich campaign or MoveOn.org." Market Crash Day in ChinaThe view from Shanghai. Nothing to Celebrate in Saddam's HangingThis act makes neither America nor Iraq look good. "Another Wrong Thing"Why the surge is a bad idea. Bush's Address: PostmortemJames Fallows takes stock of Bush's effort to sell Americans on his "troop surge" plan. State of the Union Address 2007: Instant AnalysisAtlantic correspondent and former Presidential speechwriter James Fallows shares his impressions of Bush's speech. Post Mortem: State of the UnionBush's 2007 State of the Union address, annotated by The Atlantic's James Fallows. Post Mortem: State of the UnionBush's 2007 State of the Union address, annotated by The Atlantic's James Fallows. Sympathy For, Yes, MicrosoftVista's worldwide release is greeted in China with in-your-face piracy. Tag TeamsSocial-search programs like Flickr and del.icio.us guide your Web browsing toward places you probably want to go. A Turning PointThe Iraq Study Group may be remembered as the Walter Cronkite of this war. How China Is Making Me Into a Worse PersonYou think you can shove past me in the line at the airport or at the bank? Think again, buster. Microsoft RebootsA preview of the new versions of Windows and Office. Postcards From Tomorrow SquareOur man in Shanghai samples budget beer, survives subway scrimmages, and starts living the contradictions of China’s breakneck modernization. Improbable but TrueJames Fallows on how he came to co-write a 1980 Atlantic cover story advocating the draft with Senator-elect Jim Webb. Proud to Be an American, Chapter 12,745Life is about to become dramatically more pleasant, positive, and effective for Americans in their dealings with every other part of the world. Has Bush Been Smart All Along?James Fallows marvels at a side of President Bush we haven't previously seen. A Candidate Worth Supporting: James WebbThe kind of politician this country needs more of. Election-watch 2006: Shanghai EditionAmericans who don't like Bush are happy about the recent election results. The Chinese are not so sure. Getting out of IraqWhat's the right idea when all ideas are bad? Making Haystacks, Finding NeedlesNew programs let you easily categorize anything you come across on the Web or in your own files—and, more important, let you find it all again. The Cory Lidle Crash in New York CityAtlantic correspondent James Fallows, who used to own and fly the same kind of plane in which Cory Lidle died, reflects on the meaning of the crash. The Cory Lidle Crash: One Fact, Two ExplanationsJames Fallows ponders what might have gone wrong. Was Cory Lidle's Airplane at Fault?James Fallows suspects not. A Nation of NinniesHow Gary Cooper can save us (from mayor Daley, among others). Artificial IntelligentsiaHow the Internet is fitting its users with mental eyeglasses— and letting them see new vistas of knowledge in the process. Go Harvard!(Believe it or not.). What's Wrong With Academia, Chapter 972Is it too much to expect an academic to read before criticizing? File Not FoundWhy a stone tablet is still better than a hard drive. Declaring VictoryThe United States is succeeding in its struggle against terrorism. The time has come to declare the war on terror over, so that an even more effective military and diplomatic campaign can begin. Pitfalls of the Air Defense Identification ZoneA consideration of the "preposterousness of the regulations." Can We Still Declare Victory?Yes. James Fallows explains why the foiled airline bombing plot actually strengthens the argument for declaring victory in the war on terror. The Electric Mind MeldTwo new elegantly conceived programs help you unjam your digital life. E-mail Out of Every PlugBroadband sent over power lines offers Internet access everywhere in your house—and could also offer the country a way to save energy. Tinfoil UnderwearTools to protect your privacy on the Internet go just so far, and the businesses that dominate it have no incentive to let them go any farther. The Nuclear Power Beside IraqNow that Iran unquestionably intends to build a nuclear bomb, the international community has few options to stop it—and the worst option would be a military strike. A Thousand WordsCameras and telephones are coming together—and bringing people together—in ways that can shape society. Spy’s-eye ViewGoogle Earth and its rival programs offer (civilians) a new way to look at the world. Post Mortem: State of the UnionBush's 2006 State of the Union address, annotated by The Atlantic's James Fallows. Why Iraq Has No ArmyAn orderly exit from Iraq depends on the development of a viable Iraqi security force, but the Iraqis aren't even close. The Bush administration doesn't take the problem seriously—and it never has. Countdown to a MeltdownAmerica's coming economic crisis. A look back from the election of 2016. Getting Out RightWarnings from many experts went unheeded before we entered Iraq. Let's listen as we prepare to "shape the exit" Inaugural Address Post-MortemAn analysis of President Bush's "startling" speech. Success Without VictoryA "containment" strategy for the age of terror. Will Iran Be Next?Soldiers, spies, and diplomats conduct a classic Pentagon war game—with sobering results. Bush vs. Kerry: Final RoundNow that the debates are over, some quick final thoughts about the debating styles of the two candidates. Bush vs. Kerry: Round OneImmediately following Bush and Kerry's faceoff last night in Miami, James Fallows penned some thoughts on their respective performances. The Big PictureOur annual survey of the admissions landscape uncovered recent and upcoming changes to the process, growing concern about tuition increases, and serious questions about whether colleges are fulfilling their mission. Bush's Lost YearBy deciding to invade Iraq, the Bush Administration decided not to do many other things: not to reconstruct Afghanistan, not to deal with the threats posed by North Korea and Iran, and not to wage an effective war on terror. An inventory of opportunities lost. Organize Your Life!The modern condition is to be overwhelmed by everything. Now comes David Allen, who can teach even you how to stop stewing and start doing. When George Meets JohnA viewer's guide to this fall's version of "asymmetric warfare"— the presidential debates. The Hollow ArmyThe U.S. military is stretched to the breaking point—and one more crisis could break it. Blind Into BaghdadThe U.S. occupation of Iraq is a debacle not because the government did no planning but because a vast amount of expert planning was willfully ignored by the people in charge. The inside story of a historic failure. The New College ChaosCollege admissions officers say they now have many, many more applications than they know how to handle—and, often, less reliable information to help them decide which students to admit. The Age of MurdochMany see him as a power-mad, rapacious right-wing vulgarian. Rupert Murdoch has indeed been relentless in building a one-of-a kind media network that spans the world. What really drives him, though, is not ideology but a cool concern for the bottom line—and the belief that the media should be treated like any other business, not as a semi-sacred public trust. The Bush Administration agrees. Rupert Murdoch has seen the future, and it is him. Who Shot Mohammed al-Dura?The image of a boy shot dead in his helpless father's arms during an Israeli confrontation with Palestinians has become the Pietà of the Arab world. Now a number of Israeli researchers are presenting persuasive evidence that the fatal shots could not have come from the Israeli soldiers known to have been involved in the confrontation. The evidence will not change Arab minds—but the episode offers an object lesson in the incendiary power of an icon. Post-President For LifeThe post-presidency of Bill Clinton will, like the Clinton Administration, be noisy and attention-getting. Will it accomplish anything—or turn out to be limbo in overdrive? The Forgotten Home FrontWhat are the main elements of national well-being? It is startling how out-of-date and out-of-touch our official politics has become. The Fifty-first State?Going to war with Iraq would mean shouldering all the responsibilities of an occupying power the moment victory was achieved. These would include running the economy, keeping domestic peace, and protecting Iraq's borders—and doing it all for years, or perhaps decades. Are we ready for this long-term relationship? Uncle Sam Buys an AirplaneHow Lockheed Martin beat Boeing for the biggest military contract in history—and how that one contract could change the way the military builds and pays for its weapons. Behavior ModificationSoon after the Afghan war began, the Air Force dramatically altered its tactics. What lay behind the change? The UnilateralistA conversation with Paul Wolfowitz. Councils of WarMilitary spinoffs have transformed civilian life. The momentum right now may be running in the other direction. Councils of WarEvery American war has changed our society in ways that were not anticipated. What will be the consequences of the latest war? Councils of WarMatching confusing new realities to historical experience. New Life for Moore's LawAfter four decades of remarkably steady progress, advances in computer-chip technology seemed in danger of slowing. Not anymore. The Early-Decision RacketEarly-decision programs—whereby a student applies early to a single school, receives an early answer, and promises to attend if accepted—have added an insane intensity to middle-class obsessions about college. They also distort the admissions process, rewarding the richest students from the most exclusive high schools and penalizing nearly everyone else. But the incentives for many colleges and students are as irresistable as they are perverse. Freedom of the SkiesEveryone knows about the horrors of modern air travel. What almost no one knows is how inventors, entrepreneurs, and government visionaries have teamed up to create new kinds of small planes that can take off from and land almost anywhere. "Escape From Airline Hell" the scenario might be called, and it's coming soon to an airport near you. Forget the YellowfinHow much does a company's culture really contribute to its success? He Was Slick, Thank GodBill Clinton's talent for confounding his enemies, manipulating his friends, and playing all sides against the middle helped to create the economic golden years. Inside the LeviathanA short and stimulating brush with Microsoft's corporate culture. A Talk With Bill ClintonThe President shows himself to be at once confident about what we should do to better life for the next generation and guarded about how much we can achieve toward that end. Throwing Like a GirlThrowing style is not determined by biology—anyone can learn to throw like an athlete. Why Americans Hate the MediaWhy has the media establishment become so unpopular? Perhaps the public has good reason to think that the media's self-aggrandizement gets in the way of solving the country's real problems. A Triumph of MisinformationMost of what everyone "knows" about the demise of health-care reform is probably wrong—and, more important, so are the vague impressions people have of what was really in Hillary Clinton's plan. Talent on Loan from the GOPThe Rush Limbaugh story. How the World WorksAmericans persist in thinking that Adam Smith's rules for free trade are the only legitimate ones. But today's fastest-growing economies are using a very different set of rules. Once, we knew them—knew them so well that we played by them, and won. Now we seem to have forgotten. Low-Class ConclusionsA widely reported new study claiming that all classes shared the burden of the Vietnam War is preposterous. Remember Pearl Harbor How?Neither Japanese nor Americans know quite how to commemorate the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, but the Japanese spend much more time worrying about it. No Hard Feelings?The aftereffects of the Vietnam War mean much more to us than to the Vietnamese, whose concern is tending to business. No-Fat CityWalking Tokyo streets leads an American to wonder, Why are the Japanese so much thinner than we are? And why do they live longer? ImmigrationHow it's affecting us. Living With a Computer"The process works this way. When I sit down to write a letter or start the first draft of an article, I simply type on the keyboard and the words appear on the screen" Indonesia: An Effort to Hold TogetherThe islands' "guided democracy" is divided by geography, ethnic differences, and religion. Living on the Fault Line"Those who live in the vicinity are accustomed to earthquakes. But the prospect that scientists now suggest is different from anything within living memory in southern California." The DraftWhy the country needs it. Lloyd Bentsen: Can Another Texan Apply?A "cool cat" from Texas seeks out the Democratic nomination. |
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