Alexander Cockburn

Columnist

Alexander Cockburn, The Nation's "Beat the Devil" columnist and one of America's best-known radical journalists, was born in Scotland and grew up in Ireland. He graduated from Oxford in 1963 with a degree in English literature and language.

After two years as an editor at the Times Literary Supplement, he worked at the New Left Review and The New Statesman, and co-edited two Penguin volumes, on trade unions and on the student movement.

A permanent resident of the United States since 1973, Cockburn wrote for many years for The Village Voice about the press and politics. Since then he has contributed to many publications including The New York Review of Books, Harper's Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly and the Wall Street Journal (where he had a regular column from 1980 to 1990), as well as alternative publications such as In These Times and the Anderson Valley Advertiser.

He has written "Beat the Devil" since 1984.

He is co-editor, with Jeffrey St Clair, of the newsletter and radical website CounterPunch(http://www.counterpunch.org) which have a substantial world audience. In 1987 he published a best-selling collection of essays, Corruptions of Empire, and two years later co-wrote, with Susanna Hecht, The Fate of the Forest: Developers, Destroyers, and Defenders of the Amazon (both Verso). In 1995 Verso also published his diary of the late 80s, early 90s and the fall of Communism, The Golden Age Is In Us. With Ken Silverstein he wrote Washington Babylon; with Jeffrey St. Clair he has written or coedited several books including: Whiteout, The CIA, Drugs and the Press; The Politics of Anti-Semitism; Imperial Crusades; Al Gore, A User's Manual; Five Days That Shook the World; and A Dime's Worth of Difference, about the two-party system in America.

 

 

He’s the (Any)One He’s the (Any)One

Can someone win the presidency entirely on the basis of a negative asset?

Jul 29, 2004 / Books & the Arts / Alexander Cockburn

Venezuela: The Gang’s All Here! Venezuela: The Gang’s All Here!

You can set your watch by it.

Jun 24, 2004 / Column / Alexander Cockburn

Reagan in Truth and Fiction Reagan in Truth and Fiction

Nixon thought Reagan was "strange" and, so he told the secret tape recorder in the Oval Office in 1972, "just an uncomfortable man to be around." The late President certainly was...

Jun 10, 2004 / Column / Alexander Cockburn

NYT: ‘Maybe We Did Screw Up a Little’ NYT: ‘Maybe We Did Screw Up a Little’

On May 26 the New York Times finally hitched up its pants, took a deep breath and issued an editorial declaration of moderate regret for its role in boosting the case for war on ...

May 27, 2004 / Column / Alexander Cockburn

Green Lights for Torture Green Lights for Torture

So there were WMDs in Iraq after all. They're called digital cameras. Partly because of them, the United States faces one of the most humiliating defeats in imperial history.

May 13, 2004 / Column / Alexander Cockburn

Letters Letters

PROZAC NOTION

New York City

May 6, 2004 / Alexander Cockburn, David Moberg, Our Readers, and Frances FitzGerald

Stupid Leaders, Useless Spies, Angry World Stupid Leaders, Useless Spies, Angry World

The stark fact that significant portions of our planet are under the supervision of exceptionally stupid and ill-informed people is provoking unwonted expressions of anger and ...

Apr 29, 2004 / Column / Alexander Cockburn

The Two Parties of Empire The Two Parties of Empire

As one who regards Gerry Ford as our greatest President (least time served, least damage done, husband of Betty, plus Stevens as his contribution to the Supreme Court), I'd a...

Apr 15, 2004 / Column / Alexander Cockburn

Antidepressants a Problem? We’re Shocked! Antidepressants a Problem? We’re Shocked!

Six years after Kip Kinkel, dosed up with Prozac, killed his parents and two students at Thurston High, in Oregon; five years after Eric Harris, dosed with Luvox, embarked on his...

Apr 1, 2004 / Column / Alexander Cockburn

Gay Marriage: Sidestep on Freedom’s Path Gay Marriage: Sidestep on Freedom’s Path

I'm for anything that terrifies Democrats, outrages Republicans, upsets the apple cart.

Mar 18, 2004 / Column / Alexander Cockburn

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