Eric Bonds
Eric Bonds recently published an article in the Journal of World-Systems Research, entitled “Hegemony and Humanitarian Norms: The U.S. Legitimation of Toxic Violence.” While conventional wisdom has it that the U.S. has not used chemical weapons since the distant past of World War One, the article argues that our nation’s actual history is much more complicated. The article is based on an examination of the U.S. use of herbicides and incapacitating gases in violent conflicts, especially during the Vietnam War. The article further identifies several legitimating strategies officials are likely to employ whenever military policy seems to violate international normative expectations.
