Patriotic Dissent: America in the Age of Endless War

The idea of patriotic dissent in American history has had a long and tangled past. Oftentimes people who have dissented against the majority, especially during a time of conflict, were seen as traitors, fifth columnists, and worse. They were often treated harshly, and many sacrificed careers to believe in their opinion. Daniel Sjursen takes us through his story about a model solider that is now considered a dissenter against the military and the seemingly endless wars that the United States is facing. This slim book is part history of dissent across America’s history from the Revolutionary War to modern times and part memoir as Sjursten grapples with the decisions that he made and the ramifications. I would not consider this a true history book, but more of a memoir that also offers a call to arms for those who speak out against the endless wars and who are willing to raise a voice against the increasingly conservative jingoism in the United States and groupthink, which is often threatening to tear apart small communities.