Cornell International Law Journal Online is Online

By Mike Dorf

Last week the Cornell International Law Journal Online launched with essays by various students and scholars, including one by me titled "Redefining Dumb Wars."  In the essay, I explore the meaning of then-Senate-candidate Barack Obama's opposition to "dumb wars" in light of his record as President.  I ask what makes the intervention in Lybia and the potential intervention in Syria different from President George W. Bush's intervention in Iraq.  I explain that for Obama as President, the small scale of the interventions initiated on his watch may take them out of the "dumb" category, while for the American people, the strategic aims of military use (or the seeming lack of coherent military aims) plays a larger role.  I then suggest that there is greater wisdom in the popular view than in the President's view.

In celebration of the launch, I'm simply calling attention to my essay on CILJO.  It's a short piece--about the length of one of longer blog posts.  Check it out and while you're over there, you may want to bookmark the CILJO.