Award-winning journalist William Blum to address Elon

Speech titled “Expanding the American Empire Under the Cover of the War on Terrorism”

Krista Naposki / Reporter

Author William Blum, a vocal opponent of political parties, will address Elon students, faculty and staff at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 in Whitley Auditorium.

His discussion, titled “Expanding the American Empire Under the Cover of the ‘War on Terrorism.’” will cover his opinions on the American government

“(Blum) is an expert as a journalist, and I think that he has a different view point than a historian might possibly have,” said Christina Nemcik, assistant professor of history.

Blum has studied CIA interventions in Latin America and therefore has a personal perspective on the region, Nemcik said.

Blum is an opponent of established parties, such as Republican or Democrats. He said he is “bored with the international campaign.”

Blum said he prefers Ralph Nader because he thinks Sen. John Kerry is no better than President George Bush.

Blum said he became dissident toward the U.S. government in 1967 when he resigned from the State Department because he did not agree with the Vietnam War. He then went on to create, and become an editor, of the Washington Free Press until 1969.

“If the Washington Free Press were still produced, the newspaper would point out the great shortcomings of both the presidential incumbent and candidate,” Blum said.

Blum has a history of investigating the American government.

In 1997, he received an “Excellence in Journalism” award from Project Censored, an organization dedicated to educating people about independent journalism. The article for which he won the award uncovered information on how the United States gave Iraq the materials to make chemical and biological weapons.

He has published three books. “Killing Hope: U.S. Military and CIA Interventions since World War II” will be sold at his speech. He has also written “Rogue State: A Guide to the World’s Only Superpower” and “West-Bloc Dissident: A Cold War Memoir” (2002).

Though Blum has traveled to Europe and South America, he grew up in New York and did not see Manhattan until he was 12 or 13.

“My neighborhood was my world,” Blum said. “I didn’t know anything else.”

The New York native now resides in Washington, and he said the differences between the two cities are easily noticeable.

“If you live in politics it would be different, but I am an outsider of politics,” Blum said.

Blum encourages students to read part of his books before his visit. He said he wants to get involved in good discussions.

“I hope in the question-and-answer session people come who have opposite views than me,” Blum said. “I enjoy when people who are opposed to my point of view come to ask questions.”

Contact Krista Naposki at pendulum@elon.edu or 278-7247.