Gore Vidal, the writer, satirist and thinker who died on July 31, was known for his characterization of the United States as an empire. He also became notable for his work on what he called the “national security state” of America. I ran a post that paid tribute to Vidal’s later years. In the past [...]

Gore Vidal, 86, has died. He was an author, playwright, satirist, thinker and writer. Most importantly, he was one of the fiercest critics of United States empire and he possessed an acerbic wit that accentuated his ability to make astute and incisive observations. My first exposure to Vidal came when I read the collection of essays [...]