Mary Cardaras – författare

The Iraq War of March 19, 2003 was an implausible war at the outset. We now understand that it could have been averted and never should have been waged. How and why did it begin? Who was responsible? This book offers a new perspective on the Iraq War and explains the dynamic relationships between the George W. Bush administration, the United States Congress, and the national news media. It is based on the “multiple streams model of political change” by John Kingdon, which says that if a unique combination of political, policy, and problem streams collide, under the right circumstances, they can create a window of opportunity for a shift in policy. It was the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, which set the stage for the emergence of three dynamic streams in the country. Fear, power, and a contentious political climate converged to produce not only a dramatic new foreign policy, but also a war with Iraq, a country which had not provoked or threatened the United States. Fear, power, and a tense political climate also influenced institutional behavior and exposed the failures of 1) The executive branch in the administration of George W. Bush, 2) The United States Congress and, 3) the national news media. All are designed and are differently responsible to protect the interests of the American people.Errors in judgment have happened throughout history with other administrations, with other Congresses, and with the news media. However, with regard to the Iraq War, it was a matter of degree and extent, especially for the President of the United States. Both the Congress and the news media were also experiencing colossal institutional changes, which influenced and hindered their performances. However, all were culpable in helping to create the Iraq war, which today stands as one of the longest military conflicts in United States history.

Documentary Film: An Insider's Perspective introduces students to various writing selections on documentary films and filmmaking. The material addresses the genre and its history, shares unique views on documentaries, and includes writings from those who study, discuss, promote, teach, and produce them.Rather than an academic approach to the topic, the book is rooted in the perspective of the industry insider. Readers benefit from these perspectives, learning not only theory but the reality of the documentary production experience.Documentary Film: An Insider's Perspective is designed for anyone interested in documentaries, from the casual viewer to the aspiring filmmaker. The book is an excellent choice for courses in documentary film studies or production, long-form storytelling, or film studies.

Voices of the Lost Children of Greece is a collection of essays from Greek-born adoptees in the 1950s after two consecutive wars that ravaged the country. Never before has this group of adoptees come together to write their stories and share their closely held feelings. While many of the adoptees have similar experiences and while they may share some common thoughts about their adoptions, their stories are vastly different, some harrowing, others remarkable. The collection will illustrate the impact of adoption itself over years, no matter if children were displaced from their parents and country as infants or as youngsters. The book will shed light on adoption from many disciplinary angles, including sociological, psychological and anthropological. It will also put these adoptions into a larger historical context. The book is further enhanced by Greek-born adoptee, academic, poet and writer, Dr. Andrew Mossin, who writes the Foreword; by Dr. Gonda Van Steen, a preeminent modern Greek scholar, who pens the first chapter about the history of such adoptions; and in the final chapter, by Dr. Eirini Papadaki, who has written extensively about the women of Greece and adoption, to bring readers a current assessment of adoption practices in Greece today.

Voices of the Lost Children of Greece is a collection of essays from Greek-born adoptees in the 1950s after two consecutive wars that ravaged the country. Never before has this group of adoptees come together to write their stories and share their closely held feelings. While many of the adoptees have similar experiences and while they may share some common thoughts about their adoptions, their stories are vastly different, some harrowing, others remarkable. The collection will illustrate the impact of adoption itself over years, no matter if children were displaced from their parents and country as infants or as youngsters. The book will shed light on adoption from many disciplinary angles, including sociological, psychological and anthropological. It will also put these adoptions into a larger historical context. The book is further enhanced by Greek-born adoptee, academic, poet and writer, Dr. Andrew Mossin, who writes the Foreword; by Dr. Gonda Van Steen, a preeminent modern Greek scholar, who pens the first chapter about the history of such adoptions; and in the final chapter, by Dr. Eirini Papadaki, who has written extensively about the women of Greece and adoption, to bring readers a current assessment of adoption practices in Greece today.