How America Is Squandering Its Wealth and Power
Andrew Bacevich, a military veteran and scholar, blames the Bush administration and the American people
Are you wary of new declarations of victory in Iraq?
We must also ask what we've actually won. In the first place, we've lost over 4,000 American lives and thousands of others injured. We've spent $800 billion and yet have done next to nothing to advance the cause of changing the Middle East, which was the reason for the war in the first place.
One of those 4,000 soldiers killed in Iraq was your own son in May 2007. How has that changed your thinking?
I chose not to talk about my son because it's very personal, private, and painful. But I don't think his death had any impact, besides redoubling my desire to tell things as I see them.
Is it possible to realize the limits of power without overreaching?
Every great power has an exaggerated sense of itself. It's only when you meet failure that introspection is possible. We bumped into failure in Vietnam, which was the beginning of this paradigm shift. Despite its incredible near-term impact on the country, what strikes me now in 2008 is how short-lived the lessons of Vietnam were, how quickly they were swept aside.
Jimmy Carter suggested, in the face of a growing Islamic threat, that we should change our ways. He was swept out of office by a man who said that our greatest days were ahead and that we could reshape the world. I argue that that is an illusion, another example of rendering history into myth. I argue that Reagan's policies actually accelerated the crisis of profligacy that we are dealing with today.
Reader Comments
4more years
If the war in Iraq was such a good move why did they have to lie and mislead the people to get us to go to war in the first place! The price of oil has only gone up along with our deficit for paying for the war. While our ability to fight on another front at the same time has fallen considerably. And lastly our present governing parties economic policies have led us to the brink of economis disaster1 We have no one to blame but ourselves for continuing to vote into office those who no longer represent us but who seem to represent the highest bidder!
America in Decline
The article is, I believe, a glaring look at the roots of our decline...our monstrous desire for more and mismanagement of our resources, particularly financial.
We as a nation have lived beyond our means for so long, that we are used to thinking we will be ok. But now it is catching up with us.
I believe we have been in decline and will continue. To think that maybe we can pull out of the tail spin is up in the air. The bailouts have a heavy price tag and are a bandaid. Our pleasure seeking mindset must change to stave off us becoming a third world country.
Perhaps, as after 9/11...we should turn our attention to Divinty...for we need reasoning beyond our own!
Who is running the country?
Our country is in the middle of a national crisis and these (worthless) professional politicians can't even get along with each other. If this was a company I'd fired them all and start fresh and elimiating lobbist. Our two party system is disfuntional. From my eyes I see zero leadership and the quality of life for most american disintegrating. Why didn't Warren Buffet buy the Presidency and straighten this country up. We all pay too much taxes because of the government waste and the millions of Americans who pay little or nothing.
What is really ashamed is that we lost 4,000 brave Americans and have accomplished nothing. I'm ashamed to call myself a Republican any longer based on the horrendous job of Bush. He should simply step down. Oh, I forgot that would put Cheney in and all he's done is line his pockets with those sweetheart Haloburton contracts. Throw them both in jail!
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