Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War (American Empire Project)

Bacevich, Andrew

ISBN 10: 1427209510 ISBN 13: 9781427209511

Publisher: Macmillan Audio, 2010

Synopsis

The bestselling author of The Limits of Power critically examines the Washington consensus on national security and why it must change

For the last half century, as administrations have come and gone, the fundamental assumptions about America's military policy have remained unchanged: American security requires the United States (and us alone) to maintain a permanent armed presence around the globe, to prepare our forces for military operations in far-flung regions, and to be ready to intervene anywhere at any time. In the Obama era, just as in the Bush years, these beliefs remain unquestioned gospel.

In a vivid, incisive analysis, Andrew J. Bacevich succinctly presents the origins of this consensus, forged at a moment when American power was at its height. He exposes the preconceptions, biases, and habits that underlie our pervasive faith in military might, especially the notion that overwhelming superiority will oblige others to accommodate America's needs and desires—whether for cheap oil, cheap credit, or cheap consumer goods. And he challenges the usefulness of our militarism as it has become both unaffordable and increasingly dangerous.

Though our politicians deny it, American global might is faltering. This is the moment, Bacevich argues, to reconsider the principles which shape American policy in the world—to acknowledge that fixing Afghanistan should not take precedence over fixing Detroit. Replacing this Washington consensus is crucial to America's future, and may yet offer the key to the country's salvation.

About this title

About the Author

Andrew J. Bacevich, a professor of history and international relations at Boston University, retired from the U.S. Army with the rank of colonel. He is the author of Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War and The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism and The New American Militarism. His writing has appeared in Foreign Affairs, The Atlantic Monthly, The Nation, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. He holds a Ph.D. in American Diplomatic History from Princeton University, and taught at West Point and Johns Hopkins University prior to joining the faculty at Boston University in 1998. He is the recipient of a Lannan Award and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Reviews

Bacevich, a retired colonel, critiques the unstated, unexamined premises, the "Washington Rules" that govern American foreign policy--even to the detriment of national security and domestic harmony. Bacevich is frustrated by the hamstrung debate, but Sean Runnette is not. He reads with a polite NPR softness at odds with the crusading, rabble-rousing tone of Bacevich's writing, but the contrast works better than might be expected. Runnette treads softly over Bacevich's reportage, picking out the most crushing indictments of the text and highlighting them by dropping his voice to an intimate whisper. The contrast between the ideas proffered and their accompanying emotions are distinct, and well-rendered. A Metropolitan hardcover (Reviews, May 24). (Aug.) (c)
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Andrew Bacevich takes issue with such actions as the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Vietnam War, President Bush's strategy in Iraq, and President Obama's strategy in Afghanistan, seeing both parties as supporters of the federal government as a militaristic industry. The former soldier's words are voiced by Sean Runnette in a hard-driving, often angry or sarcastic narration, with the occasional shift to gentleness to hit home a point. Bacevich has developed an opinionated worldview, and he shares that view strongly in both his rhetoric and research. While Bacevich's words will likely reach only listeners who already share his opinions, his book provides much to think about. Listeners across the political spectrum will find his words disconcerting. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

Edition details

• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1427209510
• ISBN 13: 9781427209511
• Binding: Audio CD