The present-day U.S. military qualifies by any measure as highly professional, much more so than its Cold War predecessor. Yet the purpose of today’s professionals is not to preserve peace but to fight unending wars in distant places. Intoxicated by a post-Cold War belief in its own omnipotence, the United States allowed itself to be drawn into a long series of armed conflicts, almost all of them yielding unintended consequences and imposing greater than anticipated costs. Since the end of the Cold War, U.S. forces have destroyed many targets and killed many people. Only rarely, however, have they succeeded in accomplishing their assigned political purposes. . . . [F]rom our present vantage point, it becomes apparent that the “Revolution of ‘89” did not initiate a new era of history. At most, the events of that year fostered various unhelpful illusions that impeded our capacity to recognize and respond to the forces of change that actually matter.

Andrew Bacevich


Thursday, August 11, 2016

Special note for Thursday, August 11, 2016

I want to let you know about this piece by Scott Anderson, published by the NYT, an in-depth history of the currently deeply troubled Arab lands. With photos and graphics, it's more than 100 pages -- a book, really, rather than a magazine article.

But with the current vacuous and inflammatory political discourse about IS, and the U.S. role and responsibility in the region, it's our obligation to be well informed.

I'll do a regular update as events warrant, but it's good to take time to look back and understand.

Posted by Cervantes at 7:18 AM

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