After the Apocalypse: America's Role in a World Transformed
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- Author：Andrew J. Bacevich
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Summary
A bold and urgent perspective on how American foreign policy must change in response to the shifting world order of the twenty-first century， from the New York Times bestselling author of The Limits of Power and The Age of Illusions。
The purpose of U。S。 foreign policy has， at least theoretically， been to keep Americans safe。 Yet as we confront a radically changed world， it has become indisputably clear that the terms of that policy have failed。 Washington’s insistence that a market economy is compatible with the common good， its faith in the idea of the “West” and its “special relationships，” its conviction that global military primacy is the key to a stable and sustainable world order—these have brought endless wars and a succession of moral and material disasters。
In a bold reconception of America’s place in the world， informed by thinking from across the political spectrum， Andrew J。 Bacevich—founder and president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft， a bipartisan Washington think tank dedicated to foreign policy—lays down a new approach—one that is based on moral pragmatism， mutual coexistence， and war as a last resort。 Confronting the threats of the future—accelerating climate change， a shift in the international balance of power， and the ascendance of information technology over brute weapons of war—his vision calls for nothing less than a profound overhaul of our understanding of national security。
Crucial and provocative， After the Apocalypse sets out new principles to guide the once-but-no-longer sole superpower as it navigates a transformed world。
The purpose of U。S。 foreign policy has， at least theoretically， been to keep Americans safe。 Yet as we confront a radically changed world， it has become indisputably clear that the terms of that policy have failed。 Washington’s insistence that a market economy is compatible with the common good， its faith in the idea of the “West” and its “special relationships，” its conviction that global military primacy is the key to a stable and sustainable world order—these have brought endless wars and a succession of moral and material disasters。
In a bold reconception of America’s place in the world， informed by thinking from across the political spectrum， Andrew J。 Bacevich—founder and president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft， a bipartisan Washington think tank dedicated to foreign policy—lays down a new approach—one that is based on moral pragmatism， mutual coexistence， and war as a last resort。 Confronting the threats of the future—accelerating climate change， a shift in the international balance of power， and the ascendance of information technology over brute weapons of war—his vision calls for nothing less than a profound overhaul of our understanding of national security。
Crucial and provocative， After the Apocalypse sets out new principles to guide the once-but-no-longer sole superpower as it navigates a transformed world。
Reviews
Lorin Duckman
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Exceptionalism？ Bah！Up to date examination of the dream that once was the American dream。 For some， the breadth of the coverage and the suggestions for reform will be threatening。 Need to have some historical background to remember and apprecaiate the author’s views。 He and I were born in 1947， so our stars are the same， though he went to West Point and I went to Penn。 And he is a Conservative Catholic and I a Liberal Reformed Jew。 We do end up at the same place。 And he does put Trump， Bush， Oba Exceptionalism？ Bah！Up to date examination of the dream that once was the American dream。 For some， the breadth of the coverage and the suggestions for reform will be threatening。 Need to have some historical background to remember and apprecaiate the author’s views。 He and I were born in 1947， so our stars are the same， though he went to West Point and I went to Penn。 And he is a Conservative Catholic and I a Liberal Reformed Jew。 We do end up at the same place。 And he does put Trump， Bush， Obama and Billy into proper perspectives。 As for his Biden views， right on。 。。。more
Matthew Petti
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Disclaimer: the author was my boss。Andrew Bacevich starts off After the Apocalypse by explaining that — like a French historian writing in the wake of the Nazi German invasion — he is responding in the heat of the moment to the “Apocalypse” of 2020。 So be warned， it is not an academic text so much as a stream of consciousness。The book’s basic idea is that all the calamities of 2020 demonstrate a rot that has been growing in the American elite for awhile。 （Of course， it doesn’t take a genius to s Disclaimer: the author was my boss。Andrew Bacevich starts off After the Apocalypse by explaining that — like a French historian writing in the wake of the Nazi German invasion — he is responding in the heat of the moment to the “Apocalypse” of 2020。 So be warned， it is not an academic text so much as a stream of consciousness。The book’s basic idea is that all the calamities of 2020 demonstrate a rot that has been growing in the American elite for awhile。 （Of course， it doesn’t take a genius to see that。） According to Bacevich， the problem is an almost religious belief that America is the main character of history。 With it comes a refusal to see the flaws of America or its actions， and denial that other countries or environmental forces like climate change can drive events outside of America’s control。Bacevich clearly knows his stuff。 He constantly refers to quotes from historical figures， events in U。S。 foreign policy and even old pop culture references that he has stored in his head。 So his thesis is well-supported by evidence。However， I would like to have seen a little more attention to the material forces driving American power and decline。 Bacevich focuses a lot on the *ideas* elites have。 He talks less about the tools at their disposal and physical limits on their power， making a few references to Pentagon budgets and the national debt。 I get that the book was not meant as a rigorous academic study， but it only reinforces the idea of American willpower over material constraints that Bacevich is fighting against。 。。。more
David Pearce
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For those of us who believe it's time for a reset in how our country conducts itself on the world stage， Mr。 Bacevich provides a cogent and coherent argument for how we got here and what we need to consider moving forward。 Excellent read。 For those of us who believe it's time for a reset in how our country conducts itself on the world stage， Mr。 Bacevich provides a cogent and coherent argument for how we got here and what we need to consider moving forward。 Excellent read。 。。。more
Howard
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A clear way forward for the country。 Will any of those charged with guiding us pay attention？
John
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This is a book that every Canadian and American ought to read。 Canadians， because this book makes the case that the most important foreign policy priority for the USA is its relations to Canada and Mexico; Americans because it explains why America's foreign policy （since at least WWII） is imperial， failed， and based on they myth of American exceptionalism。 It's by a conservative author， but he avoids jingoistic America First policy （as well as liberal-elite moralism）。 It's time for America to st This is a book that every Canadian and American ought to read。 Canadians， because this book makes the case that the most important foreign policy priority for the USA is its relations to Canada and Mexico; Americans because it explains why America's foreign policy （since at least WWII） is imperial， failed， and based on they myth of American exceptionalism。 It's by a conservative author， but he avoids jingoistic America First policy （as well as liberal-elite moralism）。 It's time for America to stop running its empire， start focusing on domestic issues like race， economic opportunity， and the environment， while being a good neighbour like every country should be a good neighbour。 。。。more
Johnwall
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This is a cogent， salient and effective critique of the United States post war and Cold War foreign-policy。 It no longer serves the security needs of the United States in the current world。 The overly leftest language detracts in places but the analysis is sound， I believe。 An important book。
ManOfLaBook。com
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For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: https://www。ManOfLaBook。comAfter the Apocalypse: America’s Role in a World Transformed by Andrew Bacevich is a book in which the author lays out his ideas for shifting American foreign policy to accommodate a changing world， and outdated ideology。 Mr。 Bacevich is a professor of history and international relations， as well as a retired Colonel from the U。S。 Army。After reading After the Apocalypse: America’s Role in a World Transformed I’m altogethe For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: https://www。ManOfLaBook。comAfter the Apocalypse: America’s Role in a World Transformed by Andrew Bacevich is a book in which the author lays out his ideas for shifting American foreign policy to accommodate a changing world， and outdated ideology。 Mr。 Bacevich is a professor of history and international relations， as well as a retired Colonel from the U。S。 Army。After reading After the Apocalypse: America’s Role in a World Transformed I’m altogether certain of one thing， Andrew Bacevich – he’s not happy with the leadership of the US， nor the direction it’s going。 He does， however， gives the reader much to think about。Although I always considered myself a centrist leaning right。 These days， however， I am sometimes told that I am a liberal – all that without changing my positions。 Nevertheless， I found myself agreeing on many points with the author in this short book。 Mainly， that is， that we lost focus on what’s important， and worst， we keep lying to ourselves。Mr。 Bacevich is not talking about hot-button， divisive issues which are not really important such as gay marriage， gun rights， or abortion。 He is talking about a true， reality based， vision of where American needs to strive towards， and lead。The author analyzes the decisions made by recent Presidents （including Biden’s term as VP， and short time as President）， in a clear and concise manner。 He does not take sides， but is not afraid to assign blame， especially for lack of vision。I specifically enjoyed the foreign policy aspects of this book。 As someone who has the advantage of seeing policy from a different angle， it was a fascinating look into a different idea for international relations。 Much of it， not to boast， I deducted myself over the years but was never able to put it with such eloquence。My favorite part was the three basic tenants of “Effective Imperial Management”。 Those are: Don’t invade Russia Share costs Repatriate benefitsMr。 Bacevich goes on to analyze those tenets and the mistakes empires made， from Napoleon to the USA， breaking them。 This book was a short， but fascinating read which gave me a lot to think about。 。。。more
Steve Blackburn
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Andrew Bacevich is a retired US Army Colonel， an academic （he is Professor Emeritus of International Relations and History at Boston University）， an author of a number of books， and a persistent critic of "American Empire"。 After the Apocalypse is Bacevich's latest book urging America's foreign policy leaders to reflect and set a different course。A bit more background on Bacevich will perhaps help to put his newest book in context。 Since the publication of War Over Kosovo in 2002 Bacevic Andrew Bacevich is a retired US Army Colonel， an academic （he is Professor Emeritus of International Relations and History at Boston University）， an author of a number of books， and a persistent critic of "American Empire"。 After the Apocalypse is Bacevich's latest book urging America's foreign policy leaders to reflect and set a different course。A bit more background on Bacevich will perhaps help to put his newest book in context。 Since the publication of War Over Kosovo in 2002 Bacevich has authored， co-authored and contributed to a number of books and articles， and also appeared on cable news and opinion shows。 In all of this work he has been consistently critical of America's foreign policy as practiced through "endless war"。 His son， Andrew Bacevich， Jr。 died serving in the Iraq conflict。 He calls himself a "Catholic conservative"， yet he endorsed Barack Obama for president in 2008 （though he was later critical of many of his administration's foreign policy decisions）。 Though he thinks Trump was on the right track in identifying a need to break from past policy， he is highly critical that Trump had nothing to offer in terms of a new direction。 Nor was he a fan of George W。 Bush and the War in Iraq。 In short， he's been equally critical of foreign policy as practiced over both Republican and Democratic administrations。 In 2019 he founded the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft whose mission statement is to "promote ideas that move U。S。 foreign policy away from endless war and toward vigorous diplomacy in the pursuit of international peace"。 Despite his prolific writing background this is the first book of his which I've read。At the start of the book Bacevich terms 2020 the Year of Apocalypse。 He calls out these "Four Horseman" of America's apocalyptic year - the ever increasing impacts of climate change; the "toxic and divisive presidency of Donald Trump"; a deadly pandemic; and rising anger and unrest at racial injustice。 If the purpose of America's foreign policy is to keep Americans safe， Bacevich says， then 2020 shows us that， in a radically changing world， that policy has failed us。 From this starting point he is off and running， providing his perspective on how America got to this place。 Through much of the rest of the book Bacevich builds a cogent argument that American leaders have consistently - at least since the fall of the Berlin Wall， and really for a long time before - misunderstood America's place in the world and the limits of American Power。 Thus they have made the wrong decisions on multiple foreign and domestic fronts。 It's an argument that is well drawn and one that， in 2021， many of America's citizens would consider almost self evident。 Whether liberal or conservative， Republican or Democrat， you'll find much to agree with in this book， along with some things that will challenge your thinking。 As with many "policy" books aimed at a large audience this one falls into the trap of spending the bulk of it's time telling us what's wrong， and far to little on a prescription for what to do about it。 In this slim book （the paperback is 172 pages plus notes）， Bacevich spends just the last twelve pages outlining his ideas for how to right the American ship of State。 At twelve pages it is necessarily only an outline。 Given that it took a lot to get us into our current state， and understanding the entrenched interests at play （which Bacevich identifies）， it's not a stretch to think that it will take a lot to get us out of it。As an overview of the reasons why we need to think and do differently as a nation in relation to the rest of the world， and with some pointers for a way forward， I rate Andrew Bacevich's After the Apocalypse Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐。NOTE: My Advanced Reviewer's Copy of After the Apocalypse was provided at no cost by LibraryThing and Henry Holt & Co。 in exchange for a fair and unbiased review。 The book was published on June 8 of this year as part of the American Empire Project by Metropolitan Books， a division of Henry Holt & Co。 。。。more
Andrew Figueiredo
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This is Andrew Bacevich's newest attempt at introducing humility into American foreign policy， and perfectly suited for this year。 I was overjoyed to receive a copy from the publisher and loved the book。 In light of the insane year of 2020， Bacevich "focus[es] on underlying factors that perpetuate a patently defective status quo" in his efforts to dethrone the foreign policy blob。 （9） Issues like imperialism， militarism， and the killing of non-combatants occupy his mind as he debunks various fla This is Andrew Bacevich's newest attempt at introducing humility into American foreign policy， and perfectly suited for this year。 I was overjoyed to receive a copy from the publisher and loved the book。 In light of the insane year of 2020， Bacevich "focus[es] on underlying factors that perpetuate a patently defective status quo" in his efforts to dethrone the foreign policy blob。 （9） Issues like imperialism， militarism， and the killing of non-combatants occupy his mind as he debunks various flawed presuppositions driving foreign policy。 （23-24） These myths include the existence of a unified "west" led by the US （Chp。 2）， special relationships with the UK and Israel （Chp。 3）， the refusal to learn from defeats to lower-tech rivals in Afghanistan and Iraq （Chp。 4）， disregard for the limits of nature （Chp。 5）， racial oppression （Chp。 6）， ignoring growing domestic discontent with empire （Chp。 7）， and historical determinism （Chp。 8） The basic problem is hubris， the notion that the US could achieve "absolute mastery over war itself" （71） and more broadly the idea that human mastery over the natural world could be taken for granted。 （89） These faulty assumptions breed miscalculations and lost lives， both on our side and among civilians， as well as a climate crisis。 Bacevich's strength is in recognizing the common ideological roots behind immodest policymaking; this has garnered him plaudits from both left and post-liberal right， but also criticism。 Here is a conservative who talks about America's racial reckoning and climate change and rejects Donald Trump， while applauding the discursive opening emerging from his Presidency。 （154）Instead of policy guided by arrogance and a nebulous definition of national security （86）， Bacevich seeks a return to self-sufficiency--AKA realism that prioritizes American needs while recognizing the US' economic and diplomatic potential。 This is only part of a broader cultural solution， which requires that the excesses of the American way of life must be curbed if we seek to preserve it （102） and that we reject false conceptions of American Exceptionalist progress （148-50）。 On a tangible level， Bacevich's suggestion requires that the US confront domestic sins like racism （129） and address domestic crises instead of plundering abroad （165）。 He suggests lowering troop levels in the Middle East， withdrawing from NATO， focusing more on continental security， and collaborating with all countries on climate change。 （169-71）。While "After the Apocalypse" is thoughtfully written and powerful， I disagree with Bacevich's argument against NATO， which is a bulwark against threats from Russia and China。 As much as I appreciate him， it feels like the author sometimes underplays the threats posed by Russia and China， although he's decently compelling on why they pose less of a threat than neocons suggest。 Moreover， I'm more pro-Israel than he is， but I feel like equating the strategic importance of the UK and Israel in Chapter 3 is off the mark。 These minor issues aside， as we emerge from a global pandemic， a racial reckoning， and an economic crisis， anybody interested in foreign affairs should read this book and disabuse themselves of erroneous establishment narratives。 Andrew Bacevich hit the mark yet again。 。。。more
Nils
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A slim， focused， coldly furious book from a man who has earned the right by every measure to become America’s foremost organic critic of American Empire。 A modern Niebuhr in his sense of tragic responsibility， Bacevich is a decorated Vietnam War veteran and the father of a son who died in Iraq — a family dedicated to military service that has paid the ultimate price， This is not the work of some knee jerk peacenik but rather someone who feels as if the dutiful project of national defense has bee A slim， focused， coldly furious book from a man who has earned the right by every measure to become America’s foremost organic critic of American Empire。 A modern Niebuhr in his sense of tragic responsibility， Bacevich is a decorated Vietnam War veteran and the father of a son who died in Iraq — a family dedicated to military service that has paid the ultimate price， This is not the work of some knee jerk peacenik but rather someone who feels as if the dutiful project of national defense has been hijacked into an unacknowledged — and for that very reason， profoundly unstrategic — imperial mission。Bacevich blames the turn to an all volunteer force after Vietnam as setting the stage for political non-accountability by warmongering civilian elites。 With only volunteers dying and being maimed for the empire， pursuing these wars has inflicted low political costs， with the first proof point being George Bush’s reelection in 2004 despite having failed to catch bin Laden and instead embroiled the United States in two strategically unwinnable and morally indefensible wars in Iraq and Afghanistan。 Bacevich is unsparing not just about the moral disaster of wars that killed hundreds of thousands in the same of a mendacious cause （America’s liberalizing global crusade） but also about the strategic idiocy of thinking these aims could be achieved with a small all volunteer force backed by the latest gee-whiz military kit。 In fact， despite the trillions spent on military gadgetry， the soldiers fighting on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan the combat “Did not different material from the chaos and confusion that earlier generations of US troops had encountered one pursuing rebellious Filipino nationalists at the turn of the 20th century or fighting Vietnamese gorillas in the 1960s。 At a certain level all dirty words are alike。” （76）Why has the US pursued this imperial project that dare not speak its name？ At the root of it is the narrative of American Exceptionalism， which told a story of a country both born perfect and blessed with endless improvement。 This narrative is of course endlessly challenged by historical revisionists， but for Bacevich it survives because it serves a purpose: “When it comes to the use of US power to further the nations ambitions， Americans have long since made their piece with half-truths， untruths， and lies on a recognizably Trumpian scale。” （14）The real setting for this book is in fact domestic politics。 The eponymous apocalypse is the combination of the election of Donald trump， the onrushing climate change calamity， the pandemic and subsequent economic implosion， and the mass uprising against the legacy of racism and slavery and the white nationalist backlash it provoked， and finally the barely-thwarted effort of Trump to steal the election。 For Bacevich， all of this is the domestic blowback from the failure to come to terms with empire。 While somewhat overstated， his basic point is true so far as it goes。 In 2016， the Democrats nominated a warmongering neoliberal who had learned nothing and regretted nothing about her support for the Iraq War， proven by her promotion of regime change in Libya when she was Secretary of State。 This failure to reckon with the catastrophe of empire， which no longer was serving the common American at all （Bacevich implies， dubiously， that maybe the empire did do Americans good during the 20th century， or at least that it didn’t cost them much， which is an odd thing for a Vietnam vet to say）， opened the door to Donald Trump who shamelessly violated establishment foreign policy orthodoxy by saying that the empire was a bad deal。 In this he was correct， Bacevich says， and his truth on that one point allowed him to prevail over the indefensible lies of Hillary about the nobility and blessings of American commitment to global primacy。The problem of course is that Trump had no idea as to what should replace US global leadership as an organizing principle of policy: “Trump was a heretic who rejected received dogma while proposing to substitute in its place the where’s-my-cut ethics of New York City’s real estate scene。 He was a Martin Luther intent on shaking down a Catholic Church awash with corruption in order to snag a share of Rome is ill gotten gains“ （146） — mainly for himself， Bacevich might have added。 Trump was right about the moral and practical value of American empire， but he was alas also an utter incompetent who only further accelerated the trends toward apocalypse， ultimately having his incapacity to govern effectively exposed by his utter inability to lead the country effectively on the face of the pandemic， instead preferring to pander to his political base’s prejudice， thus likely costing hundreds of thousands of Americans their lives who might have been saved by more effective leadership。For all his critique of both the Trumpism right， Clintonian liberalism， and foreign policy establishment （Obama is， curiously， almost absent from this book， which is a tell）， Bacevich is also not enthusiastic about the recasting of America in the image of the cultural left， which he frames around the 1619 project。 Bacevich intuits that the national narrative proposed by the 1619 Project， while rightly anti-empire， is so insistent on emphasizing the ineluctability of what might be called the internal empire — the project of domestic racial domination — that it is incapable of bringing the country together around an alternative project。 （He might have also pointed out that in its own way， the project re-articulates the narrative of American exceptionalism， except this time with a black heart of unbridgeable racism， rather than a cheery story of endless liberal uplift and improvement。So what is to be done？ Well， Bacevich believes that bringing back conscription would be good。 First because it would allow us， in fights we really need to take on， to actually deploy enough troops to win; but more importantly because the existence of a volunteer force would necessarily put political breaks on pursuing unnecessary wars。 （It would also have the good effect of bringing together Americans on a shared project of national service， thus potentially lowering political polarization， if only because of greater familiarity with people from other parts of the country。） 。。。more
Tim Heise
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Opinions are Opinions are opinions I appreciate his service and attempt to be neutral。 We do agree on a couple of items such as Less war and imperialism and rebuild America first。 Besides that he is a leftist and I’m glad I didn’t pay for this book。
Nathan Gilliatt
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I can't remember the last time I read a work on contemporary policy that was really non-partisan， and it's almost jarring to encounter。 Bacevich takes down the founding myths of consensus American self-conception and foreign-policy assumptions to focus on real outcomes， and along the way， he shows where US leaders of both major parties have followed the dogma to unwise decisions。 This isn't conventional realism， but perhaps realityism， which is aware that our conventional thinking tends to ignor I can't remember the last time I read a work on contemporary policy that was really non-partisan， and it's almost jarring to encounter。 Bacevich takes down the founding myths of consensus American self-conception and foreign-policy assumptions to focus on real outcomes， and along the way， he shows where US leaders of both major parties have followed the dogma to unwise decisions。 This isn't conventional realism， but perhaps realityism， which is aware that our conventional thinking tends to ignore by default the main issues we must address。The apocalypse of the title is 2020， which somewhere missed the memo that it was supposed to have only four horsemen。 As a shock to the system， it creates an opportunity to reconsider our assumptions， especially that the US can continue with its 1947 superpower vision indefinitely。 The book ends with an extended conclusion in the form of policy recommendations that will be a hard sell in Washington。 Sadly， we're more likely to see these dismissed than debated， but it's a helpful exercise to show those of us not in office that there are alternatives。In his introduction， Bacevich writes that the book is not so much for his contemporaries as for later generations， but there's no reason to let the current generation of leaders off the hook like that。 This book is full of points worth pondering for those who rise to the pulpit and preach to the choir from the book of common mythology。 It's time to reconsider our assumptions， and this quick read has some excellent suggestions about where to start。 。。。more
Jeffrey Keeten
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”The comparable surprises may lie just ahead seems likely。 If once rid of Trump， political elites resurrect the comforting nostrums of the familiar History That Matters， they will all but guarantee such surprises。 And should the accumulation and projection of military power， justified by claims of American Exceptionalism， once more define the central theme of American statecraft， then more needless wars， more waste， and more neglect of pressing priorities at home will result。 And probably more T ”The comparable surprises may lie just ahead seems likely。 If once rid of Trump， political elites resurrect the comforting nostrums of the familiar History That Matters， they will all but guarantee such surprises。 And should the accumulation and projection of military power， justified by claims of American Exceptionalism， once more define the central theme of American statecraft， then more needless wars， more waste， and more neglect of pressing priorities at home will result。 And probably more Trumps as well。”The reason why I like reading books like this is because it gives me a chance to think about what is really important and to divest myself of engrained lies that have allowed me to hide the truth from myself。 This book is not about Trump， though he plays a role in it。 Andrew Bacevich analyses the decisions of all of our recent presidents and points out missed opportunities and moments of epic failure。 All of these presidents lacked a true vision of what an evolved， progressive， dynamic America could be。 If they had possessed the courage and insight to make progressive decisions when the opportunity was presented to them， they might have forever changed the scope of America’s future。 ”Over the course of his eight years in the White House， Obama failed to implement or even to articulate a credible alternative to the national security paradigm conceived in the immediate aftermath of World War II。 He thereby acquiesced in its perpetuation。” Our leaders are trapped in the mythical past， a past that never really existed， but most of us cling to some version of a hallucinatory idea of what America used to be and can be again， but the fact is， even if that perfect America had ever existed， it isn’t the America we need to be going forward。 Make America Great Again？ How？ There was no vision behind this concept。 It just tripped the light fantastic in the minds of Trump’s rabid supporters。 What it meant for most of these people was Make White People Feel Rich Again。 Trump as president was on a revenge tour to eliminate and overturn every Obama policy that he could。 He was like the pharaohs of ancient Egypt who had the hieroglyphics and statues of their political predecessors defaced。 He thought he could cut deals with radical foreign leaders， but his self-promoted skills in this area were like most of his personal assertions， vastly exaggerated。 Ultimately， he proved to be the wrong man， in the wrong position， at the wrong time。 COVID-19 could have been a chance for him to step up and be the leader that he sees himself to be， but he failed to lead， and thousands died。 But it’s not really Trump’s fault。 I mean he was just along for the ride。 There wasn’t anyone more gobsmacked than Trump when he woke up the next day after the election and discovered the American people actually voted him into office。 The fault lies with all of us and with his predecessors in office。 Trump was the nuclear option。 If these recent presidents had provided a vision of America that gave us hope and took us in a direction away from being an industrial military complex and focused on more important things， Trump would have never looked like a viable alternative for all those disaffective Americans who were wishing for a return to an America that never existed。We should dream of The Jetsons， not the horse and buggy。 Bacevich talks about American Exceptionalism。。。okay， I just hurled all over my computer。 I knew I should have written this review before I had breakfast。 I’ve had many arguments over the past four years with people about this concept of American Exceptionalism。 First point of fact is， when people evoke it， they aren’t talking about all Americans。 They are talking about White Americans， more specifically White Male Americans。 Those inconvenient people of color who clutter up our cities and workplaces are not part of their Exceptional vision of America。 This belief in our Exceptionalism blinds us。 It keeps us from even believing our own history。 We wrap our history in honeyed gossamer which goes part and partial with believing in a mythical past as our best possible future。 One of the most exciting segments of the book is when Bacevich talks about who our future partners should be。 He’s not talking about converting that friend with benefits into a permanent fixture in your life。 He’s talking about our international relations。 The amount of money we spend on our military every year is atrocious and is weakening （yes， in this case strength is a weakness） our nation and keeping us from evolving into a country which can be competitive in the future。 Europe is quite capable of taking care of themselves。 The concept that they will pay us for protection like we are the local hood who comes around to collect money from small businesses every week doesn’t work。 They don’t want to pay。 Japan can also take care of itself， and， wait for it。。。a controversial statement is about to land in this paragraph…， Israel can take care of itself， too。 We send them billions in military aid to cultivate the Jewish vote at home， but the reality is that they have a GDP equal to Great Britain。 They are the strongest military power in their region。 They don’t need our help。 What we need to be focusing on is cultivating our relationships with our neighbors right here in North America。 Our military and our cost of military spending need to be pulled back to just what we need to protect our shores。 We could build up the Coast Guard and maybe finally upgrade the ancient planes that the Forest Service is using to fight those dangerous western fires。 Think about how much less military spending that would be？ We could reduce our national debt， invest in domestic infrastructure， and begin to incorporate segments of the Green New Deal into our future。 I’m against putting diapers on cows （nobody wants to see that）， but if we create a vision of a new future for America， we could convince people， Republicans are people， that a green future is not only viable but essential。 I would love to see the economies of Mexico and Canada grow right along with our own。 Oh， and instead of chasing terrorists around the world in our failed war on terror （ put that in the same failure category as the war on drugs and prohibition）， we could work with Mexico to take out those dangerous and despicable cartels existing right on our border。How about instead of Making America Great， why don’t we make North America Great？ The prospect is really exciting。 War is stupid， but Americans continue to laud it like it is the true test of Exceptionalism。 When most Americans think of war， they think of WWII or some glorified version of the bloodbath of our own Civil War or they wax nostalgic about the American Revolution （do not look too closely at the Founding Fathers， most of whom never lifted a musket。）。 The recklessness of George W。 Bush to embroil us in two foreign wars against unknowable enemies was to ignore everything we have learned about fighting these types of wars。 You would think a short study of Vietnam would be enough to dissuade any politician from ever considering entangling us in another foreign war with an uncertain objective and the impossibility of ever achieving some semblance of victory。 Let’s not forget that the hawkish Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden also voted to go to war in Iraq。 Obama， in what shouldn’t have been a courageous vote but turned out to be just that， voted against war in Iraq。 That vote coupled with his star power helped launch him to the presidency。 Our military is composed of an All Volunteer Army。 I feel that designation provides a little distance for the average American from the carnage that we send these young men and women into。 If we had a draft option as part of our military system， I believe that voting for war would be a much harder political decision。 I’m not advocating for the draft， but I think we shouldn’t feel comfortable with our decision simply because we see these soldiers as professionals who are paid to fight。 Bacevich lost a son in Iraq and also had a long career in the military， so his perspective on these unnecessary foreign wars is very personal。 ”A strategy of sustainable self-sufficiency just might enable a government accustomed to squandering lives and dollars to become a government that nurtures and preserves。”This is not an impossible dream。 We must learn from the past and look to the future。 I want to thank Henry Holt for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews， visit http://www。jeffreykeeten。comI also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www。facebook。com/JeffreyKeeten and an Instagram account https://www。instagram。com/jeffreykeeten/ 。。。more
Martin
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I interviewed the author for my podcast。 Listen here:http://historyasithappens。radio。washi。。。Bacevich is an important voice in our country。 A retired Army Lt。 Col。， West Point grad， historian， and now president of a DC think tank whose mission is to topple the foreign policy establishment’s hold on “national security” thinking。 Bacevich isn’t radical， but he understands the folly of empire。 His is a hopeless cause， of course， through no fault of his own。 I interviewed the author for my podcast。 Listen here:http://historyasithappens。radio。washi。。。Bacevich is an important voice in our country。 A retired Army Lt。 Col。， West Point grad， historian， and now president of a DC think tank whose mission is to topple the foreign policy establishment’s hold on “national security” thinking。 Bacevich isn’t radical， but he understands the folly of empire。 His is a hopeless cause， of course， through no fault of his own。 。。。more
Mam
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I didn't expect to like this book， as I am experiencing 'pandemic fatigue，' among other psychological maladies。 The author has certainly won his credibility over a distinguished professional career， and he has a number of theories about where this country went wrong in its relationship with the rest of the world - a large number。 Many of the 'mistakes' happened before I was aware of politics， but many， many happened during my long adult life。 At the time， some seemed to me like terrible mistakes I didn't expect to like this book， as I am experiencing 'pandemic fatigue，' among other psychological maladies。 The author has certainly won his credibility over a distinguished professional career， and he has a number of theories about where this country went wrong in its relationship with the rest of the world - a large number。 Many of the 'mistakes' happened before I was aware of politics， but many， many happened during my long adult life。 At the time， some seemed to me like terrible mistakes; others seemed inevitable。 I will think about what was in this book for a long time。 。。。more
Leanne
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While I disagree with some of his solutions--he conveniently leaves some realities out--if you want an experience weaving past， present， and future challenges altogether in a simultaneous moment， he does this very well。
Donald Marks
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I enjoyed reading this book， which examined recent American history， our foreign policy goals， our national self-concepts and where they have faults。 And made some recommendations for future changes。
Rick Cass
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A rational and compelling projectThe premises supporting the themes of。this book are really， at this point in time， beyond question。 However， I despair at anything close to these suggestions coming to fruition。 That the Republicans in Congress want to build roads and bridges and not prepare for the added energy and pollution burden that will follow from a limited， short sighted infrastructure program leads me to conclude that we're doomed。 Have icy has been right for years， but in the age of Tru A rational and compelling projectThe premises supporting the themes of。this book are really， at this point in time， beyond question。 However， I despair at anything close to these suggestions coming to fruition。 That the Republicans in Congress want to build roads and bridges and not prepare for the added energy and pollution burden that will follow from a limited， short sighted infrastructure program leads me to conclude that we're doomed。 Have icy has been right for years， but in the age of Trump and QAnon nothing useful。will be done。 。。。more
Joseph
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Disclaimer- I was contacted by Henry Holt offering a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 My views are in no way endorsed or countenanced by Henry Holt or its parent company， Macmillan。-Now that I've got that out of the way。。。here's my take on this book。 This book should be essential reading for any American high school civics course。 The author makes the case that American Exceptional-ism is a relic of the past。 He goes on to cite numerous policy failures of past administrat Disclaimer- I was contacted by Henry Holt offering a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 My views are in no way endorsed or countenanced by Henry Holt or its parent company， Macmillan。-Now that I've got that out of the way。。。here's my take on this book。 This book should be essential reading for any American high school civics course。 The author makes the case that American Exceptional-ism is a relic of the past。 He goes on to cite numerous policy failures of past administrations。 These include Operation Ranch Hand （think Agent Orange）， the War on Drugs， and the ongoing Global War on Terror。 He posits several key decision points that could have swung the scales of History in an entirely different direction。 The writing was clear， crisp， and brutally honest。This book was the second I've read by this author， the other being his history of wars in the Middle East。 Both stand among my short list of books about current affairs that are synthesized to be easily understood by a general audience。 Overall a very thought inspiring book。 。。。more
Eric
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