Andrew Bacevich: Seduced by War

[arisbe]

"When you look at the shock of 9/11, it’s really remarkable that there was virtually no debate about plausible alternative responses. The problem is not terrorism; the problem is the threat of radical Islam. Again, the political elite — meaning Republicans and Democrats and the establishment media, which very quickly embraced this — almost immediately concluded that the necessary response was a global war, which by common consent is going to last decades, generations. They all think there are no plausible alternatives. Let me be clear: it could be that other alternatives were defective in some way, but my point is, we never really looked for them. We instantly embraced this notion of open-ended global war. This shows the extent to which the political elite in this country has bought into the notion that if you have a big problem, the way to solve it is by going to war."

Comments

[walrus828.livejournal.com]

it just keeps bringing images in my head from 1984, where if not at war with one, one must be at war with the other. it's "the only way".

[amade.livejournal.com]

Well, if the political elite = Bush, his cabinet, and certain ass kisser, then yeah, I agree.

But not everyone supported it - even military folk didn't. I don't think it was a concensus so much as an old fashioned railroading.

[marginaleye.livejournal.com]

War on Poverty, War on Drugs, wasn't there even a War on Cancer?

[priscamor.livejournal.com]

No plausible alternatives because of their power hungry Neanderthal thinking; that by being a bully you gain power and respect...