Most Americans don’t even understand that war is real when they are watching it on television.
It’s very concerning because we have this very recent evidence of how hysterical and unhinged U.S. military decision-making can be.
Policymakers making assumptions about the use of military force and how quickly that military force will achieve political objectives. We’ve seen over and over again how some of these assumptions are faulty.
In short, the U.S. view of the Iraq War remains insular and narcissistic. The focus is on what U.S. troops may have gotten wrong, and how the military could perform better in the future.
If war is as much a cultural construct as it is a political one, then we need to elevate these dissenters’ voices in our culture.
War with China is neither imminent nor inevitable, unless America lends too much credence to wannabe warrior-generals who profit from rampant threat inflation.
You don’t have to be antiwar to be highly suspicious of the U.S. military.
The system will not reform itself. It will always demand and take more—more money, more authority, more power. It will never be geared for peace.
War, as almost any military historian will tell you, is inherently unpredictable.
Enlisting in the U.S. military is a big step for any young adult.