In November 2008 many voted for "Change". As far as foreign policy goes, nothing has changed. It is still the same old "national security" and "national interest" leading to greater insecurity and results contrary to our real national interests.
If you haven't already read Andrew Bacevich's "Washington Rules", please do so as soon as possible.
The U.S. is still propping up anti-democratic autocrats like Hosni Mubarak despite very strong dissatisfaction from a large number of people. And U.S. diplomats are still supportive of him, buying his line that he is standing between stability and chaos. Remember the Shah of Iran and his Savak.
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Showing posts with label Washington Rules. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Washington Rules. Show all posts
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Thursday, September 02, 2010
National Security? The emperor and his clothes
This morning at coffee, various wars came up in the conversation.
I mentioned Andrew Bacevich and his books, especially "Washington Rules, America's Path to Permanent War". I said that the Department of Defense has become a vast bureaucracy where few question many of the assumptions. It's another case of nobody noticing the emperor has no clothes.
A World War II veteran, shot down over France, hidden by the Resistance, and smuggled out through Spain, said, "Department of Defense! It should be called the Department of Offense!"
Later, another person who comes up with many good puns, which unfortunately we soon forget, asked, "Does an immortal emperor have no closure?"
If the national security bureaucracy thinks it is immortal in its path to permanent war, we certainly will have no closure.
I mentioned Andrew Bacevich and his books, especially "Washington Rules, America's Path to Permanent War". I said that the Department of Defense has become a vast bureaucracy where few question many of the assumptions. It's another case of nobody noticing the emperor has no clothes.
A World War II veteran, shot down over France, hidden by the Resistance, and smuggled out through Spain, said, "Department of Defense! It should be called the Department of Offense!"
Later, another person who comes up with many good puns, which unfortunately we soon forget, asked, "Does an immortal emperor have no closure?"
If the national security bureaucracy thinks it is immortal in its path to permanent war, we certainly will have no closure.
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