Here is an interesting essay that wonders about the essence of neo-conservative doctrine. I like the author’s conclusion that “…the real destructiveness of neoconservatism is to infuse in so many Americans a belief in the transformative power of U.S. action abroad: the belief that our government and military can trigger predictable changes in the socio-political dynamics of only dimly-understood states on the other side of the globe in such ways as to render the international security environment more stable and safe for Americans (and, it almost goes without saying, for American primacy). “
This was the great stealth triumph of the GW Bush administration, to convince Americans that our security depended on military interventions anywhere on the globe that seemed to disagree with our primacy. That has given us a defense budget swollen almost beyond imagination and has contributed to the deficit that is draining funds away from education, health, critical infrastructure and on and on.
How much real security have we purchased with this gigantic outlay of resources? The true legacy of GWB and the neo-cons is that it is considered slightly treasonous, certainly unpatriotic, even to raise the question, particularly in political campaigns.
The trigger for this calamitous policy was 9/11, and its impact still silences critics who would venture to question the cost-effectiveness of our military culture. Future historians will not be puzzled by our militarism. That happens in the best of societies. But they are likely to be surprised at how little we even discussed what we were doing and what effects it might have.
Most Americans, I suspect, do not feel more secure because of our invasion and occupation of Iraq. But still, it is confounding to realize how little a trillion dollars will buy you these days. Even for a country as rich as ours, it is hard to imagine just misplacing a sum of that magnitude without apparent thought or intelligent debate.
Just how difficult is it to connect the dots of an armed, pugnacious foreign policy and empty coffers at home?
5 months ago • 15 notes
