For my money, one of the best military-political theorists of our time is retired Army Col. Andrew Bacevich. His 2005 instant classic, “The New American Militarism: How Americans are Seduced by War,” was written while serving as a professor of International Relations and History at Boston University. In his analysis, militarism in America is a sad reality. His observations two decades ago are every bit as useful and on-point now as they were then — proof positive that the ultimate standard of a classic is to stand the test of time.
Colonel Bacevich begins his work with a statement of fact:
“Today, as never before in their history, Americans are enthralled with military power. The global military supremacy that the United States presently enjoys — and is bent on perpetuating — has become central to our national identity.”
Although I believe that the author is quite correct in his assessment, I would take the position that militarism in America is, in fact, not altogether new, but merely now wearing a contemporary suit of clothes. In any case, modern or mature, the phenomenon presents a danger to the republic. What is this danger?
The wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan are telling. Bacevich points out that former President George W. Bush stated unequivocally and implausibly that he would “rid the world of evil.” We know that evil has been around for a long time and that achieving such an objective was not possible. In any case, a huge military would be necessary to attempt it.
It may be worthwhile to point out that President Woodrow Wilson was cut from a similar, if less ambitious, bolt of cloth based on idealism. But in the attempt, Bush embraced militarism to strike out at perceived enemies in the wake of 9/11. However, Iraq had nothing to do with the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.
Colonel Bacevich goes on to state that “…Americans in our own time have fallen prey to militarism, manifesting itself in a romanticized view of soldiers, a tendency to see military power as the truest measure of national greatness…”. Soldiers know that there is nothing romantic about war, and the families of dead and wounded might ask, what did we accomplish in Afghanistan? After more than two decades of war, we replaced the Taliban with the Taliban.
Colonel Bacevich’s analysis suggests an answer:
“The Republican and Democratic parties may not be identical, but they produce nearly identical results. Money buys access and influence, the rich and famous get served, and those lacking wealth and celebrity get screwed…”
“…the system is fundamentally corrupt and functions in ways inconsistent with the spirit of genuine democracy. This anyone with eyes to see recognizes.”
President Bush (Republican) was followed by Obama (Democrat), who embraced with only a bit less enthusiasm the killing of those deemed terrorists with the military cudgel, as did President Trump (Republican) in his first administration, until he negotiated a withdrawal from Afghanistan that was executed poorly under President Biden (Democrat). President Trump continues apace in his second administration via the recent bombing of the Iranian nuclear facility, deployment of three US Naval destroyers toward the coast of Venezuela, and shocking domestic misuse of the National Guard in both Los Angeles and Washington, DC.
It appears that the ideal of the citizen-soldier is all but dead. The success of the all-volunteer Army is problematic — further separating political decision-makers from any chance of being personally impacted by our nation’s conflicts.
Because there is no active draft, only a very tiny minority of the sons and daughters of the well-to-do currently serve in the military. Conversely, representation of the well-to-do among the political elite is high.
This means that the wealthy seldom have any skin in America’s wars. They do, however, often own considerable stock in defense industries. For the most part, the children of those who hold either wealth or position are not killed or maimed in America’s wars any longer. Moreover, the political elites themselves have only rarely served in the military. Those who know nothing of battle are the ones who tend to romanticize armed forces service the most.
I spent nearly 26 years in the US Army – enlisted and officer – split between Special Forces and Military Intelligence duties. In all that time, I never met a person who was a child of wealth in uniform at any rank. We have been made the serfs to America’s New Nobility, the ultra-rich and political elites.
President Trump received five draft deferments in the Vietnam War era for medically questionable “bone spurs.” He is literally the poster child for draft dodging and is quoted saying that those who serve in uniform are “suckers.” Need I say more?
Bacevich sums up beautifully in his afterword:
“The ‘standing army’ created in the wake of Vietnam has now become sacrosanct, cherished by the state as an instrument for projecting power and by the country at large as a convenient device for dodging responsibility.”
Neither Bacevich nor I are anti-military — quite the opposite. However, it is critically important to understand that American militarism possesses a significant downside for the country. Our sons and daughters should not become mere expendable cannon fodder for those who by virtue of riches or position are guaranteed never to have to face the irredeemable loss and manifest horrors of war.
Updated and revised —originally published in Military Times, May 9, 2020
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