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American Strategy and the Illusion of War on the Cheap

George Bernard Shaw

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Published in Vicarious Warfare: American Strategy And The Illusion Of War On The Cheap

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The United States has been at war for over two decades. In that time, we have spent trillions of dollars on military operations and lost thousands of lives. But despite all of this, we have not achieved our objectives in any of these wars.

In his new book, American Strategy and the Illusion of War on the Cheap, Andrew Bacevich argues that the United States is pursuing a strategy that is doomed to failure. He contends that we are trying to fight wars on the cheap, without committing the necessary resources to achieve our goals. As a result, we are prolonging the conflicts, increasing the cost in both blood and treasure, and undermining our own security.

Bacevich argues that the United States needs to adopt a more realistic strategy that recognizes the true costs of war. He calls for a return to the principles of traditional statecraft, which emphasize diplomacy, deterrence, and the use of force only as a last resort.

Vicarious Warfare: American Strategy and the Illusion of War on the Cheap

by Thomas Waldman

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2684 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	321 pages

American Strategy and the Illusion of War on the Cheap is a timely and important book. It offers a clear-eyed assessment of the challenges facing the United States in the 21st century and provides a roadmap for a more sustainable and effective foreign policy.

The Illusion of War on the Cheap

The United States has a long history of trying to fight wars on the cheap. In the 19th century, we fought a series of wars against Native Americans, hoping to defeat them with a small number of troops and limited resources. In the 20th century, we fought the Vietnam War, hoping to defeat the communists without committing a large number of ground troops. In both cases, we failed to achieve our objectives and ended up spending more money and losing more lives than we had originally anticipated.

The same pattern has held true in the 21st century. In 2001, we invaded Afghanistan with a small force of special operations troops, hoping to quickly overthrow the Taliban. But the Taliban proved to be more resilient than we had expected, and the war has dragged on for over two decades. In 2003, we invaded Iraq with a larger force, but the war quickly bogged down and we were forced to commit more and more troops to the conflict. By the time we finally withdrew from Iraq in 2011, we had spent over $2 trillion and lost over 4,000 American lives.

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have been a disaster for the United States. We have not achieved our objectives in either conflict, and we have spent trillions of dollars and lost thousands of lives. But despite these failures, we continue to pursue a strategy of fighting wars on the cheap.

The reason for this is simple: war is expensive. And in an era of tight budgets and fiscal constraints, it is tempting to try to cut corners. But as Bacevich argues, fighting wars on the cheap is a false economy. In the long run, it costs more money and more lives.

The True Costs of War

The true costs of war are not just the money we spend and the lives we lose. War also has a devastating impact on our economy, our society, and our environment.

War diverts resources away from other important priorities, such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure. It also creates a climate of fear and insecurity, which can lead to social unrest and political instability. And war pollutes our environment, both in the theater of operations and at home.

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have cost the United States trillions of dollars. This money could have been used to invest in our schools, our hospitals, and our roads. It could have been used to reduce poverty and inequality. But instead, we have squandered it on war.

War has also taken a heavy toll on our society. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have created a generation of veterans who have returned home with physical and psychological wounds. These veterans face a higher risk of unemployment, homelessness, and suicide. They also have a harder time adjusting to civilian life.

War has also damaged our environment. The use of explosives and other weapons has polluted the soil and water in Afghanistan and Iraq. The burning of oil fields has released toxic chemicals into the atmosphere. And the military's use of heavy equipment has damaged the landscape.

The true costs of war are far greater than the money we spend and the lives we lose. War also has a devastating impact on our economy, our society, and our environment.

A More Realistic Strategy

The United States needs to adopt a more realistic strategy that recognizes the true costs of war. We need to stop trying to fight wars on the cheap. We need to commit the necessary resources to achieve our objectives. And we need to be prepared to accept the risks and costs involved in war.

A more realistic strategy would emphasize diplomacy, deterrence, and the use of force only as a last resort. We would use diplomacy to resolve conflicts peacefully. We would use deterrence to prevent war from breaking out. And we would only use force if all other options had failed.

A more realistic strategy would also require us to make some tough choices. We would need to prioritize our national security interests. We would need to be willing to make trade-offs between different objectives. And we would need to be prepared to accept the fact that there are some conflicts that we cannot win.

A more realistic strategy is not without r

Vicarious Warfare: American Strategy and the Illusion of War on the Cheap

by Thomas Waldman

5 out of 5