The Limits of Power by Andrew J. Bacevich


finished 10/19 ........ 2008 political ........ rating 9

The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism by Andrew J. Bacevich is not the most optimistic of books by a long shot. Bacevich is a retired military officer and a professor of International Relations and History at Boston University. He's been a traditional conservative but the mess Bush has got us into has changed his views. This book examines foreign policy and presidents since the end of the Cold War. It's very good - almost great - but it offers no real solutions.

It's all about the Empire of Consumption and our continuing demand for more oil.  We've gone through our own resources,  we can't find the motivation to use alternative energy, so we go after theirs.   The tables turned back in 1970s when we went from being the world's most productive country (in terms of export/import - debt / foreign assets / foreign ownership)  to the War in Iraq.   From Johnson who fought a war while increasing consumption,  to Bush who continues the same general kind of goals and tactics.  We're addicted to consumption and will go to any means to preserve the "American way of life,"  to get the oil we need to remain the world's leading consumer nation.

Carter saw it,  told us, and was defeated for his efforts. 

Reagan went ahead and got us into untold billions of dollars of debt with tax cuts and military increases.  Credit has no limits - the debt will never come due.  Our demand for cheap foreign goods knew no bounds.  Oil imports rose to 41 %.   The US had more foreign investors than foreign countries had US investors.  Whether or not the USSR was crushed was a moot point - we get our goodies from China.   But we remain in Afghanistan for national security reasons - ie - the oil just south of there.  

Clinton did the same thing trying to maintain our links to the oil.  

Bush responded to 9/11 with a raid on Iraq and told Americans to keep up the consumption.  He increased military action without increasing the forces - or the taxes to pay for the wars .   So now there's even less effort on the part of the American people - lower taxes,  increased consumption,  voluntary military.   And at the same time social programs were expanding - Medicare, Social Security, etc.   We can have it all for free?  

Kind of a crunch, isn't it? We need the oil to fuel our consumption addiction but we also need lower taxes to fuel it.  If we can just win in Iraq all will be solid again?   Maybe for 10 minutes.  



Posted: Sat - October 18, 2008 at 01:08 PM        

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