Of all the institutions spawned by human civilization, the military must surely be considered among the most consequential. For other than the nation state, no organization has done more to influence the tide of history. Across the millennia, countless men have been assembled, armed and trained in the art of war which is nothing less than the force that shapes our world. The military gathers up men from different faiths and backgrounds, generations and dispositions, and forges among them unbreakable bonds of brotherhood that transcend all other temporal ties. But for all its power, the military has a dark side as well. For powerful institutions attract those who wish to wield power over them, take them into their hands and steer them as they see fit. The military is a weapon in the arsenal of politicians and visionaries, a tool capable of flattening any opposition in its path. Consequently, how and why it is used is a matter of critical importance. Ms. Maddow illustrates.
Since the advent of World War II, the United States has made it a mission to perfect the art of war. Bringing to bear proficiencies in science, engineering and tactics, this nation has, over the last 60 years, created the most powerful and technologically advanced war machine our world has ever seen. And it hasn't been afraid to use this supreme weapon either, engaging in dozens of conflicts, large and small, over the latter half of the 20th century, both in the name of liberty and its own self-interest. At one time, these wars required the full mobilization of the homefront to prosecute. They required munitions factories to be built and worked, food distribution systems to be re-doubled and re-routed, civil defense forces to be trained and outfitted, all while regular citizens were called away from their families and their jobs to fight and die in distant lands, under different suns. No longer...
Now, in the 21st century, in a world of private contractors and Predator drones, in a world of unlimited credit and overmatched foes, the United States can fight its wars without the bad PR of flag-draped caskets. It can engage in operations all over the world without having to spend the political capital associated with Drafting private citizens. Relying on its reservists to faithfully and uncomplainingly execute dozens of deployments to the world's conflict zones, it can outsource all the burden of fighting a war upon a tiny percentage of its population, leaving the rest to go peacefully about the business of their lives.
How did this happen? How did the United States go from the general mobilization of the Second World War to relying upon less than one percent of its population to prosecute wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? With admirable doggedness, Ms. Maddow reaches back across 60 years of military and political history to, step by painful step, reconstruct the fateful decisions that gradually uncoupled the United States from its military. From the demagoguery of Ronald Reagan to the political expediency of George H. W. Bush,she describes how a succession of powerful presidents overpowered a succession of compliant congresses to get what they felt was their right, the use of military force against their country's enemies without having to bow to the constraints of the Constitution. At the same time, Ms. Maddow describes the many efforts made, from the Abrams Doctrine to the War Powers Act, to halt this dangerous uncoupling. But not even these bulwarks have withstood the desire of powerful men to command the most menacing military the world has ever seen.
Drift is an exceptional read. With a mixture of sardonic humor and cutting sarcasm, Ms. Maddow pillories the self-interest of the numerous presidents whose combined efforts succeeded in resting control of the military out of the public eye and into the private sphere where its influence could be deployed without fear of political fallout. In this, the author is far from partisan, measuring Bill Clinton for as much scorn as she does Bush Senior. If her liberal leanings show at all, it is in the length of time she devotes to savaging Ronald Reagan whose actions here comprise about a third of the narrative. However, the 1980s were a pivotal time in the separation Ms. Maddow is highlighting. And so most of her fire reads as warranted rather than political.
Ms. Maddow has raised, here, a vital concern, one that has been rarely discussed. Given its importance, she should be commended. However, the extent to which she downplays the role technology has played in her tale is problematic. Yes, political expediency has clearly been the primary cause for why much of the United States military has been privatized, but technology has also made it much easier for military power to be exercised in parts of the world where there are few American boots on the ground. Her unwillingness to incorporate technology into her explanatory narrative prevents Drift from fully grasping a complex and worrisome issue.
This is frightening work. The idea that this much power can be concentrated in the hands of so few should sober us all. It certainly will trouble those who consume this worthy read and stay with them for some time to come. As slickly written as it is compellingly argued... (4/5 Stars)
No comments:
Post a Comment