Andrew Bacevich

Andrew J. Bacevich is a professor of history and international relations at Boston University.

A Greatest Generation We Are Not

Originally posted at TomDispatch. There was certainly a hint that the previous century was not going to unfold in a particularly propitious manner when World War I, “the war to end all wars” (a phrase famously attributed to American President Woodrow Wilson), proved but an introduction to a second world war that would make the … Continue reading “A Greatest Generation We Are Not”

Why Those ‘Endless Wars’ Must Never End

Originally posted at TomDispatch. Here’s the strange thing for the self-proclaimed greatest power in history, the very one that, in this century, has been fighting a series of unending wars across significant parts of the planet: if you exclude Operation Urgent Fury, the triumphant invasion of the island Grenada in 1983, and Operation Just Cause, … Continue reading “Why Those ‘Endless Wars’ Must Never End”

Ending War, American-Style

Originally posted at TomDispatch. Years ago, a man drove me around Vietnam, day after day, taking me to villages where I interviewed people about their experiences during what they called the American War. They told me about how they had lost eyes or legs or siblings or parents. They told me about being shot or … Continue reading “Ending War, American-Style”

The Fake News of D-Day

Originally posted at TomDispatch. Yes, they’re now known as the “greatest generation,” while the generation that followed them is sometimes referred to as the “silent” one. In my own limited experience, however, those World War II vets, the ones I knew anyway, were remarkably silent about their wartime lives. My dad was one of them. … Continue reading “The Fake News of D-Day”

The ‘Forever Wars’ Enshrined

Originally posted at TomDispatch. Today, TomDispatch regular Andrew Bacevich, author of America’s War for the Greater Middle East, focuses on the sole memorial in this country to those who have fought in our now almost 18-year-old war on terror – never actually a coherent “war” but a spreading set of conflicts, upheavals, and chaos of … Continue reading “The ‘Forever Wars’ Enshrined”

News Cycle Neglects Trump’s Many Wars

Originally posted at TomDispatch. The news, however defined, always contains a fair amount of pap. Since Donald Trump’s ascent to the presidency, however, the trivia quotient in the average American’s daily newsfeed has grown like so many toadstools in a compost heap, overshadowing or crowding out matters of real substance. We’re living in TrumpWorld, folks. … Continue reading “News Cycle Neglects Trump’s Many Wars”

Rule Number One in Warfare: Know Your Enemy

Originally posted at TomDispatch. It’s now more than 17 years later, years in which American commanding generals in Afghanistan repeatedly hailed the U.S. military’s “progress” there and regularly applauded the way we had finally “turned a corner” in the Afghan War — only to find more Taliban fighters armed with RPGs around that very corner. … Continue reading “Rule Number One in Warfare: Know Your Enemy”

Not So Great Wars, Theirs and Ours

Originally posted at TomDispatch. In case you hadn’t noticed – and it wasn’t exactly front-page news – America’s eighth war commander in Afghanistan (and keep in mind that we’re only talking about this country’s second Afghan War), General John Nicholson, is about to be history. Sometime in the coming months, the ninth, Lieutenant General Austin … Continue reading “Not So Great Wars, Theirs and Ours”

A Country Addicted to War

Originally posted at TomDispatch. It’s been going on for so many years – Predators cruising, looking for their prey. Some attention has since been paid to the phenomenon and to the devastating effect their actions have had on their victims, but it hasn’t really mattered. The predation has only spread. Oh, before I go any … Continue reading “A Country Addicted to War”