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30 March 2015

Tomgram: Andrew Bacevich, How to Create a National Insecurity State

Posted by Andrew Bacevich 
March 8, 2015

[Note for TomDispatch Readers: Given that, in his piece today, Andrew Bacevich has such good things to say about American Reckoning: The Vietnam War and Our National Identity,Chris Appy’s new history of the American fallout from Vietnam, here’s a last reminder that, for a contribution of $100 (or more), you can get your own signed, personalized copy of that must-read book. Just check out our donation page for the details, as well as for other books we’re offering, including my own Shadow Government: Surveillance, Secret Wars, and a Global Security State in a Single Superpower World. Tom]

In our era in Washington, whole careers have been built on grotesque mistakes. In fact, when it comes to our various conflicts, God save you if you’re right; no one will ever want to hear from you again. If you’re wrong, however... well, take the invasion of Iraq. Given the Islamic State, that creature of the American occupation, can anyone seriously believe that the invasion that blew a hole in the heart of the Middle East doesn’t qualify as one of the genuine disasters of our time, if not of any time? In the mad occupation that followed, Saddam Hussein’s well-trained army and officer corps were ushered into the chaos of post-invasion unemployment and, of course, insurgency. Meanwhile, at a cost of $25 billion, a whole new military was trained that, years later, summarily collapsed when faced with insurgents led by some of those formerly out-of-work officers.

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