“Since the end of the Cold War, impulse and ideology, generously seasoned with fantasy, have displaced principled strategy as the basis for U. S. policy. In this important and timely volume, Barry R. Posen illuminates the path back toward good sense and sobriety. Restraint is a splendid achievement.”―Andrew J. Bacevich, Boston University, author of Breach of Trust
The U.S. military is increasingly ill-suited for today’s complex, interconnected and transparent security environment. It was designed to fight major wars against the military forces of other nations, yet never does so. Despite the best intentions of its architects, the U.S. military is a “kluge”—a combination of sometimes compatible, sometimes mismatched parts cobbled together. It works, but not as effectively or efficiently as it should.
Series title: Of Smoke ‘n Mirrors (Lost in the Wilderness)
The CIA must not only shoulder much of the blame for the position in which the U.S. finds itself within the geopolitical order; with little sign the agency has learned any lessons from its nefarious past, it appears self-evident for all but its most ardent apologists, the ‘Company’ can no longer be trusted—or for that matter, lay claim—to act in the national interest or in the interests of global stability, peace and security.
Who knows – hydrogen as a fuel might catch on… “Honda is now developing a personal-use Smart Hydrogen Station, which is designed to be installed at home so you don’t have to go looking for a re-up.”
Part I in the Reinventing the US Army monograph series.
Updated November 15, 2016 Robert Steele
This is the author's preliminary draft of the first of three monographs focused on the future of the US Army as an expeditionary force in a complex world that is rapidly decentralizing while also facing major development challenges. A revised draft is provide at DOC below but the online full-text version has not been updated.