The "Washington Rules"

I have just finished reading Andrew Bacevich's book "Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War," published this August. This is a book that every American should read, regardless of political party. The fact is that every political party has thoroughly subscribed to the militarist foreign policies that Bacevich carefully describes and documents, since the late 1940s. Even the Obama administration has carefully advanced this policy point of view in spite of Obama's claims of ending wars and being at peace with the world. The book is thoroughly researched and very well written.

Americans today, as we face up to the November mid-term elections, are fundamentally disturbed by economic issues at home. However, if Bacevich is correct, and I am sure he is, our economic woes are a direct result of Washington's disposition to believe and to act according to the principle that everyone in the world must conform to American values and that it is our obligation to police the world for offenders. If we were to back off of our militarist and aggressive policies abroad, we could easily deal with the many problems we have at home.

Fundamentally, the way to influence the world regarding the virtues of democracy is to exhibit the virtues of democracy at home rather than attempting to stuff it down everyone's throat abroad.