Definitely agree. I see Mearsheimer and Walt somewhat regularly as the PBS newshour is really the only national news show I watch anymore (its not my only source, just my only mainstream TV media source).
It would take a lot, and a shakedown of unelected officials in State and other branches would cause some turmoil politically for someone with such power like the POTUS. Which is why I was hoping to see a lame duck Obama start the domino train to that direction.
I think part of some of the old guards fears come in the realization that our standing armies were pretty fat and inexperienced/unprepared in terms of combat experience in the 80's and it showed in a few conflicts of the 90's (ie: Serbia, Kuwait etc) even though it was never tested due to our sheer power and size, especially on the technology front. However this period also showed that our training and lessons learned from previous conflicts allowed our military to get up to speed VERY quickly and the lack of experience was overcome rather easily.
But it still seems that the some of the current justification of our "need" for perpetual warefare of our current standing military is continued experience, which seems somewhat of a progression of the old "domino theory" that was projected to the masses post WWII with Korea and Vietnam.
We seem to be in need of another FDR, someone willing to try different approaches, go nuts with a Veto power and show he isn't willing to pander even when not a lame duck. And I simply keep hoping someone emerges from the crowd to do just that.
Well said. I would only add that I feel the 500 lb gorilla here is our old enemy the military-industrial complex, particularly its power over Congress and the Pentagon. I have no prescription for fixing that problem, but I agree it will take the kind of leadership, force of will, empathy, and political skills not seen since FDR.
Definitely agree. I see Mearsheimer and Walt somewhat regularly as the PBS newshour is really the only national news show I watch anymore (its not my only source, just my only mainstream TV media source).
It would take a lot, and a shakedown of unelected officials in State and other branches would cause some turmoil politically for someone with such power like the POTUS. Which is why I was hoping to see a lame duck Obama start the domino train to that direction.
I think part of some of the old guards fears come in the realization that our standing armies were pretty fat and inexperienced/unprepared in terms of combat experience in the 80's and it showed in a few conflicts of the 90's (ie: Serbia, Kuwait etc) even though it was never tested due to our sheer power and size, especially on the technology front. However this period also showed that our training and lessons learned from previous conflicts allowed our military to get up to speed VERY quickly and the lack of experience was overcome rather easily.
But it still seems that the some of the current justification of our "need" for perpetual warefare of our current standing military is continued experience, which seems somewhat of a progression of the old "domino theory" that was projected to the masses post WWII with Korea and Vietnam.
We seem to be in need of another FDR, someone willing to try different approaches, go nuts with a Veto power and show he isn't willing to pander even when not a lame duck. And I simply keep hoping someone emerges from the crowd to do just that.
Well said. I would only add that I feel the 500 lb gorilla here is our old enemy the military-industrial complex, particularly its power over Congress and the Pentagon. I have no prescription for fixing that problem, but I agree it will take the kind of leadership, force of will, empathy, and political skills not seen since FDR.