The Limits of Power or Change We Can Believe In

The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism

Author: Andrew J Bacevich

From an acclaimed conservative historian and former military officer, a bracing call for a pragmatic confrontation with the nation's problems

The Limits of Power identifies a profound triple crisis facing America: the economy, in remarkable disarray, can no longer be fixed by relying on expansion abroad; the government, transformed by an imperial presidency, is a democracy in form only; U.S. involvement in endless wars, driven by a deep infatuation with military power, has been a catastrophe for the body politic. These pressing problems threaten all of us, Republicans and Democrats. If the nation is to solve its predicament, it will need the revival of a distinctly American approach: the neglected tradition of realism.

Andrew J. Bacevich, uniquely respected across the political spectrum, offers a historical perspective on the illusions that have governed American policy since 1945. The realism he proposes includes respect for power and its limits; sensitivity to unintended consequences; aversion to claims of exceptionalism; skepticism of easy solutions, especially those involving force; and a conviction that the books will have to balance. Only a return to such principles, Bacevich argues, can provide common ground for fixing America’s urgent problems before the damage becomes irreparable.

The Washington Post - Robert G. Kaiser

This compact, meaty volume ought to be on the reading list of every candidate for national office—House, Senate or the White House—in November's elections. In an age of cant and baloney, Andrew Bacevich offers a bracing slap of reality…Bacevich is not running for office, so he is willing to speak bluntly to his countrymen about their selfishness, their hubris, their sanctimony and the grave problems they now face…The Limits of Power is a dense book but gracefully written and easy to read. It is chockablock with provocative ideas and stern judgments. Bacevich's brand of intellectual assuredness is rare in today's public debates. Many of our talking heads and commentators are cocksure, of course, but few combine confidence with knowledge and deep thought the way Bacevich does here.

Publishers Weekly

In this caustic critique of the growing American "penchant for empire" and "sense of entitlement," Bacevich (The New American Militarism) examines the citizenry's complicity in the current "economic, political, and military crisis." A retired army colonel, the author efficiently pillories the recent performance of the armed forces, decrying it as "an expression of domestic dysfunction," with leaders and misguided strategies ushering the nation into "a global war of no exits and no deadlines." Arguing that the tendency to blame solely the military or the Bush administration is as illogical as blaming Herbert Hoover for the Great Depression, Bacevich demonstrates how the civilian population is ultimately culpable; in citizens' appetite for unfettered access to resources, they have tacitly condoned the change of "military service from a civic function into an economic enterprise." Crisp prose, sweeping historical analysis and searing observations on the roots of American decadence elevate this book from mere scolding to an urgent call for rational thinking and measured action, for citizens to wise up and put their house in order. (Sept. 1)

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Kirkus Reviews

A retired U.S. Army colonel makes the case for a more modest American posture on the world stage, including less use of the military. The United States' recent tendency to flex its muscle is misguided and goes against national tradition, argues Bacevich (History and International Relations/Boston Univ.; The New American Militarism, 2005, etc). The American armed services are stretched too thin and have been sent on too many missions that should not have been launched. Citing theologian and social thinker Reinhold Niebuhr, who favored realism and humility as the guideposts of policymaking, the author finds the approach of many recent presidents, especially George W. Bush, sorely lacking in both. The Bush administration, in his view, has affirmed an "ideology of national security" that sees the United States as the embodiment of freedom in the world and believes that we can only be secure when liberty prevails across the globe. This inflated view of America's importance has dangerous consequences at home and abroad, Bacevich writes: "It imposes no specific obligations. It functions the way ideology so often does-not to divine truth or even to make sense of things, but to provide a highly elastic rationale for action. In the American context, it serves principally to legitimate the exercise of executive power . . . It certainly does not prevent American policymakers from collaborating with debased authoritarian regimes that deny basic freedoms like Hosni Mubarak's Egypt or Pervez Musharraf's Pakistan." The author offers little new information, but ably synthesizes existing scholarship. In spare prose, with rarely a wasted word, he examines and convincingly refutes many conservativeforeign-policy tenets, including those that make the case for preemptive war, which Bacevich finds abhorrent. He does not include references to his own military career and never makes his argument in emotional terms; although the book is dedicated to his son, readers only learn in the acknowledgments that Lieutenant Andrew John Bacevich was killed in action in Iraq. Well-reasoned and eloquently argued. Agent: John Wright/John Wright Literary Associates

Table of Contents:

Introduction War Without Exits 1

1 The Crisis of Profligacy 15

2 The Political Crisis 67

3 The Military Crisis 124

Conclusion: The Limits of Power 170

Notes 183

Acknowledgments 195

Index 197

Change We Can Believe In: Barack Obama's Plan to Renew America's Promise

Author: Barack Obama

At this defining moment in our history, Americans are hungry for change. After years of failed policies and a failed politics from Washington, this is our chance to reclaim the American dream. President-elect Barack Obama has proven to be a new kind of leader—one who can bring people together, be honest about the challenges we face, and move this nation forward. Change We Can Believe In outlines his vision for America.

Throughout this audiobook you will find bold and specific ideas about how to fix our ailing economy and strengthen the middle class, make health care affordable for all, achieve energy independence, and keep America safe in a dangerous world. Change We Can Believe In asks you not just to believe in Barack Obama’s ability to bring change to Washington, it asks you to believe in yours.