American Force
Dangers, Delusions, and Dilemmas in National Security

"A Council on Foreign Relations book"--Cover.

He exposes mistakes made by humanitarian interventions and peace operations; reviews the issues raised by terrorism and the use of modern nuclear, biological, and cyber weapons; evaluates the case for preventive war, which almost always proves wrong; weighs the lessons learned from campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam; assesses the rise of China and the resurgence of Russia; quells concerns about civil-military relations; exposes anomalies within recent defense budgets; and confronts the practical barriers to effective strategy. Betts ultimately argues for greater caution and restraint, while encouraging more decisive action when force is required, and he recommends a more dispassionate assessment of national security interests, even in the face of global instability and unfamiliar threats.

PrefacePart I. The Post--Cold War Hiatus1. Introduction: From Cold War to Hot Peace2. Policy Milestones: Cold War Roots of Consensus3. Confused Interventions: Puttering with Primacy4. New Threats of Mass Destruction: Capabilities Down, Intentions UpPart II. History Strikes Back5. Terrorism: The Soft Underbelly of Primacy6. Striking First: Well-Lost Opportunities7. Big Small Wars: Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam8. The Main Events: The Rise of China and Resurgence of RussiaPart III. Decision and Implementation9. Civil-Military Relations: A Special Problem?10. Plans and Results: Is Strategy an Illusion?11. A Disciplined Defense: Regaining Strategic Solvency12. Conclusion: Selecting SecurityNotesIndex