The New American Militarism
How Americans are Seduced by War

Examines how an America once possessed with a disdain for the use of force has come to embrace the military as the only means of securing a stable world order. This work shows how American militarism emerged as a reaction to the Vietnam War. It warns of a dangerous dual obsession that has taken hold of Americans, conservatives, and liberals alike.

The upshot, acutely evident in the aftermath of 9/11, has been a revival of vast ambitions and certainty, this time married to a pronounced affinity for the sword. Bacevich urges us to restore a sense of realism and a sense of proportion to U.S. policy. He proposes, in short, to bring American purposes and American methods--especially with regard to the role of the military--back into harmony with the nation's founding ideals.