14 April 2008
Military State
The troublesome thing about Steve Coll’s Comment on Military Conflict in the April 14, 2008, New Yorker, is his observation about suppressing professional military dissent. You can’t rely on the military to prevent policy disasters like the Iraq War, nor to enliven an election-year debate. For example, whether or not the U.S. adopts a draft in order to carry out a martial foreign policy is not a military issue, but a political one. In our system of government, civilian control of the military should reserve decisions to military non-professionals on whether to invade other countries and turn our democracy into an international bully.
Military action is not the answer to every security threat to America. It is true that George W. Bush has tried to duck responsibility for protecting the nation’s wellbeing by hiding behind the military professionalism of General David Petraeus. A broader solution to the country’s fragile safety and economy needs to be found. That will take courage and foresight that we have seen in neither the Bush Administration nor in the present Congress.
The troublesome thing about Steve Coll’s Comment on Military Conflict in the April 14, 2008, New Yorker, is his observation about suppressing professional military dissent. You can’t rely on the military to prevent policy disasters like the Iraq War, nor to enliven an election-year debate. For example, whether or not the U.S. adopts a draft in order to carry out a martial foreign policy is not a military issue, but a political one. In our system of government, civilian control of the military should reserve decisions to military non-professionals on whether to invade other countries and turn our democracy into an international bully.
Military action is not the answer to every security threat to America. It is true that George W. Bush has tried to duck responsibility for protecting the nation’s wellbeing by hiding behind the military professionalism of General David Petraeus. A broader solution to the country’s fragile safety and economy needs to be found. That will take courage and foresight that we have seen in neither the Bush Administration nor in the present Congress.
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