There is a lot of thought being put into how things could and should change under the new administration of Barack Obama, both domestically and abroad. For the past few years, Eugene Jarecki has been studying America’s foreign policy and the history of our wars. Now Jarecki has written a book called The American Way of War: Guided Missles, Misguided Men and a Republic in Peril. He’s also the director of the award-winning documentary Why We Fight, about the military-industrial complex and its relationship with politics. That relationship is great for “war” presidents, weapons manufacturers and the Pentagon, but it’s not so good for freedom, liberty and the American people as a whole. In his outgoing address in 1961, former general and president Dwight Eisenhower warned us about the growing power of the military-industrial complex to shape policy. Eugene Jarecki thinks it’s a lesson we should all learn.
Click here to watch Eugene Jarecki’s award-winning documentary Why We Fight.
Click here to read the article by Defense Secretary Robert Gates referenced in the interview.
And here’s a link to the book Dangerous Nation by Robert Kagan.
-Chad
I REALLY REALLY enjoyed this! I’m passing it along, and blogging about it.
Well done, sirs! Thank you!
I think the below might fit in well here:
‘An old Cherokee Indian was speaking to his grandson:
"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil–he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good — he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a long minute, and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
This interview gave me so much to think about that I doubt if I’ll sleep at all tonight! There MUST be more intense focus on "the missing C" … while reminding the whole triangle that our greater strength as a nation is NOT being at war! Voices in chorus – that’s what we need.
This is an outstending interview addressing critical issues for our country and indeed the entire world. I have been showing "Why We Fight" to classes of college students and members of my church since 2005 and was thrilled to hear today’s interview with Eugene Jeroski. I intend to read his book and will be using it in future classes when I show the film again.
I live in Connecticut, a state which has boasted in the past about being "the arsenal of the nation." I am sad to note that our state as well as the entire country is imprisoned on the "cross of iron" President Eisenhour warned us about. We as citizens need a movement to abolish nuclear weapons as well as so called conventional weapons which threaten the entire world. We need to learn new ways of creating and preserving peace and justice for all the world’s people.
Thank you for this program. Please continue to cover movements like this.
I am a 66 year old retiree (housewife now) living in Alabama, and I found your interview on NPR today with author/filmmaker Eugene Jarecki ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING !!! I stopped what I was doing to listen & take notes. I wish that every Amerian could hear this interview. Your discussion about our Military-Industrial Complex, War, our Congress, the Neo-Cons’ Ideology, and the U.S. publics’ need to become engaged & involved if we are to make a difference and to see Social Change in order to help this new administration succeed was so insightful and thought-provoking! You were both "right on-target." Keep up the good work and keep these very important discussions going! Thanks.
Susan
Excellent and important interview with Eugene Jarecki. Thanks!
John
Brilliant!