Andrew Bacevich

Military and Foreign Policy Expert

The Limits of Power: the End of American Exceptionalism

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An influential historian, Andrew Bacevich speaks on the unprecedented political, military and economic crises that face America today. His latest bestseller is Washington Rules -- an unswerving critique of the country's military industrial complex. In his previous bestseller, The Limits of Power, Bacevich deconstructed decades of disastrous foreign policies, arguing that America's lust for empire and its sense of entitlement, coupled with its myth of indestructibility, has deluded and diminished the nation, at home and in the eyes of the world. "This compact, meaty volume ought to be on the reading list of every candidate for national office," writes The Washington Post. "In any sane political system, Mr. Bacevich would be immediately recruited to run intelligence and research at the State Department or policymaking at the Pentagon."

A leading intellectual of the armed services, Bacevich is known for reaching across political lines and speaking blunt truth to power, regardless of who is in office. Bacevich is Professor of International Relations and History at Boston University; he previously taught at Johns Hopkins University and at West Point, where he graduated in 1969. He also holds a Ph.D. in American Diplomatic History from Princeton. With the US Army, he served during the Vietnam War, and has held posts in Germany and the Persian Gulf; he retired, as a Colonel, in the early 1990s.

Bacevich's books, eloquent and pragmatic, include The New American Militarism: How Americans Are Seduced by War, and American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U. S. Diplomacy. He has also written for The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, and The New York Times, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Andrew Bacevich Speech Topic

The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism

America is suffering a grave triple crisis. Our government, led astray by eight years of an imperialistic presidency, is now a democracy in name only. Our military, fighting endless wars meant to solve foreign policy problems, is overstretched and exhausted. Our economy, buckling under the weight of a uniquely American urge to over-consume, is in a tailspin. How did we get here, and how do we fix it?

In this talk, Andrew Bacevich shows you how the previous Administration -- and those dating back to the end of the Second World War -- has led America on this increasingly unsustainable path. This is how we reverse it, how we rebound. We must look to the neglected tradition of realism. In short, we must respect power and its limits; suppress claims of American Exceptionalism; be skeptical of easy solutions, especially those involving force; and make sure that the books balance. Bacevich's talk, far from an exercise in finger pointing, is an eloquent and indispensable outline to fixing America's urgent problems before the damage becomes irreparable.

VIDEOS

LINKS

Andrew Bacevich at Boston University

BOOKS

Washington Rules

The Limits of Power

The New American Militarism

ARTICLES

"I Lost My Son to a War I Oppose. We Were Both Doing Our Duty." - Washington Post

"The Age of Triumphalism is Over" - Los Angeles Times

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