Putting "Defense" Back into U.S. Defense Policy: Rethinking U.S. Security in the Post-Cold War World

Rating:
Summary: A Rousing Alternative to Current U.S. Defense Policy!
Review: "Putting "Defense" Back into U.S. Defense Policy: Rethinking U.S. Security in the Post-Cold War World" poses a striking alternative to the U.S.' current defense policy. Eland argues that even before the Bush Administration's massive increase in defense spending following September 11th, "the United States was spending too much on defense and that the money is being spent on the wrong priorities. He proposes that rather than increasing the budget by 30 percent, the government should cut it by 40 percent, to $184 billion."

"According to Eland, if the United States changes its defense strategy, this reduction can be made without undermining the U.S. position as the dominant superpower. He wants the United States to stop intervening haphazardly in foreign civil wars, such as those in Kosovo and Somalia, to reduce its overseas presence drastically, and to intervene militarily only where the country's vital interests are at stake. Eland calls this strategy appropriate to a "balancer of last resort..."

"Adopting the new strategy will permit the United States to reclaim the Founding Fathers' position that having a small military and avoiding foreign conflicts best preserves the Constitution and the liberties and prosperity of the American people."

"His overall message is one that deserves a hearing before the United States embarks on a defense-spending binge."

Rating:
Summary: A Rousing Alternative to Current U.S. Defense Policy!
Review: "Putting "Defense" Back into U.S. Defense Policy: Rethinking U.S. Security in the Post-Cold War World" poses a striking alternative to the U.S.' current defense policy. Eland argues that even before the Bush Administration's massive increase in defense spending following September 11th, "the United States was spending too much on defense and that the money is being spent on the wrong priorities. He proposes that rather than increasing the budget by 30 percent, the government should cut it by 40 percent, to $184 billion."

"According to Eland, if the United States changes its defense strategy, this reduction can be made without undermining the U.S. position as the dominant superpower. He wants the United States to stop intervening haphazardly in foreign civil wars, such as those in Kosovo and Somalia, to reduce its overseas presence drastically, and to intervene militarily only where the country's vital interests are at stake. Eland calls this strategy appropriate to a "balancer of last resort..."

"Adopting the new strategy will permit the United States to reclaim the Founding Fathers' position that having a small military and avoiding foreign conflicts best preserves the Constitution and the liberties and prosperity of the American people."

"His overall message is one that deserves a hearing before the United States embarks on a defense-spending binge."

Rating:
Summary: A book to make you think
Review: In the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks, the US is rethinking its defense policy. Dr. Eland's book provides one blueprint for a transformation, and I hope military policymakers like Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld will read this book and consider Eland's recommendations.

Although written before the attacks, the book predicts that terrorism is America's biggest threat in the coming decade, and proposes a defense policy that will reduce the chances of future attacks on the US homeland. You may not agree with all of Eland's viewpoints and recommendations, but I promise you will finish each chapter with a new perspective and a better understanding of America's role in the world.