The Spoils of War: Power, Profit and the American War Machine [9781839763687]

Overview

Why does the United States go to war? A leading Harper’s commentator on U.S. foreign affairs offers a withering exposé of runaway military spending and the profit-driven U.S. war machine.

America has a long tradition of justifying war as the defense of democracy. The War on Terror was waged to protect the West from the dangers of Islamists. The US soldiers stationed in over 800 locations across the world are meant to be the righteous arbiters of justice. Against this background, Andrew Cockburn brilliantly dissects the true intentions behind Washington’s martial appetites.

The American war machine can only be understood in terms of the private passions and interests of those who control it—principally a passionate interest in money. Thus, as Cockburn witheringly reports, Washington expanded NATO to satisfy an arms manufacturer’s urgent financial requirements; the US Navy’s Pacific fleet deployments were for years dictated by a corrupt contractor who bribed high-ranking officers with cash and prostitutes; senior Marine commanders agreed to a troop surge in Afghanistan in 2017 for budgetary reasons.

Based on years of wide-ranging research, Cockburn lays bare the ugly reality of the largest military machine in history: as profoundly squalid as it is terrifyingly deadly.

The book, The Spoils of War: Power, Profit and the American War Machine [Bulk, Wholesale, Quantity] ISBN#9781839763687 in Paperback by Andrew Cockburn may be ordered in bulk quantities. Minimum starts at 25 copies. Availability based on publisher status and quantity being ordered.