In the months of July and September 1940 the French historian and future resistance fighter Marc Bloch, who fought in World War I and World War II, wrote a short book called L'Étrange Défaite or Strange Defeat. It was a searing condemnation of the French high command and political class which was responsible for the humiliating defeat and disintegration of the French army with the Nazi invasion of France. Bloch, who went underground to fight the Nazi occupiers, was executed by the Gestapo in 1944. His book, published after the war, was the model for historian Andrew Bacevich’s book After the Apocalypse. In his book Bloch wrote: “Our war up to the very end, was a war of old men, or of theorists who were bogged down in errors, engendered by the faulty teaching of history. It was saturated by the smell of decay…” Bacevich is no less censorious of the political and military class that has led the United States into one debacle after the next since Vietnam, a war he served in as a young officer. He argues they are woefully out of touch with reality, crippled by self-delusion and unable to adapt to a changing world. Unless they are wrenched from power, he argues, the twilight of the American empire will be one filled, especially given our refusal to seriously address the climate crisis, with catastrophe after catastrophe. Joining me to discuss his book After the Apocalypse is retired Army Colonel Andrew Bacevich and emeritus professor of history and international relations at Boston University. He is also the cofounder and president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.
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The Chris Hedges Report with Andrew Bacevich on his book "After the Apocalypse" and the folly of endless war
Superb interview - 2 thoughts for followup:
1) I share and agree with the essence of Bacevitch's criticism of the 1619 Project. I would hope that Hedges, who was clearly uncomfortable with discussing that perspective, does a future show on this set of issues.
2_ Bacevitch seems to understand the key US moral and imperial failings the delivered the Vietnam atrocity. Yet, when analyzing our current similar atrocity in Ukraine, can't seem to get go there or get there. He merely implies a lost US opportunity to avoid the war and seems oblivious to the US driven NATO expansion, US driven coup, and long term US planning, funding and "democracy promotion" for and provocation of that war. I guess I'll have to read his book to understand his arguments here.
Once again, it is mportant to note that it is the false narrative that has shaped the impact of the post 911 theater drama.