Dr. Andrew Bacevich: Re-Considering American Global Policy

Sleeping Lady Foundation Presents an Evening with Dr. Andrew Bacevich.

Andrew Bacevich is professor of history and international relations at Boston University. A graduate of West Point, he served in Vietnam and retired from the U.S. Army with the rank of Colonel after 20 years. He received his PhD in American Diplomatic History from Princeton University. Before joining the faculty of Boston University, he taught at West Point and Johns Hopkins.

Bacevich is the author of several books, including Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War and The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism. He has been a persistent, vocal critic of the United States' occupation of Iraq, calling the conflict "a catastrophic failure." In March 2007, he described George W. Bush's endorsement of such "preventive wars" as "immoral, illicit, and imprudent." His son, also an Army officer, died fighting in the Iraq War in May 2007.

Bacevich eschews the partisanship of current debate about American foreign policy as short-sighted and ahistorical. Instead of blaming only one President for contemporary policies, Bacevich sees both Republicans and Democrats as sharing responsibility for policies which may not be in the nation's best interest. This is the moment, Bacevich argues, to reconsider the principles which shape American policy in the world—to acknowledge that fixing Afghanistan should not take precedence over fixing Detroit.

Proceeds from this event will benefit the Leavenworth Rotary Scholarship Fund.

To take stock of The Short American Century and place it in historical perspective, Bacevich has assembled a richly provocative range of perspectives. What did this age of reputed American preeminence signify? What caused its premature demise? What legacy remains in its wake? Distinguished historians Jeffry Frieden, Akira Iriye, David Kennedy, Walter LaFeber, Jackson Lears, Eugene McCarraher, Emily Rosenberg, and Nikhil Pal Singh offer illuminating answers to these questions. Achievement and failure, wisdom and folly, calculation and confusion all make their appearance in essays that touch on topics as varied as internationalism and empire, race and religion, consumerism and globalization.

As the United States grapples with protracted wars, daunting economic uncertainty, and pressing questions about exactly what role it should play in a rapidly changing world, understanding where the nation has been and how it got where it is today is critical. What did the forging of the American Century—with its considerable achievements but also its ample disappointments and missed opportunities—ultimately yield? That is the question this important volume answers.

Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War (American Empire Project)

Hailed as "brilliant" by The Washington Post, Washington Rules is Andrew Bacevich's bestselling challenge to the conventional American wisdom on national security. With vivid, incisive analysis, Bacevich assails and exposes the preconceptions, biases, and habits that underlie this pervasive faith in military might, especially the notion that overwhelming superiority will oblige others to accommodate America's needs and desires—whether for cheap oil, cheap credit, or cheap consumer goods. Instead, Bacevich argues that we must reconsider the principles which shape American policy in the world and acknowledge that fixing Afghanistan should not take precedence over fixing Detroit.

As we enter a period when our militarism has become both unaffordable and increasingly dangerous, replacing this Washington consensus is crucial to America's future and may yet offer the key to the country's salvation.

"Tough-minded, bracing, and intelligent . . . the country is lucky to have a fierce, smart peacemonger like Bacevich." — The New York Times Book Review

The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism

"Andrew Bacevich speaks truth to power, no matter who's in power, which may be why those of both the left and right listen to him.” — Bill Moyers

An immediate New York Times bestseller, The Limits of Power offers an unparalleled examination of the profound triple crisis facing America: an economy in disarray that can no longer be fixed by relying on expansion abroad; a government transformed into a democracy in name only; and an engagement in endless wars that has severely undermined the body politic.

This acclaimed conservative historian and former military officer offers a bracing call for a pragmatic confrontation with the nation's problems.

"In this caustic critique of the growing American 'penchant for empire' and 'sense of entitlement,' Bacevich ... examines the citizenry's complicity in the current 'economic, political, and military crisis.' ... [He] efficiently pillories the recent performance of the armed forces, decrying it as 'an expression of domestic dysfunction,' with leaders and misguided strategies ushering the nation into 'a global war of no exits and no deadlines.' Arguing that the tendency to blame solely the military or the Bush administration is as illogical as blaming Herbert Hoover for the Great Depression, Bacevich demonstrates how the civilian population is ultimately culpable; in citizens' appetite for unfettered access to resources, they have tacitly condoned the change of 'military service from a civic function into an economic enterprise.' Crisp prose, sweeping historical analysis and searing observations on the roots of American decadence elevate this book from mere scolding to an urgent call for rational thinking and measured action, for citizens to wise up and put their house in order." — Publishers Weekly

"In The Limits of Power, Andrew Bacevich delivers precisely what the Republic has so desperately needed: an analysis of America's woes that goes beyond the villain of the moment, George W. Bush, and gets at the heart of the delusions that have crippled the country's foreign policy for decades. Bacevich writes with a passionate eloquence and moral urgency that makes this book absolutely compelling. Everyone should read it." — Mark Danner, author of Torture and Truth: America, Abu Ghraib, and the War on Terror

"Strongly felt and elegantly written, The Limits of Power is painfully clear-sighted and refreshingly uncontaminated by the conventional wisdom of Washington, D.C." — The Economist

"Bacevich is the real deal. A quiet, cool voice of sanity with his spare, rigorous and unfailing honest analyses of America's role in the world and deepening strategic predicaments. This book should be essential reading for every National Security Council staffer in the next Washington administration, be it Republican or Democratic. 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. The Limits of Power is destined to stand as a lonely classic signpost pointing the way to any future hope of renewed international and political security for the American people." — The Washington Times

"In this utterly original book, Andrew Bacevich explains how our "empire of consumption" contains the seeds of its own destruction and why our foreign policy establishment in Washington is totally incapable of coming to grips with it. Indispensable reading for every citizen." — Chalmers Johnson, author of the Blowback Trilogy

“This compact, meaty volume ought to be on the reading list of every candidate for national office in November's elections. In an age of cant and baloney, Andrew Bacevich offers a bracing slap of reality. The Limits of Power is gracefully written and easy to read . . . chockablock with provocative ideas and stern judgments. Bacevich's brand of intellectual assuredness is rare... few combine confidence with knowledge and deep thought the way Bacevich does here. His big argument is elegant and powerful.” — The Washington Post

5:00 pm VIP Dinner. 7:30 pm Lecture followed by Q & A and Book Signing. Call 509-548-6344 or 800-574-2123 for reservations. General Admission $20. Students, Seniors and Veterans $15. VIP Dinner and Lecture $100.

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Buy a SIGNED copy of The Short American Century: A Postmortem - $25.95

Buy a SIGNED copy of Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War - $15.00

Buy a SIGNED copy of The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism - $14.00