April 9, 2010
Nine years after America invaded Afghanistan in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, American and NATO troops remain involved in heavy fighting. One year ago, President Barack Obama
committed additional troops to the war while vowing to begin reducing levels in 2011. Though Obama revised "success" from creating a democratic Afghanistan to a stable one, grim news continues to emerge from Afghanistan. Andrew Bacevich, a professor at Boston University and former U.S. Army Colonel, thinks that even President Obama's pessimistic predictions for the country are too optimistic.
Bacevich joins Bill Moyers on the JOURNAL to provide history and context to the news reports and explain why he believes America needs to rethink its foreign policy completely.
>>Find out more about Andrew Bacevich and his views on international relations.
>>Watch a web exclusive, extended interview with Andrew Bacevich.
Andrew J. Bacevich
Andrew J. Bacevich is professor of international relations and history at
Boston University. A graduate of the U. S. Military Academy, he received his Ph. D. in American diplomatic history from Princeton University. Before joining the faculty of Boston University in 1998, he taught at West Point and at Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Bacevich is the author of THE LIMITS OF POWER: AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM (2008). His previous books include AMERICAN EMPIRE: THE REALITIES AND CONSEQUENCES OF U. S. DIPLOMACY (2002), THE IMPERIAL TENSE: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF AMERICAN EMPIRE (2003, editor), THE NEW AMERICAN MILITARISM: HOW AMERICANS ARE SEDUCED BY WAR (2005), and THE LONG WAR: A NEW HISTORY OF US NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY SINCE WORLD WAR II (2007, editor).
His essays and reviews have appeared in a wide variety of scholarly and general interest publications including THE WILSON QUARTERLY, THE NATIONAL INTEREST, FOREIGN AFFAIRS, FOREIGN POLICY, THE NATION, THE AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE, and THE NEW REPUBLIC. His op-eds have appeared in THE NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, WALL STREET JOURNAL, FINANCIAL TIMES, BOSTON GLOBE, LOS ANGELES TIMES, and USA TODAY, among other newspapers.
Guest photo by
Robin Holland.
Andrew Bacevich Is an imperial presidency destroying what America stands for? Bill Moyers interviews history and international relations expert and former US Army Colonel Andrew J. Bacevich who identifies three major problems facing our democracy: the crises of economy, government and militarism, and calls for a redefinition of the American way of life. (August 15, 2008)
Mark Danner Reporting from the world's most troubled hotspots, Mark Danner has seen countless deaths over ethnic and political divides, and witnessed firsthand how U.S. attempts to exploit those conflicts have resulted in disastrous unforeseen consequences. Danner speaks with Bill Moyers about Obama's challenges in resetting the mindset of America from war to peace, and redefining the US as a nation. (October 16, 2009)
Rory Stewart Rory Stewart, director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, lays out an alternate strategy for the international community in Afghanistan. (September 25, 2009)
Sarah Chayes As a new administration is set to take over in the White House, Bill Moyers checks in with author Sarah Chayes on the state of affairs in America's other war in Afghanistan. An author and journalist, Chayes has lived the last eight years in Afghanistan helping to rebuild the country. (December 19, 2008)
Nancy Youssef The JOURNAL takes a hard look at the state of affairs in ever-divided Afghanistan with McClatchy DC Pentagon correspondent Nancy Youssef. (September 11, 2009)
Shahan Mufti and Juan Cole As the world follows the violence and unrest in Pakistan, Bill Moyers speaks with historian Juan Cole and journalist Shahan Mufti about the U.S. relationship with Pakistan, how it relates to the war in Afghanistan, and why they think Pakistan is not likely to become a failed state anytime soon. (May 15, 2009)
Andrew J. Bacevich's blog at WORLD AFFAIRS JOURNAL.
"Déjá Vu in Marja: Our guiding illusions in Afghanistan"By Andrew J. Bacevich, AMERICA, March 29, 2010.
"How Petraeus could swing thinking on Israel"By Andrew J. Bacevich, SALON.COM, March 17, 2010.
"No Exit"By Andrew J. Bacevich, AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE, February 1, 2010.
"Let Europe Be Europe: Why the United States must withdraw from NATO."By Andrew J. Bacevich, FOREIGN POLICY, March/April 2010.
TIMES TOPICS: Afghanistan.Coverage on Afghanistan from THE NEW YORK TIMES.
