Retired U.S. Army Col. Andrew Bacevich, author of the new book, Twilight of the American Century, joins the show to talk about the nomination of retired general John Abizaid as ambassador to Saudi Arabia, which Bacevich says should be an occasion to reflect on what has gone wrong in the terror war—but likely will not be. Bacevich claims that conservatives have not been forthcoming about their errors in supporting the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, even when they make small concessions about certain features, as Max Boot and John McCain did recently. The antiwar conservative movement has a huge opportunity to use the failed war on terror as an example of just how badly interventionism and nation building can go wrong, but so far they have not mobilized large support. Similarly, the left has an opportunity to oppose President Trump on his very worst policies (the wars), but mainly have chosen to attack him for the supposed Russia scandal and his personal life. Any significant resurgence of the antiwar left would require its members to face up to their support for President Obama, one of the worst war hawks of all time. Many are unwilling to do this.
Discussed on the show:
- “Our Man in Riyadh” (Unz.com)
- “When David Brooks’ Dreams Don’t Work Out” (The American Conservative)
- “The Redirection” (The New Yorker)
Andrew Bacevich is a Professor Emeritus of International Relations and History at Boston University. He is the author of a number of books including America’s War for the Greater Middle East: A Military History and is a regular contributor at The American Conservative and TomDispatch.com.
This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Kesslyn Runs, by Charles Featherstone; NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; Zen Cash; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and LibertyStickers.com.
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