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After I returned from Afghanistan, I realized that 21st-century American patriotism is crass, slippery
& gross.
Our soldiers don’t need gimmicky reverence. They need a nation that stops misusing their service.
Some thoughts from my new book “Un-American” for @ambassadorbrief 1/x
& gross.
Our soldiers don’t need gimmicky reverence. They need a nation that stops misusing their service.
Some thoughts from my new book “Un-American” for @ambassadorbrief 1/x
1. America’s “War on Terror” is a negative-sum game: the more America commits, the more
everyone loses.
It’s hard to imagine a time in American history where more was spent accomplishing less. @CostsOfWar
https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/
everyone loses.
It’s hard to imagine a time in American history where more was spent accomplishing less. @CostsOfWar
https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/
Across every dimension, the costs of America’s longest war have been staggering:
--Roughly 7,000 US service members have died
--More than 335,000 civilians have been killed
-- The federal price tag is over $6.4 trillion dollars
--Roughly 7,000 US service members have died
--More than 335,000 civilians have been killed
-- The federal price tag is over $6.4 trillion dollars
2. America’s culture of lobotomized patriotism is causing it to waste its resources and overlook far
larger threats to society and the planet.
@sunrisemvmt @350 @PeaceAction
larger threats to society and the planet.
@sunrisemvmt @350 @PeaceAction
Since 9/11, our government has pulled the metaphorical goalie, shifting attention and finances away
from real threats to Americans at home – healthcare, climate change, economic resilience – and
allocated them to the perceived threat of terrorism overseas.
from real threats to Americans at home – healthcare, climate change, economic resilience – and
allocated them to the perceived threat of terrorism overseas.
It stems from our nation’s perverse sense of patriotism: we always have money to bomb people in
another country, but never enough to safeguard our own people at home.
another country, but never enough to safeguard our own people at home.
3. A message of empowerment: we have the ability to change our nation.
Our country is perfectly organized to give us our current results; if we do not like those results, we must change the forces that guide our nation.
Our country is perfectly organized to give us our current results; if we do not like those results, we must change the forces that guide our nation.
Like the Army doctrine says: until you and I take collective responsibility for everything our nation does— and fails
to do— until we truly own it— we should expect more of the same.
to do— until we truly own it— we should expect more of the same.
This will require us to adopt a “commander’s mind-set.” We must be responsible for everything our nation does—and fails to do. And as we share the communion of our failures and successes together, as one community, as one world, we will not be driven apart.
You can read these points – and my detailed policy prescriptions – in much greater depth here: https://bit.ly/2EBWSZz
And pick up a copy of the book here: https://www.amazon.com/American-Soldiers-Reckoning-Our-Longest/dp/1635573742
or through independents, here:
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781635573749
or through independents, here:
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781635573749
Read more about the book reviews @LAReviewofBooks... @sally_mcgrane https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/two-decades-of-futility-on-erik-edstroms-un-american-a-soldiers-reckoning-of-our-longest-war/
Or @nytimes @nytimesbooks, reviewed by the inestimable, @tomricks1
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/books/review/un-american-erik-edstrom.html
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https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/books/review/un-american-erik-edstrom.html
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