Author Topic: DRIFT: THE UNMOORING OF AMERICAN MILITARY POWER by Rachel Maddow (2012)  (Read 201 times)

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Offline agate

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Rachel Maddow, DRIFT: THE UNMOORING OF AMERICAN MILITARY POWER (2012)

This short but well constructed book makes a very persuasive case for putting far less emphasis on the military in the US today.  Maddow argues that going to war has become much too easy, and people are not only suffering from the consequences of this extreme militarization of our country but are also being endangered by the reckless inattention to human life exemplified in our slipshod handling of nuclear weapons.

She cites instance after horrifying instance of lamebrained decisions and policies over the last 50 years.  There was the time when six nuclear warheads were flown 1400 miles across the US, and no one knew their whereabouts for over 36 hours:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/02/12/us-usa-military-nuclear-idUSN1255936420080212

She comments on the material she has unearthed with biting humor. There is no doubt about where she stands on these issues.

She is alert to the problems that arise when the populace is less literate than it should be, too:

Quote
Others told investigators, without a hint of shame, that they weren't sure that verifying meant "like, actually physically checking something."

However, although there is an extensive list of sources at the end of the book, there are no footnotes or other indications of the exact sources for each person quoted or incident mentioned.  Although the lack of precise references makes for a much more readable book, in a work on a topic as controversial as the US military, I believe that the author could have enhanced her credibility greatly if she had included them.

« Last Edit: November 30, 2013, 04:20:14 pm by agate »
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