Negative Impact of a Long War on the Military

Ever so insightful, Andrew Bacevich has now zoned in on the negative results of a long war, as is the case in Iraq and Afghanistan) on the military. In prior writings and interviews, he has stressed that our nation suffers by having a military that is divorced from the general public. As he states, President Obama says that "our nation is at war", but it is delusion. The "nation" lives with no day-to-day relation with the war.

He now focuses on the negative impact on a standing military that is divorced from the general civilian population. They tend to lose respect for civilian opinion and look toward their leaders as the ones that need to be followed. Eliot Cohen, in another column, notes the same reality.

In the case of a "long war", this is a recipe for disaster. The military tend to view public and political opinion as even less worthy of their respect.

This is a disastrous situation!