A Comprehensive Book Review: Andrew Bacevich's The Limits of Power

This report is a book review of Andrew Bacevich's 'The Limits of Power,' which examines the triple crisis facing America: economic disruption, reliance on foreign expansion, and a flawed foreign policy. The review begins with an introduction of the author and the book, summarizing Bacevich's arguments about the limits of power and the need for the US to address its economic problems by moving away from traditional realism. The review delves into Bacevich's critiques of American foreign policy, the influence of consumption, and the role of the foreign policy apparatus. It also discusses the historical context, including the development of security apparatuses after WWII, and the author's view on the impact of these developments. The report concludes with an assessment of Bacevich's arguments, highlighting his recommendations for a more modest foreign policy and living within America's means.

Running head: THE LIMITS OF POWER BY ANDREW BACEVICH
THE LIMITS OF POWER BY ANDREW BACEVICH
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
Andrew J. Bacevich was born in the year 1947, he is an American historian who is
specialized in international relations, security studies, American foreign policy and American
diplomatic and military history and story teller (Alvesson, 2018). He also served the Boston
University and Pardee school of Global Studies as a Professor of International relations and
history. He is also a retired person in the career of the Armor Branch of the United States Army.
According to the author Bacevich, (2018) he had retired holding the post of a senior colonel
presently he is no the former director of the Boston University Center for the International
relations.
Bacevich was born and brought up in Normal, Liinios, he had graduated from the United
States of Military Academy at West Point in the year 1969. After that he had also served the
United States Arm during the Vietnam War that had taken place in the summers of 1970 till the
summers of 1971. The Limits of Power is written by Andrew J. Bacevich which offers the
readers with an unparalleled examination of the profound triple crisis which is faced by America.
The triple crisis is basically an economic disruption which can only be fixed by relying on
expansion to abroad countries. The writer has written the book with huge amount of knowledge
and experience in the field. He is a conservative historian who has worked in the military. The
author argues that if the nation has to solve the basic economic problem which it is suffering
from, then it has to neglect the tradition of realism. In contrast to the multiple illusion which is
followed by the US government from the year 1945 (Bacevich, 2018). The author in the book
calls for the respect of the power and grants the limits which should be followed. The author
recommends that skepticism can be used for easy solutions which can be used by those leaders
who involve force. The author in the books argues that he can provide some common ground

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which can fix the problems that re faced by the country. He says so only because that the damage
does not become irreparable.
Discussion
The author Andrew J. Bacevich speaks truth to the power where he says that no matter
who so is in the position of ultimate power he should have the capability of listening to both the
sides of the common people. The author has also spoken about the sweeping away of the
historical analysis and searing the observations on the roots of democracy. The book rather calls
up the citizens of the country in order to be rational thinker and believer. He says that the citizen
should rise up and put their house in order. In this utterly original book of Andrew Bacevich, the
author tries to explain how the empire of consumption are containing the valuable seeds of the
own destruction in the country itself. He speaks how the foreign policy in Washington DC is
fully incapable to perform any work (Daddis, Dempsey & Kreps, 2018).
The author argues that the country’s founding principles that is “freedom” has now
become very confused along with the term “appetite”.“If one were to choose a single word to
characterize that identity, it would have to be more. For the majority of contemporary
Americans, the essence of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness centers on a relentless
personal quest to acquire, to consume, to indulge, and to shed whatever constraints might
interfere with those endeavors. A bumper sticker, a sardonic motto, and a charge dating from the
Age of Woodstock have recast the Jeffersonian trinity in modern vernacular: “Whoever dies with
the most toys wins”; “Shop till you drop”; “If it feels good, do it.” The author argues that it is
slowly turning the country into a traditional quest for liberty that considers the obsessions of
consumption that is the never ending search for more and more things (Bacevich, 2018). In order

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to accommodate the hunger the author says that the politician of the country have created an
informal production of supply which was maintained through the constant brush fire wars in the
country. The author also speaks about the foreign policy apparatus which means to manage the
big empire which had grown hideously into a big bloated nation before the disaster of the
country.
The author argues that the dog days of the George W. Brush era as the fighting wars
between Afghanistan and Iraq along with the global food, energy and economic crises mounts
the argument with a huge amount of appeal. The author argues with the other author that the
nation is in serious trouble. This is what Bacevich had aimed to provide hailing from what can be
called the ultra traditional school of American foreign policies. Andrew J. Bacevich used to teach
history and international relations in the University of Boston. As the citizens are growing soft,
the government of United State was mutating it as well. The author tried to respond to the shocks
of the communist revolution in China, also the Soviet’s bombs and the onset of the Korean War
in Washington were developing new permanent security apparatus. This also consists the
Pentagon which includes the FBI and the CIA along with the National Security Council. The
author argues that these bodies along with the Congress enabled a huge amount of expansion
with the executive power of executive power (Swann, Hart & Yarker, 2018).
After the new setup which has been identified, Bacevich argues that had it worked the
way it was supposed to work then it would have been very beneficial. The bureaucracy had
quickly proved much hindrance than helping them only. Also the author argues that the
individual agencies should put their interests over the nation. Also he says that the frustrated
pedestrians on the roads of John Kennedy on turned into the informal kitchen’s cabinet for the

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advice, which has let to shut down of the advices which were given. As a story these things are
only possible when it is slightly closer in inspection process (Bloemraad, 2018).
Conclusion
In order to conclude the above book review it can be said that unfortunately Bacevich is
not a very good author for suggestions. The book says that America should live within its means,
it pursue a more modest foreign policy. It acts as a nuclear weapons and force stops the combat
of global warming. Perhaps it can be clearly seen that Bacevich does not feels that he has to
provide a detailed answer because he himself is more of a prophet than a policy maker. It can
also be said that just providing a broad condemnation of the consumers in America, he can be
more specific with the possible solutions to the specific problems that has been identified.

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