17+ Andrew Bacevich Quotes On War, Education And Politics

Andrew Bacevich is an American historian, political scientist, and retired U.S. Army Colonel. He is a professor emeritus of international relations and history at the Boston University Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies. He is known for his critiques of American foreign policy and military interventionism, and his advocacy for a more restrained approach to international relations. Following is our collection on famous quotes by Andrew Bacevich on war, education, leadership.

The folly and hubris of the policy makers who heedlessly thrust the nation into an ill-defined and open-ended 'global war on terror' without the foggiest notion of what victory would look like, how it would be won, and what it might cost approached standards hitherto achieved only by slightly mad German warlords. — Andrew Bacevich

To divine the course of world events, you'd do as well to probe the entrails of dead animals. Better still, ask your hairstylist. She will be at least as insightful and probably more entertaining a prophet than anyone you can read in Foreign Affairs or the op-ed page of the Washington Post. — Andrew Bacevich

Memorial Day orators will say that a G.I.'s life is priceless. Don't believe it. I know what value the U.S. government assigns to a soldier's life: I've been handed the check. It's roughly what the Yankees will pay Roger Clemens per inning once he starts pitching next month. — Andrew Bacevich

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. — Andrew Bacevich

I began to appreciate that authentic truth is never simple and that any version of truth handed down from on high - whether by presidents, prime ministers, or archbishops - is inherently suspect. The powerful, I came to see, reveal truth only to the extent that it suits them. — Andrew Bacevich

The U.S. has become a defacto one-party state, with the legislative branch permanently controlled by an incumbent's party and every president exploiting his role as Commander-in-Chief to expand on the imperial prerogatives of his office. — Andrew Bacevich

Sometimes, when you can't fix the problem on your own, you need to make some compromises and find the partners who can get the job done for you. — Andrew Bacevich

Americans once believed that their prosperity and way of life depended on having assured access to Persian Gulf oil. Today, that is no longer the case. The United States is once more an oil exporter. Available and accessible reserves of oil and natural gas in North America are far greater than was once believed. Yet the assumption that the Persian Gulf still qualifies as crucial to American national security persists in Washington. Why? — Andrew Bacevich

Rejection would be a disaster for the U.S., but ratification alone will not end our problems in Iraq. Even if the constitution is ratified, the insurgents are not going to lay down their arms. — Andrew Bacevich

It's not so much the amount of tax we pay - it's the sense that our pocket's being picked without our knowing what's going on. — Andrew Bacevich

Are there any military actions that the president of the United States may not order on his own authority? If so, what are they? Bit by bit, decade by decade, Congress has abdicated its assigned role in authorizing war. Today, it merely rubberstamps what presidents decide to do (or simply stays mum). Who does this deference to an imperial presidency benefit? Have U.S. policies thereby become more prudent, enlightened, and successful? — Andrew Bacevich

If any overarching conclusion emerges from the Afghan and Iraq Wars (and from their Israeli equivalents), it's this: victory is a chimera. — Andrew Bacevich

Each year terrorist attacks kill far fewer Americans than do auto accidents, drug overdoses, or even lightning strikes. Yet in the allocation of government resources, preventing terrorist attacks takes precedence over preventing all three of the others combined. Why is that? — Andrew Bacevich

You know, we live in a country where if you want to go bomb somebody, there's remarkably little discussion about how much it might cost, even though the costs almost inevitably end up being orders of magnitude larger than anybody projected at the outcome. — Andrew Bacevich

We are squandering our wealth. In many respects, to the extent that we persist in our imperial delusions, we're also going to squander our freedom... — Andrew Bacevich

Ideology makes people stupid. — Andrew Bacevich

As a kid I was enamored with fiction, most of it utterly forgettable and long forgotten. — Andrew Bacevich

Life Lessons by Andrew Bacevich

1. Andrew Bacevich's work emphasizes the importance of understanding the history of American foreign policy, and the need to recognize the limits of American power and the importance of diplomacy in international relations.
2. He also argues for a more restrained approach to military intervention, and for the need to recognize the consequences of military action for both the American people and those affected by it.
3. Finally, he stresses the importance of understanding the complexities of global politics, and the need to recognize the role of other countries and non-state actors in international affairs.