Putting "Defense" Back into U.S. Defense Policy: Rethinking U.S. Security in the Post-Cold War World (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "People from across the political spectrum would probably agree that U.S. national security policy (that is, U.S. foreign and defense policies) should first protect U.S..." (more)
Key Phrases: restructured force, benign threat environment, extended defense perimeter, United States, Cold War, Gulf War (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The book is a useful addition to a wide-ranging debate on defense spending today. Recommended for general readers, undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals.”–Choice

“The main value of Eland's work is its critical and dispassionate treatment of assumptions that have driven national security strategy since the beginning of the cold war-assumptions that should be addressed by all those seriously interested in the issue.”–Political Science Quarterly

Product Description

In this compelling study, Eland questions the core assumptions of the American foreign policy and defense establishments that call for military interventions around the world and high and increasing defense budgets at home. He outlines a security policy more appropriate to the sober realities of the post-Cold War era. This is an approach that calls for military restraint overseas, taking advantage of the already secure U.S. geostrategic position, while safeguarding truly vital national interests. Eland details the military forces needed for this new role and calculates the reduced defense budget required to pay for these forces.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Praeger (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275973484
• ISBN-13: 978-0275973483
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #915,223 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book to make you think, October 10, 2001

By A Customer

In the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks, the US is rethinking its defense policy. Dr. Eland's book provides one blueprint for a transformation, and I hope military policymakers like Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld will read this book and consider Eland's recommendations.

Although written before the attacks, the book predicts that terrorism is America's biggest threat in the coming decade, and proposes a defense policy that will reduce the chances of future attacks on the US homeland. You may not agree with all of Eland's viewpoints and recommendations, but I promise you will finish each chapter with a new perspective and a better understanding of America's role in the world.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rousing Alternative to Current U.S. Defense Policy!, September 3, 2003

By	From The Independent Review (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews

"Putting "Defense" Back into U.S. Defense Policy: Rethinking U.S. Security in the Post-Cold War World" poses a striking alternative to the U.S.' current defense policy. Eland argues that even before the Bush Administration's massive increase in defense spending following September 11th, "the United States was spending too much on defense and that the money is being spent on the wrong priorities. He proposes that rather than increasing the budget by 30 percent, the government should cut it by 40 percent, to $184 billion."

"According to Eland, if the United States changes its defense strategy, this reduction can be made without undermining the U.S. position as the dominant superpower. He wants the United States to stop intervening haphazardly in foreign civil wars, such as those in Kosovo and Somalia, to reduce its overseas presence drastically, and to intervene militarily only where the country's vital interests are at stake. Eland calls this strategy appropriate to a "balancer of last resort..."

"Adopting the new strategy will permit the United States to reclaim the Founding Fathers' position that having a small military and avoiding foreign conflicts best preserves the Constitution and the liberties and prosperity of the American people."

"His overall message is one that deserves a hearing before the United States embarks on a defense-spending binge."