Warrior Nation: America's Experience of War

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What kind of wars do Americans support and oppose? Which outcomes do they see as victories and defeats? Driven by idealism and wrath, Americans consistently perceive wars as either crusades or quagmires.

Inter-state wars are crusades, in which the United States should employ all necessary force to achieve majestic objectives. Nation-building missions are seen are quagmires, in which the United States only gets further entrenched, regardless of how successful the mission is on the ground. From the Civil War through Iraq, the United States has lurched from the crusade yin to the quagmire yang, as the military shifted from battling enemy states to stabilizing foreign societies. These two traditions leave the United States ill equipped in an era where limited war and nation-building represent increasingly important uses of force.

Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come-first served basis.