HOME / the chat room: Real-time discussions with Slate writers.

Words of WarcraftFred Kaplan takes readers' questions about fixing Bush's military, U.S. national security, and foriegn policy.

Posted Thursday, April 3, 2008, at 6:18 PM ET

(Continued from page 3)

RSS

This is a myth that has gone on far too long. Western Europe went along willingly with the United States—thanks in large part to the Marshal Plan, in my opinion—but the same is not true of many other U.S. allies during the Cold War. Coercion and CIA-sponsored coups were used all over Latin America and the Middle East as tools to build anti-Communist alliances. The continued refusal to face this reality and own up to past expediencies fuels her current enemies and weakens her internally. Any president admitting to these facts would disarm many of America's most vocal and most radical opponents, and America would emerge again as the great model to which other nations aspire.

Fred Kaplan: Good point. I would say two things, though. First, Europe was the centerpiece of our Cold War policy. Second, as for the other countries, many of their governments went along with us by choice—though it's certainly the case that some of those governments were installed or bought off. I may have used the phrase "by choice" too cavalierly.

_______________________

Seattle, a military town: Given the massive outsourcing to Blackwater and other nonmilitary "contractors" by the Bush misadministration—usually at triple or quadruple pay—is it likely we can fix our military, given how much of its hardware has been chewed up in Iraq and the lack of noncontractor resources? And do you think this was a plan by Red China that Bush and McCain enabled with the help of John Yoo and other plants?

Fred Kaplan: I think we'll be seeing much less involvement by contractors in the near future. Don't think that reduced contracting will save us money. Somebody has to do the jobs that the contractors have been doing. Where are we going to get these people? As for the Red China plot: No.

_______________________

aix42: The U.S. must admit its use of torture and apologize. It must stop use of black sites and Guantanamo and the ridiculous notion of "unlawful enemy combatants." The people of the U.S. also need to become fully aware of how the actions of the U.S. against other nations of the world have hurt many people and have caused great animosity toward this country.

Fred Kaplan: OK, but then what do we do after the self-flagellation. I don't mean to minimize the point. This IS a basic prerequisite to boosting our image and restoring much of our power—which, as I point out in the Slate column, amount to much the same thing (if done properly).

_______________________

Nike: An even better idea! Instead of squandering the wealth of the nation down one black hole after another in the Middle East, why not spend that cash on education, building roads, health care, reducing the deficit, etc.? Nah, forget it. How would helping Americans serve the cause of the war pigs? God bless America.

Fred Kaplan: Just curious: "black holes" aside, are you opposed to any US activity overseas?

_______________________

Seattle: No politicians are talking about the foreign implications of oil dependency? Last time I checked, both Obama and Clinton were talking directly about it—and we here in the 17 states dealing with global warming are doing something about it, with people like me buying 100 percent green power from Seattle City Light from wind, solar and hydro, for example, and all made in America! Half of war is economics—so, is not the major threat the Red Chinese taking global oil, coal and mineral resources worldwide while we dither?

Fred Kaplan: I think you're right. Thomas Friedman had a fascinating story in the NY Times Magazine several months ago about U.S. firms manufacturing energy-saving devices—large-scale devices—explicitly for export to the Chinese market. This is another way to go.

_______________________

Fred Kaplan: That's all, folks. Thanks for the lively forum.