Fortress America: The American Military and the Consequences of Peace

Fortress America: The American Military and the Consequences of Peace
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The Hobo Philosopher

Analysis of military's dilemma holds up well post-9/11

Useful, Not Moving

How We Got Here

Fortress America: Weapons for yesterday's war.

Fortress America: The American Military and the Consequences of Peace
William Greider
Manufacturer: PublicAffairs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | United States | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Military Science | History | Subjects | Books
Arms Control | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1891620096

Amazon.com

"The U.S. military-industrial complex, as we have known it, is in the process of devouring itself, literally and tangibly. The awesome interlocking structure of armed forces, industrial interests, and political alliances that has sprawled across American public life and purpose for two generations cannot endure for long," writes Rolling Stone correspondent William Greider in the introduction to Fortress America. Although shorter than his previous books on the Federal Reserve and the global economy, Fortress America is vintage Greider: strong reporting and sharp analysis on a topic of current and compelling interest. Greider doesn't address U.S. defense strategy so much as the perverse economics underlying the American military establishment. Costs and commitments forever escalate as basic military readiness deteriorates. The Pentagon continues to request next-generation fighter aircraft and Congress agrees to fund them even as fundamental training exercises go wanting. The problem isn't that the United States will lose its next war, but that massive waste and incredible redundancy make national defense a pricey behemoth. Greider calls for a fundamental reordering of priorities; this is an argument Washington--and, increasingly, the public--cannot ignore. --John J. Miller

Book Description

Through vivid reportage, revealing anecdotes, and illuminating interviews with military personnel, bestselling author William Greider explores how and why America has avoided coming to terms with the end of the Cold War era-and the troubling consequences for our fighting forces and our country.

Customer Reviews:

The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-05

I ordered this book knowing that it would not contain a picture of the future America. I bought it because I knew that it would be filled with numbers and the dollars and cents of the exorbitant and wasteful costs of the Military Industrial Complex. I figured that this might be the last time - for a long time - that I might find such numbers displayed so openly.
I'm thinking that this book by Mr. Greider may become a collector's item. A few years from now it will probably be inconceivable to think that there was ever a time when the theme of this book - How to Downsize the Military Industrial Complex - was ever a serious topic for political discussion. This book is already an historical classic. Another like it will not appear in my life time - maybe never ever again. Once again we have been saved from the horrible prospects of "peace".

Analysis of military's dilemma holds up well post-9/11 .......2007-07-22

Interesting 1998 book discussing the U.S. military's inability to deal with post-Cold War realities. Greider argues that, determined to maintain all its Cold War capabilities as well as the capacity and profitability of the defense industry, the military failed to adjust staffing, procurement, and strategic planning to the `new world order.' Most of his conclusions hold up well post-9/11: an emphasis on high-tech weaponry at the expense of appropriate staffing levels has led to near-disaster in occupied Iraq, and the vast ramping-up in the defense budget hasn't helped retrieve the situation--though, ironically, it has helped shore up defense industry profits and avoid the downsizing of that sector that Greider predicted. As for the peace dividend, it is long gone.

Useful, Not Moving.......2003-02-03

This book contains useful facts and analysis, but I doubt it's moved many people to action. (Of course the policies it advocates have not been adopted by the Bush II regime.)

People like me who would like to see our military drastically reduced and who have little faith in the good intentions of anyone involved in it are likely to be turned off by Greider's more middle of the road views and what appears to be his reluctance to express some of the anti-military views he does hold.

People who long for an ever bigger military are unlikely to be converted by this book.

I think Greider wanted to avoid preaching to a choir, but walking down the middle, or pretending to, has found him fewer readers than his information and ideas deserve. He ought to have passionately argued a case (a moral case, not a strategic or economic one) for radical change. Those inclined to agree would have been more likely to get their hands on the book, and those inclined to disagree would have ended up picking it up too in order to know their opponent. Some would have been persuaded.

On page 10, Greider predicts a decrease in military ("defense") spending because this is what the public wants. On page 172 Greider points out a yawning chasm between what the public wants and what happens. This is illustrative of a gradual shift. The book starts out sounding like an article in the Washington Post and concludes sounding like one in the Nation.

The corruption analyzed along the way is not terribly new to readers of the Nation, but it's useful to have these facts and anecdotes in one place. The fact that a single aircraft carrier costs $5 billion, the same price as a proposed National Housing Trust Fund, is the sort of thing that cannot be restated enough.

What we could have used much more than this book was a plan for tying opposition to military waste into campaigns for positive public spending. We have for too long desperately needed to transform tax-and-spend proposals into axe-the-military-and-spend proposals.

We NEED to work out the politics of proposing and fighting a grassroots campaign for specific public school or Medicaid improvements tied to specific eliminations of military pork.

And quit calling it "defense" for godsake!

How We Got Here.......2002-12-06

In 200 startling pages, William Gireder tells America how our insatiable appetite for all things military has led us into a national dilemma, the economic and global implications of which are frightening.

Grieder's 'wake up call' details a bloated military industrial machine which has consumed much of our national wealth, and now has nowhere to direct its massive inventories.

Greider examines the political, social and economic effects from the perspectives of generals, line workers and politicians alike. The book has an excellent read, which will hold your interest through every paragraph. You will not be tempted to sigh and page ahead.

Grieder tells us how we got here, and offers a thesis to explain the current administration's obsession with finding a new boogey man to justify the continued propping up of a military industrial complex whose utlity expired along with the threat it geared up to face for decades - the Soviet Union.

Fortress America: Weapons for yesterday's war........2002-02-09

The book is ahead of its time. The problems that the book identifies are (somewhat) being addressed by the Army Transformation toward new technology and new types of weapons.

If this book reads like the tabloids, then please tell me which newspaper. I'd like to read related facts.

A puzzle still remains: How to keep weapon production ready for war without overproducing? Some old weapons are being upgraded or retrofit. However, obsolescence remains a major issue. Parts are really hard to replace when the vendor no longer exists, etc....

Book Description

Defense economics is the study of both defense and peace issues, using the tools of modern economics. It covers a range of issues, including nuclear proliferation, resource disputes, environmental externalities, ethnic conflicts, and terrorism, all of which present grave threats to peace and security. In a post-Cold War world military and political dangers are probably more numerous and more complex than ever before. In response, policy makers and researchers are increasingly applying economic techniques and insights to improve our understanding of the issues. The economics of defense provides a comprehensive evaluation of the literature in an up-to-date, unified survey. The authors apply both microeconomic and macroeconomic methods of analysis, including static optimization, growth theory, dynamic optimization, comparative statics, game theory, and econometrics. The book includes chapters on the study of arms races, alliances and burden sharing, economic warfare, the arms trade, weapon procurement policies, defense and development, defense industries, arms control agreements, disarmament, and conversion. The authors take stock of what has been done in the field to date, and pinpoint areas needing further analysis and empirical work. This is the first book to integrate and synthesize this broad literature. It will be essential reading for students, practitioners, and researchers in the field of defense economics.

Customer Reviews:

Helpful........2002-09-17

Nice review. However, the competition in the realm of defense/defence economics books is scarce. So don't look around that's it. It provides a balanced and objective description of the economics of defense. It's a bit too old and concetrates on UK. It offers some international comparison, but for that it's better to read some more recent working paper.

Defense Conversion (Twentieth Century Fund Books)

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Defense Conversion: A Tough Sell

Defense Conversion (Twentieth Century Fund Books)
Jacques S. Gansler
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Service | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books

Federal Government | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0262571161

Book Description

Author of two widely-read books on the defense industry, Jacques Gansler takes a hard look at the need to convert the industry from an inefficient and noncompetitive part of the U.S. economy to an integrated, civilian/military operation. He defines the challenges, especially the influence of old-line defense interests, and presents examples of restructuring. Gansler discusses growing foreign involvement, lessons of prior industrial conversions, the best structure for the next century, current barriers to integration, a three-part transformation strategy, the role of technological leadership, and the critical workforce. He concludes by outlining sixteen specific actions for achieving civil/military integration.

In Gansler's view, the end of the Cold War with the former Soviet Union represents a permanent downturn rather than a cyclical decline in the defense budget. He argues that this critical transition period requires a restructuring of the defense acquisitions process to achieve a balance between economic concerns and national security, while maintaining a force size and equipment modernization capable of deterring future conflicts.

Gansler argues that for the defense industry to survive and thrive, the government must make its acquisitions process more flexible, specifically by lowering barriers to integration. This includes, among other things, rethinking the production specifications for new equipment and changing bids for contracts from a cost basis to a price basis.

Gansler point out that by making primarily political and procedural changes (rather than legislative ones), companies will be able to produce technology for both civilian and military markets, instead of exclusively for one or the other as has been the norm. This dual-use approach would save the government billions of dollars annually and would enable the military to diversify by utilizing state-of-the-art.

Customer Reviews:

Defense Conversion: A Tough Sell.......1999-01-17

Dr. Gansler submits that in order to create a responsive and cost-effective defense industrial base to support the XXI force structure there must be revolutionary movement to a civil/military integration. This would mirror the cost cutting and downsizing achieved by the commercial sector in the early nineties.

However, this would entail a complete review of the defense industrial base to determine which areas should remain governmental (see GAO report [NSIAD-99-31] Army Industrial Facilities: Workforce Requirements and Related Issues Affecting Depots and Arsenals).

The only approved governmental process to privatize the defense base is OMB's A-76 process. Historically, the government agency has proven to be more cost-effective 50% of the time. Gansler's assertion would be received coldly by unions and its congressional allies.

An example of the difficulty to reach this integration is the production of a modern day cannon. The Watervliet Arsenal, (a government owned and operated facility) in Watervliet, NY is the sole producer of this commodity in the country. Instead of trying to integrate it into some sort of civilian status would it not be smarter to increase the workload and maintain the skill base.

Book Description

This Book acquaints the reader with:

- Unknown pages in the history of the militarization of the Russian economy
- Secret chronicles of U.S.- Russian diplomacy
- The mysterious "Big Five": Secret USSR Defense Council
- The "headlong" command conversion marathon
- Today's weapons of mass destruction: biological weapons and "nuclear suitcases"
- Environmental catastrophes. Medical-demographic problems
- Secret closed Atomic cities
- The devastating loss of intellectual capital
- The true proprietors of the defense enterprises
- New challenges: Internet marketing and global e-commerce
- International educational programs
- The future of international joint ventures

Customer Reviews:

Very informative book.......2003-03-20

I am a former Russian journalist and a documentary filmmaker who has also worked at NASA in the US.

"The Anatomy of Russian Defense Conversion" touches on many more subjects then just Russian Defense Industry. This is a very thorough, informative and important work that analyses the history of US and Russian Defense Industries, weapons exports and conversion, and possibilities of transformation from a militarized to a civilian economy in the new millenium.

The book also reflects on the current state of defense industries in the US and Russia, and "brain drain", or loss of intellectual capital in Russia and other countries after the Cold War.

I found reflections in Arkady Yarovsky's chapter "From the Culture of War to the Culture of Peace" very contemporary, especially in the light of recent events in the Middle East:

"Our time is unfortunately still characterized as "the culture of war." The culture of war is evident first and foremost in the hostilities between people and states, between nations and faiths, and in the inability to solve conflicts by peaceful means... Humanity has made it into the third millenium because the lust for power has been restrained by fear of nuclear war, but this restraint is not to be counted on permanently... The danger hidden in the separateness of people of different countries, unfortunately, remains a legacy for the next century... If humanity renounces the legacy of the culture of war, it can start down the road of cooperation, peaceful creation, and enlightenment. This is the only road leading to the culture of peace."

Very informative book.......2003-03-20

I am a former Russian journalist and a documentary filmmaker who has also worked at NASA in the US.

The book also reflects on the current state of defense industries in the US and Russia, and "brain drain", or loss of intellectual capital in Russia and other countries after the Cold War.

I found reflections in Arkady Yarovsky's chapter "From the Culture of War to the Culture of Peace" very contemporary, especially in the light of recent events in the Middle East:

A Subject of Mutual Interest.......2001-02-12

One can imagine that I, as a small child living in San Antonio, Texas, next to three Air Force bases and an Army base, living through the Cuban missile crisis, thought about the threat of the Russian military. I also met my parents' wonderful emigre' friends, and to this day have had warm relations with Russian people.

This book tells of the enormous cost to the Russian people of building and maintaining their war industry for so many years, a militarized economy where people got second best. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, defense industry just about shut down, but civilian industry has not grown great enough to support the population. There are horrendous unemployment, and terrible health and social problems. There is some danger that the path of least resistance for Russia, if we neglect the situation, could be to re-start weapons production, for export at first.

In my opinion, the United States also, to a lesser degree, has neglected the manufacture of quality consumer goods, importing them instead, and has let its physical economy deteriorate, despite much activity in the financial sector. We, too, have been insufficiently careful of the environment. This book provides some idea of what these trends could lead to, if carried to extremes.

Perhaps the involvement of United States companies in Russia, could lead to more of a recognition here, of the importance of the physical economy. Hopefully, both countries could also work to put industry on a healthy environmental footing as well.

Book Description

You're no idiot, of course. You read the classifieds every day, call your career counselors by their first names, and even help your friends write winning resumes. But when it comes to composing a fantastic cover letter, you feel like someone just slammed the job-opportunity door on your foot. Don't give up yet! The Complete Idiot's Guide to The Perfect Cover Letter shows you how to write a cover letter taht convinces employers to call you for an interview. In this Complete Idiot's Guide, you get:

Customer Reviews:

I may be a complete idiot, but..........2006-05-10

What a disappointment! This book is really geared towards people with a wealth of experience. Every example seems to cite 12 years of X, successful projects in Y, AND you're friends with the hiring manager. (I'd assume, though, that with all that under your belt, you've probably written a cover letter or two.) If you're a new grad or don't have a background in your field, you're not going to find much help here.
Another issue I had with the book - the resumes can be incredibly corny. I like puns and googled quotes as much as the next person, but I would never include them on a resume. I found a lot of the resumes lacked sophistication in exchange for a more 'personal, informal' tone.
Overall, I didn't get much help from the book and would recommend passing on this one.

Not too great for New Grads.......2004-01-25

This book does offer some good tips but I wish that it had a better section for New Grads. If you've been in the business world for a few years then this book does offer some good advice. However, if you're just out of school, you might want to consider another book.

Great Book.......2000-10-12

Great book!

You can forget about writing boring cover letter that is becoming predictable by using this book as a guide.

Susan did a great job by using lots of example, regardless of the situation you are in.

I think it is a must for any serious job-seeker.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Perfect Cover Letter
Average customer rating:
The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Perfect Cover Letter
Susan Ireland
Manufacturer: Alpha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O94QRK

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