{"product_id":"the-spoils-of-war-power-profit-and-the-american-war-machine-9781839763687","title":"The Spoils of War: Power, Profit and the American War Machine","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhy does the United States go to war?\u003c\/i\u003e--a leading \u003ci\u003eHarper's\u003c\/i\u003e commentator on U.S. foreign affairs searches for answers.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003eA withering exposé of runaway military spending and the private economic interests funding the U.S. war machine--for fans of Rachel Maddow and \u003ci\u003eDemocracy Now!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e America has a long tradition of justifying war as the defense of democracy. The War on Terror was waged to protect the West from the dangers of Islamists. The US soldiers stationed in over 800 locations across the world are meant to be the righteous arbiters of justice. Against this background, Andrew Cockburn brilliantly dissects the true intentions behind Washington's martial appetites. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The American war machine can only be understood in terms of the private passions and interests of those who control it--principally a passionate interest in money. Thus, as Cockburn witheringly reports, Washington expanded NATO to satisfy an arms manufacturer's urgent financial requirements; the US Navy's Pacific fleet deployments were for years dictated by a corrupt contractor who bribed high-ranking officers with cash and prostitutes; senior Marine commanders agreed to a troop surge in Afghanistan in 2017 for budgetary reasons. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Based on years of wide-ranging research, Cockburn lays bare the ugly reality of the largest military machine in history: as profoundly squalid as it is terrifyingly deadly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Verso\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/14\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781839763687\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 304\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.81lbs","brand":"Andrew Cockburn","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42599719141557,"sku":"9781839763687","price":16.96,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_f3217b4a-ea7a-408b-98ab-8733b3b6d118.jpg?v=1674000532","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-spoils-of-war-power-profit-and-the-american-war-machine-9781839763687","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}