Thea

“careful deliberation. Parties on all sides agreed that whichever way the president came down, the implications were sure to be momentous. In fact, however, even as Obama pondered the question of whether to send ten thousand or twenty thousand or thirty thousand or forty thousand additional reinforcements to Afghanistan, the actual ability to exercise choice had already passed from his hands. In essence, the president found himself in the position of a man shopping”
― Andrew J. Bacevich, Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War

“In measured doses, mortification cleanses the soul. It's the perfect antidote for excessive self-regard.”
― Andrew J. Bacevich, Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War

“I began to appreciate that authentic truth is never simple and that any version of truth handed down from on high-whether by presidents, prime ministers, or archbishops-is inherently suspect.”
― Andrew J. Bacevich, Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War

“As a turning point, the Bay of Pigs deserves comparison with 9/11 - a moment that created an opening to pose first-order questions, but elicited instead an ill-conceived, reflexive response. As would Johnson, Carter, and George W. Bush, Kennedy in 1961 squandered an opportunity to rethink and reorient U.S. policy, with fateful implications.”
― Andrew J. Bacevich, Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War