 Countries'
governments sometimes pursue foolish foreign policies with disastrous
consequences. Liberal democracies are not immune from this danger.
I came of age during the Vietnam war, which was one of the greatest
strategic blunders in American history. Since then, the United
States has made further blunders, the Iraq war being the most
prominent. And now there is the Ukraine conflict, which threatens
to escalate into a nuclear war.
There is no guaranteed way to avoid foreign policy errors. But
the best way to minimize the chances of getting into serious
trouble is to debate these issues openly, so that critics of
the conventional wisdom or government policy can have their
say. Media institutions are hugely important in fostering this
kind of debate, which is why freedom of the press is so protected
in the United States. It allows critics to make their views
known to large numbers of people and it provides legitimacy.
Critics of existing policy are not always right, but sometimes
they speak truth to power and help us avoid or correct big mistakes.
Unfortunately, the mainstream media in the United States has
become much less effective since the Cold War ended. It has
become increasingly difficult for dissenters to get a platform
in prominent media outlets, and mainstream media outlets often
seem to speak with one voice on the big foreign policy issues
of the day. This situation is not healthy, and it helps explains
why America's standing in the world has declined over the past
three decades.
Antiwar.com plays an enormously important role in filling this
dangerous void in our public discourse. It provides a platform
for critics to challenge the reigning views of the foreign policy
establishment, which is essential for increasing the likelihood
that the United States will pursue wiser policies. For
this reason, I urge readers to generously support Antiwar.com.
In these troubled times, a flourishing Antiwar.com is very much
in the U.S. national interest.
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