Pentagon

This essay of mine was recently included in a collection by the magazine Mother Jones called "Mission Creep: US Military Presence Worldwide."

What impresses about the sprawl of US bases and its reconstitution since 2001 is the lack of accountability. The US military presence overseas serves as an implicit threat of intervention to host countries and neighbors, and so enables the United States to defy international law and other obligations to the global community. The bases are also themselves unaccountable, especially as polluters, purveyors of sexual violence, and sites for torture. For most nations, it is an exercise in frustration to use political, diplomatic, or judicial channels to address the United States' abuses or extralegal demands, because Washington's military stands ready for aggression.

Have you heard about the New York Times' report on the Pentagon's use of retired military men with ties to defense contractors as seemingly-impartial public speakers on military policy? While I was never surprised to find that many former military leaders would support continued violence and occupation, this investigation uncovers a much more insidious connection. In return for their acting as ready-to-quote "military analysts" who would parrot administration talking points, these men and the contractors they represent gained increased access to military people and information beneficial to their own bottom lines.