Is a lack of political stamina to blame for the catastrophic failure of the West’s 20-year war in Afghanistan? Or, as Paul Dixon argues, did the generals spend decades spinning an unwinnable war as unlosable?
The British Military, Democracy and the Limits of ‘Legitimate Debate’
The UK’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan went badly wrong, but who was to blame? In response to Simon Akam’s controversial new book The Changing of the Guard, Paul Dixon questions why the military command’s undemocratic political influence in promoting these wars has not been discussed more widely.
Force for Good?: The Politics of Military Spending
One year after a decisive election and on the verge of a definitive break with the EU, there is still little substance to the government’s Global Britain slogan. The three big political parties are talking about the UK’s future role in the world, says Richard Reeve, but do any have a compelling vision for how the country can work collaboratively for sustainable global change?
Will the UK Reduce its Military Carbon Emissions?
The British military is taking some steps to curb its impacts on the climate. But its efforts will fail to have a significant effect without major changes in the UK’s national security policies, argues Dr Stuart Parkinson of Scientists for Global Responsibility.