Relies a bit heavily on quotes from the report. Sourcing could have been much better. Informative, but somewhat dry.

The report reported on outlines an atrophy of US diplomatic capabilities and staff as all resources are dedicated to military efforts. The need for peaceful coexistence in a nuclear world demands this trend be reversed.

This story is not to be missed by those following the disastrous course of US foreign policy under the Bush administration. The great ascendancy of the military in the projection of American influence abroad is undermining the security of the US and in fact subverting the Republic, in my opinion. The neocon agenda is military control of the Middle East by the US, to "protect" Israel, even at an astronomic cost and despite too-clear evidence the strategy is counter-productive.

Jim Lobe has kept up with the story over the years, for all the good it has done. The U.S. spends more on national security than the rest of the world combined...and the Neocons would like to spend more. DOD has a constituency on Capitol Hill, in part because of the Neocons running the country, and in part because DOD spends money around the country...in every Congressional district. State, on the other hand, has no constituency on the Hill to speak of and spends most of its money overseas. Furthermore, the nature of diplomacy is to seek common ground through compromise. That has a bad odor under the Neocons, among which number I count John McCain. So the story is all true. The only prospect for State retaking ... More »