July 7, 1863 marked the day that the United States began its military draft.

Today in the U.S., the draft no longer exists, yet Americans continue to die abroad in battle. We have spent nearly 10 years trying to “redeem the greater Middle East.” This “fever” began in 1898 when Americans felt the need to free the Cubans, and eventually questioned their motives. This occurred yet again in France in 1917, and the 1960s brought America to Vietnam. The fever progressed to the Cold War, and then exploded during September 11, 2001. After almost a decade of endless battle, America is worn out. However, Obama plans to send 33,000 troops home by 2012, and recovery looks like a strong possibility. We have been fighting for hundreds of years, and one of the most significant wars in history is about to be drawn to a close by the end of next year. Washington is noticing the trend, and is concerned about the possibility of many other open-ended wars. This article demonstrates that the repetition of history has occurred since 1917 and beyond. Members of the White House are finally taking notice, and are focusing on national interest rather than the rest of the world. 

Interesting take by BU history professor Andrew J. Bacevich in the OpEd:

U.S. foreign policy: War fever subsides

There is no “military mind,” but there are plenty of minds in the military, and some numbers of them are rethinking the role of military power.

Consider, for example, “Mr. Y,” author of “A National Strategic Narrative,” published this spring to considerable acclaim by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The actual authors of this report are two military professionals, one a Navy captain, the other a Marine colonel.

What you won’t find in this document are jingoist chest-thumping and calls for a bigger military budget. If there’s an overarching theme, it’s pragmatism. Rather than the United States imposing its will on the world, the authors want more attention paid to investment at home.