War and Foreign Policy

John Maynard Keynes's stance on German reparations in the wake of the First World War may have precipitated the rise of Hitler.

School children learn that there are three branches of government. In actual practice, there is a fourth branch, the permanent bureaucracy which includes legions of civilian and military agents, officers, and administrators committed to protecting their own interests.

In the 19th century, the common view of federal soldiers was "as slackers on the public dole" and people with "such a lazy life," as to be "certainly not worth their country's crying about."

For the Pentagon, happy days are here again. With a budget of more than $1.4 trillion for the next two years, the department is riding high as it attempts to set the stage for yet more spending increases in the years to come.