Doing Less with Less

A poignant book in the light of the recent London bombings, arguing as it does that 'military interventionism is neither necessary for Britain's defence, nor even beneficial to it. On the contrary, it undermines our security, and imposes undesirable costs on our nation. We should be doing less'. The author analyses the rise of the dogma of interventionism, which has reached its logical conclusion in Iraq, a situation that is now serving to discredit the approach. Few voters will be aware that the vision for the armed forces includes 'being a force for good in the world', a phrase not only wide open to interpretation but also to use as a specious justification for intervention. This pithy volume is a vigorous breath of fresh policy air.