PATHS OF DISSENT

PATHS OF DISSENT is a provocative collection of essays from military veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan - it offers first hand testimony that illuminates why the Forever Wars lasted so long while producing so little of value. Remarkably, this is the first book bringing together voices of military dissent from veterans who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. The contributors come from all services, ranks, and walks of life, reflecting a diversity of race and age. Likewise, their dissent has taken many forms, from refusal of service and public statements to whistleblowing and activism/protests.

In the wake of 9/11, the United States embarked upon a Global War on Terrorism aimed at using American military power to transform the Greater Middle East. Twenty years later, the ensuing forever wars have produced little tangible success while exacting enormous harm. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States has sustained tens of thousands of casualties while expending trillions of dollars and inflicting massive suffering on populations that we sought to "liberate."

In Washington and across the nation at large, the inclination to forget these wars and move on is palpable. In fact, there is much to be learned and those who served and fought in these wars are best positioned to teach. The first book of its kind since the Vietnam era, Paths of Dissent gathers original essays from American veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, drawn from all services, ranks, and walks of life, who have come out in opposition to these conflicts. Selected for their honesty and eloquence by fellow veterans Andrew Bacevich and Danny Sjursen, these outspoken critics describe not only their motivations for serving, but also for taking the path of dissent—disappointment and disillusionment; the dehumanizing impact of combat; the loss of comrades to friendly fire; the persistence of xenophobia and racism—all of these together exposing the mendacity that has pervaded the Global War on Terrorism from its very outset.

Combining diverse, critical perspectives with powerful personal testimony, Paths of Dissent sheds light on the myriad factors that have madeAmerica's post-9/11 wars costly and misguided exercises in futility.
Andrew Bacevich grew up in Indiana, graduated from West Point and Princeton, served in the army, became a university historian, and currently serves as the president and founder of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a nonpartisan foreign policy thinktank. He is the author, co-author, or editor of a dozen books, among them The Limits of Power, Washington Rules, Age of Illusions, and most recently, After the Apocalypse: America's Role in a World Transformed.

Daniel A. Sjursen is a retired US Army officer, senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, contributing editor at Antiwar.com, and director of the Eisenhower Media Network. Along with fellow vet Chris "Henri" Henriksen, he co-hosts the podcast “Fortress on a Hill.” His work has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Nation, among other publications. He served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and later taught history at West Point. Sjursen is the author of Ghostriders of Baghdad and Patriotic Dissent: America in the Age of Endless War.