Episode 9: A Military Without Rival

The new national security and the changing purpose of military power

The military and the very idea of national security changed a lot in the 1990s. Politicians promised a new period of peace and prosperity after the Cold War, but the military would not draw down from the international arena. On the contrary, the United States turned to policing the world, and the military carried out new types of missions meant to advance new ideals, ambitions, and interests.

In this episode of None Of The Above’s ‘90s Rewind miniseries, the Institute for Global Affairs’ Mark Hannah explores strategic, structural, technological, and social change in the US military. He is joined by military historian Max Boot, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and columnist for The Washington Post. NPR’s Deborah Amos returns to provide insights and commentary.

Max Boot is the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow for National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a weekly columnist for The Washington Post. He is the author of six books, most recently Reagan: His Life and Legend, a biography of Ronald Reagan. He has also appeared as a CNN global affairs analyst and a regular guest on MSNBC, NPR, BBC, and other programs.

Deborah Amos is a Ferris Professor of Journalism in Residence at Princeton University. Over the course of her award-winning career, she served as an international correspondent for NPR, ABC, and PBS. Her reporting has largely focused on the Middle East and refugees. She was awarded the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.

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