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Want to learn about...
...war?
...money?
...war & money?
Then check out the @HDiplo roundable of @sekreps's @OxUniPress book, "Taxing Wars"!
...war?
...money?
...war & money?
Then check out the @HDiplo roundable of @sekreps's @OxUniPress book, "Taxing Wars"!
In my contribution to the roundtable, I agree with @sekreps about the existence of "hide-and-seek" wars, meaning small wars whose cost the US government has sought to hide from the public.
I also agree that the existence of such wars presents a challenge to functioning democracy
I also agree that the existence of such wars presents a challenge to functioning democracy
I argue that, unfortunately, such "hide-and-seek" wars are not a recent phenomenon 
The "hide-and-seek" label does indeed apply to the counter-insurgency phases of the Afghanistan & Iraq Wars
But the label "hide-and-seek" could also apply to the 19th Century wars against Native American tribes, commonly called the "Indian Wars"
The US was involved in A LOT of such wars.
You could say this was the first era of endless US war
You could say this was the first era of endless US war
These wars are largely paid for out of general tariff revenue, not special war taxes (either in the form of income taxes or excise taxes)
(gragh h/t metrocosm.com/history-of-us-…)
(gragh h/t metrocosm.com/history-of-us-…)
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, rather than pointing to a decline of American democracy, show that it continues to operate in a familiar albeit imperfect manner.
A core implication of Kreps’s argument is that American democracy is far from ideal.
A core implication of Kreps’s argument is that American democracy is far from ideal.
Hence, if you care about war, money, and the state of democracy in American, you should read and engage with @sekreps' excellent book!
