Drift

The Unmooring of American Military Power

By: Rachel Maddow

Narrated by: Rachel Maddow

Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

The #1 New York Times bestseller that charts America’s dangerous drift into a state of perpetual war. "One of my favorite ideas is, never to keep an unnecessary soldier," Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1792. Neither Jefferson nor the other Found­ers could ever have envisioned the modern national security state, with its tens of thousands of "privateers"; its bloated Department of Homeland Security; its rust­ing nuclear weapons, ill-maintained and difficult to dismantle; and its strange fascination with an unproven counterinsurgency doctrine.

Written with bracing wit and intelligence, Rachel Maddow's Drift argues that we've drifted away from America's original ideals and become a nation weirdly at peace with perpetual war, with all the financial and human costs that entails. To understand how we've arrived at such a dangerous place, Maddow takes us from the Vietnam War to today's war in Afghanistan, along the way exploring the disturbing rise of executive authority, the gradual outsourcing of our war-making capabilities to private companies, the plummeting percentage of American families whose children fight our constant wars for us, and even the changing fortunes of G.I. Joe. She offers up a fresh, unsparing appraisal of Reagan's radical presidency. Ultimately, she shows us just how much we stand to lose by allowing the priorities of the national security state to overpower our political discourse.

Sensible yet provocative, dead serious yet seri­ously funny, Drift will reinvigorate a "loud and jangly" political debate about how, when, and where to apply America's strength and power--and who gets to make those decisions.

©2012 Rachel Maddow (P)2012 Random House

Critic reviews

"Thank Ms. Maddow for picking this and every other fight that Drift provokes. It will be a smarter public debate than the kinds we're used to." (Janet Maslin, New York Times)

"Maddow’s distinctive voice in Drift is highly intelligent, often incredulous and intermittently and humorously profane...Her thesis, which is passionately and effectively articulated, remind[s] us of how far we have drifted from linking the sacrifices of our armed forces around the world to the citizens at home they so selflessly serve… Maddow…[has] provided readers with a timely and perhaps necessary provocation to examine the far-reaching consequences of the American way of war." (Gordon M. Goldstein, Washington Post)

"Crosses partisan lines and deals with issues that deserve a healthy debate...A compelling, intelligent read filled with Maddow's trademark wit." (Mary Houlihan, Chicago Sun-Times)

I'm truly a bit horrified now

Let me start by saying how much I loved Rachel Maddow's reading of her own work. She puts the emphasis exactly where she wants it, and you can hear in her voice the incredulity of some justifications and situations that would never come across in print. It's funny, but also deadly serious.
There is a good, easy-to-understand history lesson here about the intent of the founding fathers and how far the country has gone astray. I was and am a fan of Reagan, but after this book I certainly see him with more critical eyes. I remember the Iran-Contra hearings, but this clearly told me the story behind them. She recounts the Granada invasion through the lens of its illegality and ineptitude. It's laughable, except that real people died in the U.S. show of muscle.
By making real and understandable the consequences of power run amok, Rachel has done a great job of making me want to hold my elected representatives far more accountable. She also clearly illustrates the state of our current nuclear capabilities - and they are horrifying, but not necessarily for the reasons you would expect. (Great indirect plug for better science and technical education in this country.) "Whoopsie" will now always have a double meaning for me.
I highly recommend this book. I especially think kids in high school taking World History could greatly benefit from having a broader perspective on the last 50 or so years of U.S. foreign policy. Maddow makes the topic so approachable and entertaining in her lessons to us that it is unforgettable.

We need to be more aware

Rachael provides so much information that the American people should be aware of. This was written several years ago I’d be interested to know how we are doing be as a country today.

Always well researched

Rachel Maddow always an extensively researched piece of work. All of the information she has gathered is also presented in a comprehensive and understandable manner.

A compelling argument, largely free of ideology

What made the experience of listening to Drift the most enjoyable?

The author's distinctive voice and personality greatly enhance the listening experience. One could say that the reading is definitive.

What did you like best about this story?

It is not a story, of course, but an argument about how our nation has "drifted" far from its original ideals and has somewhat complacently settled into an acceptance of perpetual war. Often the hard facts of our national suffering and sacrifice are kept from us, and even more often we just do not see this or get involved.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

"We'll all go together when we go." Perhaps that's too flippant, but Maddow does in fact evoke "Doctor Strangelove" in her final chapters.

Any additional comments?

Judging by the hate-filled comments about this book on some other websites, it would seem that all one has to say is "Rachel Maddow" and people of a certain political persuasion will begin foaming at the mouth. It's clear to me that they have most certainly not read "Drift," for Maddow's argument is clearly and logically presented, supported by facts and remarkably free of leftist ideology.

This is not to say that her distinctive brand of sarcasm is absent from the text, but her aim is not an attack on Republicans or Democrats, but at a generally misguided use and understanding of our military that transcends party lines. My only criticism would be that the book is not longer and more detailed. It is worthwhile for those who have forgotten all about it to revisit the absurd invasion of Granada and the immoral and illegal Iran-Contra scandal during the Reagan years. And it will perhaps come as a surprise to many that several astounding near nuclear disasters have been avoided only by a miracle.

As Tom Brokow has said, this books is "a long overdue and provocative examination of the abuses, excesses and just plain foolish elements in our national security systems. These are issues that deserve our attention."

A great understanding of the military

What made the experience of listening to Drift the most enjoyable?

if I didn't understand the concept occasionally return and listened to the sentence or paragraph again.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Drift?

The understanding of how the military-industrial complex uses the political arena to receive billions of dollars for weapons that we don't need or are obsolete.

Have you listened to any of Rachel Maddow’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I watch Rachel Maddow on on MS NBC on occasions she's very bright intelligent and well-informed.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

My only extreme reaction was the stupidity of the American people to allow the military-industrial complex to rip us off.

Any additional comments?

I didn't think I would like listening to books on my cell phone this is the 3rd book that I've listen and I have really enjoyed it.

Scary Book, I wish I shared her optimism

Would you consider the audio edition of Drift to be better than the print version?

The ability of having Rachel provide the vocal nuance adds a great deal to this book

What was one of the most memorable moments of Drift?

Description of the Iran Contra affair

What about Rachel Maddow’s performance did you like?

Wry humor

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book made me very concerned for where we are going as a country, and how we have an entire generation of Americans who think that war is a normal way of life and an acceptable first option in solving conflicts

Awesome Book, Way fun to hear read by Maddow

Would you consider the audio edition of Drift to be better than the print version?

Yes, because hearing it in Rachel's Voice was as fun as watching her show.. she has the same quality in her reading as the show and I LOVE both

What was one of the most memorable moments of Drift?

The Epilogue was really cool.. how she brought the whole book content in comparison to her her real life experiences

Any additional comments?

A great book for a fan of Rachel Maddow.. and also those who don't like her. The information in this book is powerful.

Excellent!

Would you listen to Drift again? Why?

A very good non-partisan review of the change of the management of wars by the American government over the decades

Enlightening

I'm old enough to remember the events Rachel discusses in 'Drift', but I was amazed to learn of all the background she gives to the Reagan administration. I also immensely enjoyed Rachel's reading, and I hope she is already working on her next book.

Engaging and smart, sometimes a bit too glib

Any additional comments?

A whirlwind tour through the last 60-ish years (plus a necessary grounding in the founding fathers, how they viewed war with wariness, and how the Constitution reflected this) and how America at war has morphed, and not for the better. Most likely to appeal to those who are generally in line with Maddow's political views, but even for others, she makes her points well and some of the conclusions should (rationally) be bipartisan. The strength of the book is Maddow's fast-paced and pithy delivery, her use of many primary and secondary sources, and the highlighting of the worst weaknesses of how we currently engage in war (largely hidden from the public, without the nation really feeling it, with ever-increasing budgets that cannot be second guessed without accusations of being unpatriotic). The weakness of the book dovetails with one of its strengths - the pithiness. Sometimes it is a bit too glib and a bit too sarcastic, in such a way that will grate on those who are ideologically further away from Maddow. This can be a disservice as it could make some very good information and some convincing points easier to ignore. All in all, though, informative and worth the time.