Fight
In this capstone book, Lebow, a political scientist, builds on his earlier work, compiling data on all wars and interventions since 1945. He finds that war is not an effective means of advancing security, maximizing wealth, or gaining status. States that have started wars in the last 80 years tend to either lose them or fail to achieve their political goals. The puzzle for Lebow is why leaders still choose to resort to military force. In case after case, the book finds that leaders consistently fail to assess the costs and benefits of war, believing naively that they will succeed even when so many others have not. Considering cases such as the United States’ involvement in Vietnam, Argentina’s invasion of the Falkland Islands, and Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait, Lebow points to the political culture and psychological factors surrounding decision-making that generate miscalculation. Leaders often have sufficient information, but they tend to see what they want to see. Some leaders, Lebow notes, are more ambitious and aggressive than others, such as Russian President Vladimir Putin. The abiding desire among great powers for loftier status will still lead countries into war.
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