`` Questing For Monsters `` By John Mueller, An American...

In â€Å"Questing for Monsters to Destroy,† John Mueller, an American political scientist, says American policymakers put â€Å"a truly massive emphasis on exquisite theorizing and on defense expenditures,† because these policymakers, â€Å"became mesmerized by perceived threats that scarcely warranted the preoccupation and effort,† of actual military action (p 117). He argues that American decision makers constantly saw Russia’s actions as bigger threats than they really were and acted accordingly, which resulted in the U.S. spending money and troops to fight wars they should have never been involved in. In the Communist invasion of Korea in the summer of 1950, Stalin believed North Korean leader, Kim Il Sung when he said he was â€Å"absolutely certain of success.† However, Stalin made it clear the USSR would not be footing the bill for a war in Korea if Sung was wrong, and he was. Once the United States sided with the South Koreans, the war became a fiasco instead of the quick, easy, and cheap spread of Communism Stalin thought he was signing on for, and Korea has never been stable since. Similarly, on September 11, 2001, al Qaeda underestimated American retaliation when they orchestrated and executed terror attacks on U.S. soil. Since Americans started a â€Å"war on terror,† al Qaeda’s efforts have become â€Å"desperate self-promotion† and most of â€Å"their† attacks have been made by affiliated and never again had such a catastrophic impact as 9/11 (p 123). Although the perpetrators of both theShow MoreRelatedJohn Mueller And The United States Essay1860 Words   |  8 Pagesspread of their ideals for selfish and self-righteous reasons. John Mueller and Odd Arne Westad share their arguments as to what the United States’ actions have produced during the Cold War in Eastern Europe, Korea, and Vietnam and during the post-9/11 period in the Afghanistan and Iraq. While some of their arguments are valid, others are flawed. In â€Å"Questing for Monsters to Destroy,† John Mueller, an American political scientist, says American policymakers put, â€Å"a truly massive emphasis on exquisite theorizing