Ralph Peters is a writer, strategist, commentator and retired military officer. He is the author of 20 books and several columns, articles and essays. A controversial strategist and respected expert on military and intelligence issues, he argues that the United States is actually poised for even greater success in the twenty-first century-if our leaders make the right decisions about the opportunities and dangers we face today. In New Glory , he offers a strategic tour of the globe's hot spots and how we should respond to the challenges they pose.
Peters criticizes the Bush administration for over-relying on high technology and defense contractors in the Iraq war and for not committing enough troops and being too afraid of casualties to do the job properly. He also offers a sharp analysis of what's wrong with our intelligence system and why the changes proposed by the 9/11 Commission aren't enough. He then takes readers far beyond Iraq and the Middle East on a lively tour of other regions-including Latin America, Africa, and deeply troubled Europe-that rarely get serious attention in the media. Drawing on his twenty-five years of experience in more than sixty countries, Peters shatters the dogmas of both left and right in this manifesto for a much more assertive and visionary U.S. foreign policy.
Do not underestimate the European ferocity when sufficiently roused. Europe perfected ethnic cleansing and genocide. I lived in Europe for ten years.
The only thing the Germans regret about the Holocaust is that they didn't finish the job and they got caught.
United States troops will probably stand guard when Europe ejects Muslims.
...I'm a believing Christian.
Monopolies are always destructive. Religious monopolies calcify society.
America defangs religion. The issues that our ancestor killed over don't come up here.
You can tell a lot about a country by the percentage of women who wear jeans. The more Westernized, the more free, the more women in jeans.
The Koran is a bore. Mohammed should sue James Joyce. The Koran is the original stream of consciousness book.
Whenever the State Department says a country is too dangerous to visit, I know that when I go there, I'll find Australians drinking beer by the pool.
Saudis are proof of the banality of evil.
Donald Rumsfled couldn't have screwed [the Iraqi occupation] any worse.
Many in the media have an interest in the U.S. failing in Iraq.
I'm cautiously optimistic.
I've split my vote over the years between Republicans and Democrats, but now there are no Democrat leaders, except Joe Lieberman.
The Iraqi experiment with democracy may fail because of the Arab genius for failure.
Iraq is worth the investment.
I was an early feminist because I figured out by the time I got to college that it made dating cheaper and easier.
It's unAmerican to condemn an entire group of Americans (in this case Muslims) because of the bad behavior of a few.
I'm a former soldier. I'm all for killing the bad ones, but don't kill the wrong ones or your problems will get bigger.
I think Islam is a degenerate religion but I'm not crazy about Revelation either. It's the most dangerous religious text ever written because it is vague and open to many interpretations and because it is mean.
All religions are dangerous.
Osama Bin Laden is closer to Revelation than to the Koran.