American Militarism in the Post 9/11 Era: A New Phenomenon or the Continuation of a Military Tradition?

Was the militarization of American foreign policy and the subsequent invasion of Iraq something new and unique caused by the events of September 11, 2001? Or, is militarism part of old American traditions that were in place well before the events of that day and the administration of George W. Bush? This article examines the campaign to mobilize the American public behind the Iraq War of 2003, and argues that American militarism had taken shape long before the attacks of 9/11. This militarism has deep roots in a culture that is obsessed with the military, associates militarism with morality and evangelical Christian values and finally the American South’s ‘Culture of Honor,’ which is in favor of hawkish approaches to defense and foreign policy issues.