Lyle Goldstein, a former Naval War College professor who achieved tenure in his 18th year before leaving at year 20, told TAC, “There are really brilliant people there. I think there are very smart and patriotic people doing rather good social science research and people trying to help generally even in a bipartisan way.”
But Goldstein said that the system needs reforms in diversity of thought, open-mindedness to new ideas in strategy, and a critical examination of history, not just reverence and memorization. Moreover, he believes that the curriculum when he was there “was devoted to being world-wise and DC-savvy” and not so much “a place of original research on all questions relating to war and the statesmanship connected with war, or the prevention of war,” thus straying from the vision of Adm. Stephen B. Luce, who established the Naval War College in 1884.
“So now we are surprised that officers get involved in politics? I’d like to see more focus on operations and tactics,” Goldstein said. “We have military officers intervening in politics far too much.”
Read at The American Conservative
Featuring
