“What were the essential elements of Wilson’s version? At its core, it sought a world remade in America 's image and therefore permanently at peace. This was true when Wilson first articulated that vision and remains true today” (Bacevich, 10). All in all, Americans have had this belief drilled into their minds for an extremely long time. They see the world as a place to conquer, a place to employ Americanized values and ethics. War will bring peace. A paradoxical statement, is it not? Perhaps. But it is a necessary statement to understand, nonetheless. America would not have a purpose if it were not for trying to seduce other countries into its way of thinking. Wilson’s Fourteen Points would eventually go on to creating a nation “committed to the principles of liberal democracy and free enterprise...the values distinguishing the United States itself (Bacevich, 11). Bacevich argues how that same Wilsonian paradigm is still present in our society today. After the catastrophe of September 11, President George W. Bush would go on to show that he also believed it was America’s destiny to rid mankind of “the darkness” present in our world (Bacevich, 12). This shows that despite the fact that America was affected in a very violent manner, it would not hesitate to respond back in an equally as aggressive way; …show more content…
“Classifying the war on terror as World War IV offers important benefits. It fits the events of September 11 and those that have followed into a historical trope familiar to almost all Americans. In that regard, it offers a reassuring sense of continuity: we 've been here before; we know what we need to do; we know how it ends” (Bacevich, 175). Americans have been through war enough to know the exact actions they need to take to be successful. They see it as normal. They see it as necessary. Bacevich himself states that he believes war is necessary, but that there should be certain limitations that come into play as well. Americans see war as an act that will bring us “victory” across all boards, including economic, social, and political