A Critical Review of Addicted to War

Joel Andreas' purpose of Addicted to War seems to be to educate and enlighten his readers to the imperial ambitions of America's "prominent government officials, business executives, and bankers" (p. 10) and its effects at home and abroad. He does so by discussing the size of military budget/spending, America's early ideal of Manifest Destiny, the belief that America was meant to conquer/control nations on both sides of the globe, and the real interests behind much of the U.S. foreign policy, powerful businesses. Lastly, the author speaks about the cost of war not only to taxpayers but also of the deaths and service of American soldiers.

Andreas closes his illustrated expose with pleas for his readers to resist militarism, yet does not offer ways to go about doing so. Instead he ends the book with lists of organizations who readers can contact on their own. One organization, Not in Our Name, was created by anti-war activists and believes "that people of conscience must take responsibility for what their own governments do -- we must first of all oppose the injustice that is done in our own name." Another organization, Teaching for Change, seeks to build "social justice" by providing "teachers and parents with the tools to transform schools into socially equitable centers of learning where students become architects of a better future."

Though definitely written with an anti-war activism bias, Addicted to War thoroughly breaks down America's justifications for war and military spending in ways that both children and adults can easily understand and relate to. The writing style adds to the book's strengths in that it is straightforward and informal, though the scope of information presented can be quite overwhelming at times. Though some of the graphics and speech bubbles serve to break down the information so that it is easier to understand the meanings behind it, the graphics also attract enough of the reader's attention to be a sort of propaganda in themselves. Perhaps if the author had toned down some of his cartoons then maybe it would be easier for readers to focus on the information and come to their own conclusions without the sway of any additional bias. Another weakness of the book was the author's lack in suggesting ways for his readers to resist militarism. Simply listing resources is not always enough for some readers.