Front Burner Why can’t the U.S. win its wars?
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Apr 24, 2026 
Seth Harp, journalist, author of The Fort Bragg Cartel and Iraq veteran, brings frontline experience and legal insight. He critiques U.S. military decline, links Fort Bragg’s crises to broader demoralization, and examines why post‑1945 wars failed. He debates what modern victory requires, how casualty avoidance shapes strategy, and how foreign wars feed domestic militarization.
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The Disappointing Military Parade That Revealed Decay
- Seth Harp found the 2020 Washington military parade underwhelming and disorganized rather than majestic.
- He noticed many displayed systems and aircraft were 40+ years old, highlighting decay in equipment modernization.
Fort Bragg's Crises As A Mirror Of Military Malaise
- Fort Bragg exemplified deeper problems: high suicide and drug overdose rates among troops.
- Harp used Fort Bragg's epidemics and criminality to critique the human cost of long, unpopular wars.
Why U.S. Power Falls Short Of Strategic Victory
- The U.S. repeatedly fails to meet stated strategic aims in major post‑1945 wars despite overwhelming military power.
- Seth Harp argues winning requires popular buy‑in, mass conventional mobilization, and willingness to absorb high casualties, which the U.S. lacks.
