“Defense is too defensive,” noted President Trump recently, as he announced that the Department of Defense would be renamed the Department of War.

More aggressive rhetoric can lead to more aggressive action, and this is a serious concern. But Trump’s move away from the word “defense” is also an opportunity for Americans to reckon more honestly with the nation’s use of military power. “Department of War” cuts through the rhetoric America has used for decades to claim that it is defending peace even as it continuously wages wars.

“Defense” makes military budgets sound untouchable, because defending the nation does not seem optional. But “war” sounds more costly and perhaps more difficult to justify. The Department of Defense received its name in 1949, and spending on the military rose exor

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