Book Description
The long-awaited final volume of Chalmers Johnson’s bestselling
Blowback trilogy confronts the overreaching of the American empire and the threat it poses to the republic
In his prophetic book Blowback, Chalmers Johnson linked the CIA’s clandestine activities abroad to disaster at home. In The Sorrows of Empire, he explored the ways in which the growth of American militarism and the garrisoning of the planet have jeopardized our stability. Now, in Nemesis, he shows how imperial overstretch is undermining the republic itself, both economically and politically.
Delving into new areas—from plans to militarize outer space to Constitution-breaking presidential activities at home and the devastating corruption of a toothless Congress—Nemesis offers a striking description of the trap into which the dreams of America’s leaders have taken us. Drawing comparisons to empires past, Johnson explores in vivid detail just what the unintended consequences of our dependence on a permanent war economy are likely to be. What does it mean when a nation’s main intelligence organization becomes the president’s secret army? Or when the globe’s sole “hyperpower,” no longer capable of paying for the vaulting ambitions of its leaders, becomes the greatest hyper-debtor of all times?
In his stunning conclusion, Johnson suggests that financial bankruptcy could herald the breakdown of constitutional government in America—a crisis that may ultimately prove to be the only path to a renewed nation.
Customer Reviews:
Nemesis, by Chalmers Johnson.......2007-10-17
This is a wonderful and insightful look at our country's foreign and military policy. It is factual and well written. It is a "probably too late" wake-up call that we are creating our own downfall both fiscally and politically on the international stage. This is the kind of information and insights that the mainstream media should be presenting, but is not. I recommend this book to everyone.
We have met the enemy and they is us.......2007-10-15
If "Lawless World" by Phillippe Sands was disturbing (see my review) then "Nemesis" is frightening. If Chalmers Johnson has a proven record for political prophecy, then in this instance I hope he is wrong.
In excruciating detail, Johnson reveals the mistakes and hubris of half a century of leadership that has led us to where we are today, a messy war, a trillion dollar national debt, and a crumbling internal infrastructure, sacrificed to an increasingly expensive empire of military bases all over the world, our "outposts" of empire.
In his book, Johnson demonstrates his contention that by interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign states, undermining democratically elected governments that were "not to our liking" and engaging in covert operations often with disasterous results to the countries involved, we often left chaos and discord as well as poverty in our wake. More often, we established a permanent presence in the form of a military base. Why do they hate us?
The question is why wouldn't they. Johnson quotes Harry Browne: "When America is no longer a threat to the world, the world will no longer threaten us."
Johnson makes a good case for the egregious behavior of the current administration being an almost inevitable result of a series of incompetent administrations, abuse of executive power, and concomitant international and domestic crises and events, many of them provoked by us via the CIA. The CIA has become the "president's private army". This has resulted in what Johnson calls the "imperial presidency".
Imperialism (the practice of acquiring economic and political hegemony over other nations) is incompatible with democracy. Johnson makes it patently obvious that the Bush administration has taken abuse of executive power to a new level. Right-wing columnist George Will has termed it a "monarchical doctrine". Left-wing commentator James Ridgeway put it, "a consistent and long-range policy to wreck constitutional government." Given the administration's disregard for both domestic and international law, Bruce Shneier, author of "Beyond Fear: Thinking Sensibly about Security in an Uncertain World", sees an ominous development. "The president can define war however he chooses , and remain at war for as long as he chooses. This is indefinite dictatorial power......the very definition of a dictatorship is a system that puts a ruler above the law."
The result is an impotent Congress, a confused electorate and a White House that knows no bounds.
To quote Johnson: "All empires it seems, require myths of divine right, racial preeminence, manifest destiny, or a civilizing mission to cover their own barbarous behavior in other people's countries."
One is forced to question just what temerity allows George W. Bush to claim his own brand of divine right. To quote theologian Rheinhold Niebuhr,"the tendency to claim God as our ally for our partisan values is the source of all religious fanaticism." Indeed, one is forced to consider which fundamentalism, Bush's Christian one or the Islamic is the more insidious and pernicious.
This book is a must read for anyone who is seriously interested in why our country seems to be not only hated by so much of the rest of the world, but so divided among ourselves.
Crossing the Rubicon.......2007-09-08
This book answers Michael Moore's question, "Where's my country?" The author's scholarly and carefully reasoned answer is that the constitutional republic we once had has evolved into an empire. Johnson traces the rise of militarism, the hidden and often ill-conceived interventions of the CIA and the devastating "blowback" from them, and the enormous power the United States projects through its hundreds of overseas military bases, as well as our plans to militarize space.
I found that the book explained many events that are extremely puzzling if one continues to believe that the United States is a high-minded democracy, but make perfect sense from the point of view of empire.
Johnson's conlusion, that we are on the cusp of a choice between the path taken by Rome into empire and dictatorship vs. that chosen by Great Britain to dissolve its empire but preserve its democracy, was compelling and sobering.
I would recommend Nemesis to anyone, regardless of political slant, who seriously wants to make sense of the role the United States plays in the world today, and the world's reaction to it.
On the brink of a military dictatorship.......2007-08-12
Chalmers Johnson is deeply pessimistic about the future of the US and its citizens. He sees at the horizon `a collapse of constitutional government, perpetual war, endemic official lying and disinformation and finally bankruptcy. We are at the cusp of losing our democracy for the sake of keeping our empire.'
For him, the heart of the matter is `military Keynesianism' (the US economy is mightily based on weapon manufacturing) and the goal of the military-intelligence community (full spectrum dominance over the world and in space).
But this imperial adventure is far too costly. The US spends more on armed forces than all other nations on earth combined, for more than 737 military bases in more than 130 countries. Also, space weapons are pure waste. A space shield doesn't work, because weapons cannot make a distinction between warheads and free floating space debris. `The neoconservative lobbyists are only interested in the staggering sums required.'
The US enormous military budget (of which 40 % is secret) is not paid by US taxpayers, but by foreign investors in US debt.
In the meantime, democracy is undermined. Chalmers Johnson doesn't see `any president or Congress standing up to the powerful vested interests of the Pentagon, the secret intelligence agencies and the military-industrial complex.' The separation of powers is becoming a dead letter. The legislative and the judicial branches have lost their independence.
The author is extremely hard for the current government, calling members of the Administration `desk-murderers'. For him, `putting the ruler above the law is the very definition of dictatorship.' Its TIA (Total Information Awareness) program `is the perfect US computer version of Gestapo and KGB files.' He is extremely angry with the US media, calling them `Pravda-like mouthpieces of the powerful.'
For him, what Congress really should do is abolish the CIA and remove all purely military functions from the Pentagon.
This hard-hitting book is more than a very solid warning. It is a must read for all those interested in the future of mankind.
For a view from the South, I highly recommend `Dilemmas of Domination' by Walden Bello.
Mandatory Foreign Policy Reading.......2007-07-28
If you want to read an unvarnished assessment of America's foreign policy by a scholar and former insider this book will more than suffice. Johnson evaluates the military-industrial complex, foreign policy tactics, and the imperialistic tendencies of contemporary America and how they are all contributing to our very real ongoing downfall. Johnson is not afraid to prove how our own covert and overt policies have contributed to the war and terror that plague our nation.
Amazon.com
If the 20th century was the American century, the 21st century may be a time of reckoning for the United States. Chalmers Johnson, an authority on Japan and its economy, offers a troubling prognosis of what's to come. Blowback--the title refers to a CIA neologism describing the unintended consequences of American activity--is a call for the United States to rethink its position in the world. "The evidence is building up that in the decade following the end of the Cold War, the United States largely abandoned a reliance on diplomacy, economic aid, international law, and multilateral institutions in carrying out its foreign policies and resorted much of the time to bluster, military force, and financial manipulation," writes Johnson. "The world is not a safer place as a result." Individual chapters focus on Okinawa (where American servicemen were accused of raping a 12-year-old girl in "Asia's last colony"), the two Koreas, China, and Japan. The result is a liberal-leaning (and Asia-centric) call for the United States to disengage from many of its global commitments. Critics will call Johnson an isolationist, but friends (perhaps admirers of Patrick Buchanan's A Republic, Not an Empire) will say he simply speaks good sense. All will agree he is an earnest voice: "I believe our very hubris ensures our undoing." --John J. Miller
Book Description
The term 'blowback,' invented by the CIA, refers to the unintended results of American actions abroad. In this incisive and controversial book, Chalmers Johnson lays out in vivid detail the dangers faced by our overextended empire, which insists on projecting its military power to every corner of the earth and using American capital and markets to force global economic integration on its own terms. From a case of rape by U.S. servicemen in Okinawa to our role in Asia's financial crisis, from our early support for Saddam Hussein to our conduct in the Balkans, Johnson reveals the ways in which our misguided policies are planting the seeds of future disaster. In a new edition that addresses recent international events from September 11 to the war in Iraq, this now classic book remains as prescient and powerful as ever.
Customer Reviews:
Astonishingly good.......2007-10-10
I came across this book when I was looking for the recently published book by Profs. Mearsheimer and Walt on the Israeli lobby. I was familiar with Chalmers Johnson's name, but knew nothing about his work. I just read Blowback and am eager to read the other two in his trilogy. I have a generally good awareness of the idiocy of most American foreign policy simply from reading newspapers regularly and well-researched books occasionally on foreign policy or political science or history - as well as from spending some time outside the USA at various times and in various roles.
The disparity between how the USA as an entity and through the citizens (mostly soldiers) it sends abroad to perform official roles behaves outside the confines of its borders and how the average citizen goes about his/her daily life and therefore perceives his/her country is frighteningly wide. However, I was truly stunned at the well-written, clearly well-researched and even-handed account that Prof. Johnson gives of USA policy and USA actions in regard in particular to Asia. I do not doubt the accuracy of his analysis and reporting. In support of his recounting of the utter waste of citizens' tax dollars on most military and military-related activity (so-called intelligence-gathering, covert undermining of non-dictatorial governments and the like) I noted that the Bush Administration recently (summer 2007) had one of its flunkies start blathering about the fact that the USA maintains bases throughout the world, notably in Western European countries, Okinawa and Korea even though there are no "hostilities" there.
The inadvertent raising of a pertinent issue regarding the USA military presence (in less polite words, occupation) in those countries was quickly excised from the arguments for establishing a permanent military presence in Iraq. Good point. Why does the USA maintain a military presence in these countries? Mr. Johnson's book admirably traces the why and thereby makes clear the horrible impact our presence in these countries has had on many people in the world and in turn on innocents in the USA, such as those who died at the hands of Tim McVeigh and the suicide airline pilots. It is books like Mr. Johnson's that should be on the forefront of discussion among politicians, editorial-writers and any others who attempt to make or debate policy. As the inanities, nonsense and outright lies that have no basis whatsoever in fact emanating from the current roster of right-wing, know-nothing Republicans in Congress - abetted on occasion by poorly informed Democrats - attest, the current unending propaganda regarding events and conditions in the rest of the world, notably in Iraq and in the Middle East in general, is likely to continue to overwhelm outstanding analyses such as this. I wish it wouldn't. I hope that those with some curiosity about the wonders and diversity of the world - not to mention facts about how the USA and other countries behave in the world - will discover this book as I did.
Blowback? Nah---mainly just Blow........2007-08-23
Chalmers Johnson might very well have entitled this manifestly overrated little jeremiad of gloom, doom, and rice-paddy Manchurian manifest destiny "Everything I know about Geopolitics I learned from the Golden Rule".
That's "Blowback": do unto others, O Mighty Great Satan, as you would have them do unto you. Or as the learned geo-strategist and member of the Council on Foreign Relations grandmaster funk-flash rapper extra-ordinaire Jay-Z once put it (in verse, and to a funky hip-hop beat, which is *way* more than Johnson accomplishes in this nearly cranium-anesthetizing snoozer):
"now you shoot my my dog/
I'ma gonna kill yo' cat/
just the unwritten Laws/
in Rap."
Word. Basically, Johnson is saying that all those nasty, naughty, uber-meanie things the U.S. did (or might have done, deniability, baby, deniability) in the last century (and now, yes, tiresomely the first part of the 21st century) are gonna come back to haunt us. Payback's a bizzle, fo shizzle.
Or, to dip deeply into the cliche snuffbox, what goes around, comes around. Or better still, if you're up for Chinese---4th BC Chinese---: "if you sit by the River long enough, you will see the bodies of all your enemies float by."
There: in this review, you've gotten the gist of Johnson's 'argument', and you've saved yourself the misery of having "Blowback" inflicted on you. You should be grateful.
OK: so example---we helped supply, feed, & train the Mujahadeen to fight a nasty and ultimately successful insurgency against the Soviets. The Jihadis won, kicked the Soviets out, and replaced a doddering, backward, socially repressive & economically retarded 19th century system with a---get this---doddering, backward, socially repressive & economically retarded 7th century system.
Progress? Yes. Blowback? NO! Not Blowback, not that bit anyway. Blowback was what happened when the Taliban and their buddies (including our Bon Ami et Frere Amicable Osama bin "Gin & Juice" Laden) got tired of crushing homosexuals beneath stone walls, blowing up ancient Buddha statues, and strangling dogs. Those crazy Talibs! We got 9/11, the ultimate "blowback.". Or blowup. Or something like that.
Now, it's true that Chalmers Johnson's 'idea' has a nice, simple symmetry to it, in the same way the delightful childrens' potty book "Everything Poops" does: it's, well, true. And obvious.
But seen from a different angle (say, that of adulthood), it's a bit retarded. Or, let's be kind, simplistic. It says, if you, as an Empire, or Republic, or whatever you are---if you do something, something's going to happen. Man, go tell it to the Spartans! (or Newton). Actions have consequences. If you read "Blowback", for instance, the blowback might be that you hear your brain cells scream as they die.
Take the British, who for years now have done everything they can to pretend to be a stodgier, duller, more moldy version of Canada, & what has that gotten them? Flaming gate crashers at Glasgow airport and having their Royal Marines publicly humilated and dressed by Tehran's answer to Today's Man.
But like Paul Kennedy yammering, with yen besotted yuppies back in the early eighties, that the Land of the Rising Sun was about to make us all eat sushi and do Shinto devotionals before our morning calisthenics prior to ruling the World---well, Blowback is just not all that. It's too elementary, man: it's thermodynamical.
And in politics, in affairs of state, in war and manipulation & sabotage, in all of that, it's not even necessarily true. The point being: if you're brutal enough, there will be no blowback.
Think about that for a moment: you don't even have to consult antiquity for examples where if you're willing to play around in a little bit of blood and crack some skulls, there will be no real `blowback'. Russia has ruthlessly crushed & decimated Muslim movements in its former Asian provinces and puppet states, the latest being the pathetic instance of Chechnya. And for all that, I have yet to hear Russia denounced by any imams as even a moderate-sized Satan. Hell, Russia & Iran are great buddies, so long as the latter keeps those rent checks coming on the old Bushehr reactor.
China is another great example: for more than five decades, China has occupied Tibet and taken every step possible to destroy its society and culture. For all of that, wanna know China's "blowback" from this merciless, honestly fascist occupation? The 2008 Olympic Games, a few thousand pathetic "Free Tibet" bumper sticker affixed to the bumpers of liberals' Priuses, & Richard Gere.
To dragoon Orwell's delicious little phrase, if you stomp on a man's face long and hard enough---you know, until you hear bone snap & soft tissue turns to jelly and the eyeballs pop out---there ain't gona be enough to---well, blow back.
In summary: Chalmers gets a big fat F for his stupid "Blowback" and should wear a duncecap in public.
That said, I can find one example---right here, right now!---that supports Johnson's thesis. Are you ready?
Johnson writes his tired, pathetic, dull little ratturd of a book.
In return, I gut his book like a sick fish in a quick and deadly online review.
Now that's what I call blowback.
JSG
Enlightening.......2007-08-17
The book's idea is that US foreign policy, made to win the cold war, has consequences. For instance, in '53 when we installed the Shah of Iran to act as a puppet for the West (overthrowing the democratically elected Mosaddeq because of oil) he repressed the people until he was overthrown in Jan. 1979. We'd be crazy to believe that the people who overthrew Persia's most ruthless dictator not be anti-American (since we installed that dictator). To this day I see people asking why Iran's government dislikes the US - "Do they hate us for our freedoms?" Taking this idea of "unintended consequences," Johnson talks specifically about East Asia and its history during the Cold War and after. In particular, he mentions Indonesia, Korea, China, and Japan.
I found the book very enlightening. Since 9/11 the US news and media's idea of international news coverage has been Middle-Eastern news coverage (except for natural disasters around the world and other frivolous events). Also, I went to public-school - I didn't know anything about Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries (and I took all AP history classes). So, there was this vacuum of knowledge about East Asia I had, which this book filled quite nicely.
Also mentioned in the book, briefly, are neoclassical economics, WTO, IMF, World Bank, 1997 economic crisis, Hungarian revolution, and the '73 Chilean coup as well as some other US interventions in the Middle-East.
Very informative, but drawn out and wordy............2007-08-04
This book is very informative and the first and last chapters are worth paying for the entire thing just to read them. Not the most Pro-American book I've ever read, but will give you an interesting take on things. Very in depth and revealing. Certainly shows how our American Empire can throw our weight around when necessary - and when not. Not bad, but a bit too wordy for me. Still good though.
Pull Your Head Out or Die With It In The Sand.......2007-07-17
This book deserves five stars, but I can tell you it's nothing like listening to this man speak in person. As in "Blowback" he lays it all out on the table. Sadly he says, "We just may have gone pass the point of no return." Americans now know that authors like Chalmers Johnson, Norm Chomsky, Webster Griffin Tarpley and Paul Waldman are not just over-educated nay sayers. We know that we're in real trouble, we just don't know what to do about it. If 9/11 proved nothing else, it proved that aircraft carriers, F16's, and smart bombs are useless against terrorists and apathy.
Dr. Johnson summarizes the status quo: "We have a strong civil society that could, in theory, overcome the entrenched interests of the armed forces and the military-industrial complex. At this late date, however, it is difficult to imagine how Congress, much like the Roman senate in the last days of the republic, could be brought back to life and cleansed of its endemic corruption. Failing such a reform, Nemesis, the goddess of retribution and vengeance, the punisher of pride and hubris, waits patiently for her meeting with us."
I am without the education to travel in the circles of the aforementioned authors, but I can in my own way address my fellow blue collar workers... The media has dubbed me one of America's most controversial writers. I think it's because I criticize my own party, the Republican Party, instead of the Democrats. This unorthodox approach of mine gives people the wrong idea about me. I don't hate predators. If there weren't hawks in this country, those in other countries would show up here. Do not misinterpret "Hawk" to mean I approve of George W. Bush and Richard Cheney and their Hermann Goering protégés in the Pentagon. Bush is a mouth and a pen; he's in a different league altogether than his vice president. Cheney is a vulgar, immoral, sadistic subhuman. Does that make me a Libertarian?
Book Description
In the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, Scott Ritter's War on Iraq was embraced by the antiwar movement in America even though his claims that Iraq had been effectively disarmed were ignored by both the Bush administration and the mainstream media. In the wake of the debacle, Ritter has been vindicated. Now Ritter, a former United Nations weapons inspector, has set his sights on the White House's hyping of Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program. In Target Iran he once again sets the record straight.
This book offers Ritter's “national intelligence assessment” of the Iranian imbroglio. He examines the Bush administration's regime-change policy and the potential of Iran to threaten U.S. national security interests. The author also considers how the country is seen by other interested parties, including the United Kingdom (Tony Blair may once again be called upon by Bush to provide an international “cover” in any confrontation), Israel (the Israelis view Iran as their number one threat today), and the International Atomic Energy Agency (responsible for inspecting the alleged nuclear program).
Customer Reviews:
The story still goes on!.......2007-08-29
This book has many merits and is surely the best you can find if you are looking for a good overview of the Iranian nuclear issue up to the end of 2006. Included is the critical role of Israel, the US policy toward Tehran, the IAEA efforts (and some of its techniques) and many more. The problem is that the story is still going on and none knows how (and when) it will end. Thus I think it's rather premature to buy a book only for a synopsis of the US-Israel-Iran crisis, while new developments happen nearly every day. Mr Scott has also no comments on the possible "military solutions" (except a few lines stating that they will be catastrophic as a choice), something that I found disappointing to say the least.
A must read.......2007-06-10
The subject matter is of increasing importance for Americans and the world. Mr. Ritter once again lays open the myths that surround another nation that is very misunderstood by the U.S. government and the people. As the U.S. moves closer and closer to a possible confrontation with Iran this book becomes increasingly important for Americans to be able to equip themselves with the facts so they can see through the rhetoric that is put forth by an increasingly hostile administration.
It is essential that we are not caught ignorant once again while this administration leads this country into another blunder in the Middle East. Mr. Ritter does an excellent job laying out what the international community has done to confront Iran's intransigence, and how the U.S. has hindered and complicated matters behind the scenes and publicly. His message once again seems prescient hopefully this time his warnings will be heeded, but the only way that will happen is if American's acquaint themselves with the facts so they won't succumb to the fear tactics yet again.
The main criticisms I have with this book is its choppy narrative and the lack of sources noted. The narrative seems to bounce around a lot which can be a little confusing at times. The lack of noting his sources becomes problematic when discussing the book or the issue because you can't point to Mr. Ritter's source and say that's where he gets his information. Mr. Ritter's earlier works gives him the credibility needed to pull this off, but for those that are die hard interventionists it would have helped to be able to see the sources.
These are the reasons I could not give this book five stars, but the importance of the subject makes this book a must read. I would certainly recommend this book to everyone.
Different nation, same US Foreign policy: Regime change.......2007-05-23
Just a few points to consider:
1. Iran was determined to have Nuclear capability by 2006.
2. Ahmadinejad is all bark, and no bite (literally, since he doesn't control Iran's nuclear forces and is NOT the man with the ultimate power in Iran, whic resides in the hands of Khamenie who has declared that the use of atomic bombs under any circumstances is not legitimate under Islam).
The book is well written and not only tells you about the politics involved, but also the technology of developing nuclear capability. The chapters are very long, and I noticed atleast twice that the publisher printed "Iraq" when the author meant to say "Iran" (see top of page 200)
More pics/maps would have been nice.
Great book, but read the conclusion first........2007-02-09
READ THE CONCLUSION AND POSTSCRIPT FIRST.
This is a very important book. Based on its rank in Amazon sales (in the 4000s or so), it's being purchased by quite a few people.
But there are only ten (ten) Amazon reviews. Only ten reviews of a book that gives authoritative, on-the-ground facts about Iran's nuclear capabilities.
Why so few Amazon reviews? Here's our guess. Readers get totally bogged down in the minutiae of weapons inspection, of Mossad spy disinformation, of EU vacillation, of the UN teetering on a Security Council resolution . . ..
But who reads the entire book? It's a total drudge read until you get to the CONCLUSION and POSTSCRIPT on pages 197-219. Those 22 pages tell the whole story.
We strongly recommend that you read these pages first. After you read the Conclusion and Postscript, then go back and read the knowledgeable detail in the first 196 pages. This is a great book, showing what's actually gone on, step by step, in the inspections done by Mohammed EI Baradei, IAEA Director, and his team.
The Iranians are nowhere close to having nuclear capabilities.
This is the conclusion of Scott Ritter, one of the men who took part in the Iraqi inspections, announced that Saddam had NO "weapons of mass destruction," and was completely ignored by a war-hungry Bush administration. And Scott Ritter was completely right. We went to war with Iraq for NO REASON AT ALL.
So, read the conclusion and the postscript first. Here he says with admirable clarity what others are saying--including Stephen Walt and John Mearsherimer (book forthcoming), James Petras, and Jimmy Carter.
We need to take back our country.
Israel and America are two separate countries. Iran is no danger to the US. It's Israel's problem (if it is a threat, which evidently it is not), but, as Ritter says, "Once again [as in Iraq], the world finds itself on the brink of another Middle East war in which the United States is using trumped-up charges centered around false threats of weapons of mass destruction. . ." ( p, 201) As Ritter shows, all these false threats are being orchestrated by Israel and its friends in the United States.
Israel itself has a formidable nuclear arsenal, uninspected by anybody--IAEA in particular. And they are not even members of the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty).
Ritter acknowledges Israel's feelings of paranoia, but points out that in this case those feelings will lead to its own destruction.
And what about the United States? What could be the outcome for the US of such a war? This is the most disturbing part of the book. Anyone who is familiar with the location of Iran knows that they are strategically placed to stop the flow of a great deal of the oil that reaches the West. Result? Our economy would grind to a miserable slowdown when the price of oil goes to $150-200 a barrel. Other results, equally horrifying, are described by Ritter.
Scott Ritter is a patriot who knows what he is talking about. He has all the credentials to be credible. We had better listen to him.
We'd better listen to him soon.
The word is out that an attack is being planned for this spring. Let's hope it's not true.
A Must Read!!.......2007-02-08
While the country debates the troop "surge" the administration and its Israeli "Ally" plan the next war right under our noses. Too bad there is such little discussion of this in the mainstream press.
Ritter's book is well written and authoratative.
Book Description
The biggest untapped market in the world? The last great communist threat? The free-trade partner? The human rights scourge? China Cross Talk provides a front-row seat to the most memorable scenes in the American debate over China policy since 1978. Representing the full spectrum of opinion on this divisive issue, this book allows participants in the debate to speak in their own voices through selections that range from op-ed articles and commentaries to speeches by leading government officials; from congressional testimony to editorial cartoons. They touch upon the whole range of security, economic, and political issues that have affected the relationship, including the benefits and dangers of diplomatic recognition, managing Taiwan, most-favored-nation status, China's Olympic bids, proliferation, and growing Chinese power
Customer Reviews:
The best book on comtemporary US-China Policy.......2003-03-28
Simply outstanding. This should be required reading for any student of contemporary US foreign affairs or US-China relations. I've ready a lot of mediocre books on the subject over the years, but this is a keeper. Well-organized, nicely woven themes.
Perfect primer on US/ SINO Relations.......2003-03-08
This is an excellent compilation of US/ SINO relations. Kennedy weaves divergent perspectives to give the reader a well rounded POV into the history and future of the US's relationship with the middle kingdom.
Book Description
Featuring thought-provoking essays collected from scholarly journals, this highly respected reader provides an overview of the major, contending theories that shape U.S. foreign policy. International Sources of Foreign Policy; Capitalism, Class, and Foreign Policy; National Values, Democratic Institutions, and Foreign Policy; Public Opinion, Policy Legitimacy, and Sectional Conflict.; Bureaucratic Politics and Organizational Culture; Perceptions, Personality, and Social Psychology; Theoretical Debates After the Cold War. Anyone interested in better understanding American Foreign Policy.
Customer Reviews:
An extraordinary tool for foreign policy students & teachers.......1999-05-18
G. John Ikenberry does students and teachers of American foreign policy an extraordinary service by collecting some of the best theoretical essays of the past thirty years into a single volume. From Graham Allison's models of the Cuban Missile Crisis to Ikenberry's "myth of post-Cold war chaos," readers are exposed to a virtual "who's who" in late 20th century foreign policy theory.
The collection's eight sections offer three or four essays each. The fundamental problem of explanation is covered by Ole Holsti, with charts (invaluable for the introductory student) depicting three models of the international system and three models of foreign policy decision making. Kenneth Waltz, with his anarchic order and balance of powers, anchors the section on international sources of foreign policy. Other topics include capitalism and class, values and institutions, public opinion, bureaucratic politics, perceptions and psychology, and the post-Cold War era.
Many essays provide interesting insights into current foreign policy headlines. Michael Roskin's 1974 article on shifting generational paradigms may offer lessons about views on Kosovo from Madeleine Albright's generation (Munich) and Bill Clinton's (Vietnam). Articles on Vietnam in three different sections remind young readers that despite video-game-style presentations from the Pentagon, not all wars are the Persian Gulf War.
If there is any room for criticism, it may be about economics. The latest period of analysis is 1948-1973. Articles on the transformation of the global trading system and on the telecommunications revolution would be interesting additions.
Overall, the author succeeds in presenting a variety of theoretical perspectives representative of the questions and proposed answers in foreign policy. In my course, in which many of these essays were required reading, student feedback was overwhelmingly positive: the book provided a solid theoretical base for foreign policy analysis. (May 1999)
Book Description
Iran has resumed its nuclear program, and President Bush is threatening military action. An expert on U.S.-Iranian relations explains the past, present, and possible future of this dangerous standoff
In 2002, George W. Bush famously referred to Iran as a member of the "axis of evil." The fierce rhetoric highlights the persistent antagonism between the two nations. The standoff has taken on renewed urgency with election of hard-line conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran's new president and his bold resumption of the country's nuclear program. Will Iran be the next front in America's war on terror?
Iran expert Ali Ansari sets the current crisis in the context of a long history of mutual antagonism. Despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations, Iran and the U.S. have loomed large in each other's domestic politics for decades. From the overthrow of Mosaddeq in 1953 to the hostage crisis in 1979 and, more recently, the Gulf War and the War in Iraq, both Iranian and American politicians have forged narratives about an "evil empire" lying half a world away. This mutual mistrust has militated against dŽtente between the two nations--and may ultimately lead to war.
An authoritative account of failed foreign policy, this book will be essential reading for anyone seeking to understand this explosive region.
Customer Reviews:
Good Book.......2007-09-03
Well written book. Breaks down the history of Iran and the way our policies shaped our present views of the country.
Historical Insights-Modern Applications.......2007-04-10
Within the pages of Confronting Iran one may find an excellent history on the Iranian relationship with multiple world power players. The policies of the United States and Britain, and to a lesser degree Iraq and Russia, are prominently and intricately worked over.
Another product of this reading is a respect for the sovereignty of this ancient nation and her idyllic peoples. It isn't difficult to accept a 'West is Best' mentality when you've known nothing else.
With praise appropriately placed for Mr. Ansari's accomplishment in Confronting Iran, it is appropriate to note that his affections are by no means hidden or misunderstood. The sympathetic viewpoints of the author lend to an overshadowing question! Where are we going?
Perhaps it is just too difficult to accept, at face value, the submissions of a learned man that opens his writing with the following statements. " It is generally accepted that all nations and states are rooted in a series of foundation myths...". " A good example in the United States is the myth of the Founding Fathers and the American Revolution...". Little more need be said.
Not a Bad Read on a Complex Subject.......2007-03-24
This book was good for both its take on current events with regards to Iran, and also for the historical dealings layout. I've read various authors on the history of the Middle East, but when dealing with the Middle East as a whole, anyone is bound to overlook key details just because of necessity. Writing about the unique nations is important because Iranians don't look at themselves as just another one of the Middle Eastern nations that the west thinks are all the same.
Ansari's analysis seems very fair to me. America has made some mistakes and they shouldn't deny that. But he is upfront about the mistakes Iran made also
It is difficult to read any book on this subject without forming an opinion one way or another. The fact that anyone is reading it suggests they already have an opinion on Iran. Ansari portrays a country whose leaders are, as of 1979, relatively hostile to the West/USA, and have very little desire to amend themselves with Americans. But it also shows contrasting citizenry who respect the West and want to patch things up.
The question now becomes what to do about Iran. Ansari didn't touch on this much, and that probably wasn't the intention of his book. This book is good for getting a solid reference point and then working from there. More knowledge about this complex nation and region would not hurt anyone, and such ignorance seems to be rampant among talking heads today.
The one area I would criticize the book is in its characterization of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It seems Ansari purposely avoids mentioning how completely whacko this guy is and how bad he is for Iran. Scholars cannot keep ignoring and glossing over all the "incinerate the Jews" talk and holocaust denying as simple rhetoric of Middle Eastern leaders. When every stump speech Ahmadinejad gives up and down Iran contains the underlying theme of war with the rest of the world he cannot then expect to be given visas to UN, so he can cry about being treated unfairly. Part of democratic negotiations is acting like a sane individual. If Iranian leaders can't do that any expectation of fair engagement with the west is a pie in the sky.
Interesting, but not much new though.......2007-01-11
As my title imply this book is very interesting - it is a great introduction to Iran and its foregin policy but if you are familiar with middle eastern history and politics it is not much that you probably dont already know.
Whats makes this book this inreresting is the importance of the subject as the tone between Iran and US/Israel is more harsh than ever. I especally enjoyed the last few chapters.
Overall: Must read if you want to understand Iranian foregin relations beyond what the media presents. If you already know a bit there is nothing controverial or new in this book.
Thorough - if imbalanced - history offers expert background.......2007-01-08
This slightly convoluted book provides tremendous background to help advanced readers understand the complex motives and machinations that shape U.S.-Iranian relations. Unfortunately, professor Ali Ansari has a definite point of view that affects his presentation about Iran's stated nuclear threats and terrorist financing, even as he chides the "trigger-happy Americans" in Iraq. He may be right that the U.S. missed several opportunities to reduce tensions with Iran, but he admits that Iran's overtures were oblique and unpopular. His baroque interpretations of Iran's motives and the relationships among its factions is dizzying, and open to question - ultimately adding to Iran's mystery. Despite its biases, we consider this important for those seeking a comprehensive overview of Iran and its complex U.S. relations. The book goes well beyond any discussion available in the mass media.
Average customer rating:
- A must-read on 20th Century American Foreign Policy
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Woodrow Wilson and Harry Truman: Mission and Power in American Foreign Policy
Anne Pierce
Manufacturer: Transaction Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1412806631 |
Book Description
Recurring throughout our history are the ideas that repressive governments are doomed to failure; that liberty is a motivating force; that freedom comes with responsibilities and must be guided by principles; that the example of our democracy is a challenge to all forms of political repression and an inspiration to those desiring to be free. Wilson and Truman took these ideas as the starting point for their policy formulation and pronouncements. Truman both acknowledged his indebtedness to Wilson and learned from his mistakes. This study places the two presidents within the broader American tradition and explores the way they combined reverence for the past with innovative policies. Pierce provides a cohesive argument against those who simplify and categorize American ideals in order to demean them. Her findings show that the assumption that Wilson was an idealist while Truman was a realist distorts our understanding of these men and denies the seriousness of their positions. She reveals Truman's brilliance as a foreign policy strategist and his fervency as a spokesperson for American ideals. He was never willing to dispense with geopolitics for the sake of internationalism, nor with internationalism for the sake of geopolitics, but insisted that our mission and our power were combined threads in our work for freedom. Truman's wisely construed version of Wilsonianism, which itself was an interpretation of America's mission and power, holds great promise for the United States today.
Customer Reviews:
A must-read on 20th Century American Foreign Policy.......2003-06-25
This gets you thinking about the importance of the American foreign policy tradition in a way other books don't-provides a refreshing alternative to the cynical and negative view of American history. The focus on Wilson and Truman leads to a much broader discussion of American ideals and foreign policy. The writing is powerful and the research is persuasive.
Book Description
Brand-new chapter exclusive to the paperback edition
Colonel David Hunt has dedicated his career to fighting terrorism. A U.S. Army veteran for nearly thirty years, he has helped take out an active terrorist camp, trained the FBI and Special Forces in counterterrorism tactics, and served as security adviser to six different Olympic Games.
And Colonel Hunt is angry. Why? Because even after the attacks on our country and on Americans around the world, the people charged with protecting us—the politicians and the bureaucrats in the military and in intelligence—still aren’t getting the job done. In They Just Don’t Get It, you’ll learn:
• How many of the government’s recent “reforms” are actually counterproductive
• How we can fight this war and still safeguard our civil liberties and the American way of life
• What you can do to keep your family safe
• How to fix the intelligence disaster (and yes, the politicians in D.C. still haven't fixed it)
As politicians posture and pundits bicker, we’re losing sight of the problem: We’re still not equipped to win the war on terror. Hunt shows us there are changes we can make at every level—as individual citizens, as a government, and as a military power—in order to win the war on terror and ensure our survival as a free, proud, and strong nation.
Customer Reviews:
good, common sense-based book.......2007-09-05
Col. David Hunt's book is a good read. He is not the most polished writer around -- the book is written more like an extended conversation -- but he gets his points across. The book tends to get redundant at times, but it remains an interesting book to read which one can easily complete in one evening or two. If even a small fraction of what Hunt alledges is true, Americans should be very concerned about our safety and the glaring lack of leadership in our country.
They Just Don't Get It.......2007-06-12
Of the 30 books I've read over the last year, this is the worst. If I were to equate this with anything written in the last 5 years it would be the last book by Ann Colter. I'm glad I forgot the title of that book. An uneducated person may like books like this, but can come away from the experience with a pedestrian view of history.
Hunt Should Be The Secretary of Defense.......2006-09-14
Col. David Hunt has written a superb plan for fighting the war on terror. It is bold, decisive, and politically incorrect. It is also far better than what we are doing or anyone else is talking about.
The author traces the history of terrorism from the 1972 Munich Olympics through 9/11 and beyond. He shows how our leaders have been ineffective in responding. He is not partisan. He reviews botches by Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and Bush.
He also critiques many problems with our current approach to dealing with terrorists. Some of those include the following: Failing to use the best troops (special ops.) effectively and fully, allowing Pakistan to harbor bin Laden, failing to secure the Iraqi borders allowing the Syrians and Iranians to continue to supply terrorists, continuing to be cozy with the Saudis in spite of their financing of terror, having too much bureaucracy interfering with decision making, and many more.
Along with the problems, the author also presents numerous solutions. Some of those are politically incorrect; Some may seem outrageous. Most are worthwhile and should be pondered and discussed. Some of his ideas (including some highly controversial ones) are as follows: a total reorganization of intelligence with unity of command, de-bureaucratizing the defense and intelligence arenas, creation of a 'Terrorist Killing Agency', mandatory national service (not necessarily military) as a way to overcome personnel shortages, and the elimination of the ill conceived and nonsensical color coding system that the Homeland Security Dept. created. There are many more as well.
While I certainly don't agree with all of his ideas, I do think that every American elected official and voter should read this book. Its ideas should be debated and considered. If several of these were implemented, we would all be much safer.
A Must Read To Understand Winning The War On Terror.......2006-08-26
In his mundane, conversational style, Colonel Hunt cites many of the terrorist attacks which have killed innocent citizens, profiles the killers responsible for these atrocities and offers political as well as logistical solutions to combat terrorists in this insurgent style of war.
Detractors will hurl insults at the messenger and his message to complicate his clearly stated, basic premise: This is not a traditional war. We must retaliate against these killers using our special forces, trained to defeat terrorist aggression without bureaucratic interference from politicians and the military hierarchy.
This book is must read for all who understandably feel confused by the doublespeak of our politicians, military leaders and journalists.
Good views expressed poorly........2006-08-23
Much of what Col Hunt has to say is quite interesting and I agree with his views and arguments, however, the book is more like a +200 page rant and rave than a well written book. I felt like he was just complaining most of the time about what's wrong with politicians and he offers "simple" solutions to all of our problems which are entirely unrealistic. It's a good example of why are our government is not run by the military and why we need civilians ultimately in control. A great man, who has served his country with great honor, but in my view is not a very good author. Ultimately, I did not enjoy this book, and struggled to force myself to finish it.
Amazon.com
It is the dawn of the 21st century, and the United States has appropriated the entire Earth. So journalist Robert Kaplan writes in his paean to the American fighting man and woman, Imperial Grunts. The U.S. has quietly--with little public debate--forged an empire that is "ready to flood the most obscure areas of it with troops at a moment's notice," writes Kaplan, a correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly magazine who has written 10 earlier books on foreign affairs and travel, including the acclaimed Balkan Ghosts. Imperial Grunts is Kaplan's account of his travels to the frontiers of the U.S. imperium. From the dustbowl of northern Yemen to the coca fields of Colombia and the insurgent hotbed of Fallujah, Kaplan takes readers to the war-torn edges of the U.S. empire and visits with front-line grunts who guard it and try to expand its reach.
"Welcome to Injun Country," is the catchphrase Kaplan hears from all the U.S. soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors we meet. In the view of American troops, they are taming an "unruly" frontier in the tradition of General George Custer. We all know what happened to Custer and, later, to the Native Americans whom the 7th Cavalry was sent out to pacify. But far from criticizing that mission or finding in the analogy any cautionary lesson, Kaplan is an enthusiastic cheerleader for what he baldly calls "American imperialism." He sees it as "humanitarian" and "righteous" and seems to never meet a Green Beret or marine he does not idolize. To Kaplan, U.S. imperialism is unquestionably selfless and heroic, trying only to bring a little taste of freedom to the huddled masses of the world. Imperial Grunts works well as a travelogue but fails to provide deeper insights--or opposing views--about the complex and fascinating places he explores. --Alex Roslin
Book Description
A fascinating, unprecedented first-hand look at the soldiers on the front lines on the Global War on Terror.
Plunging deep into midst of some of the hottest conflicts on the globe, Robert D. Kaplan takes us through mud and jungle, desert and dirt to the men and women on the ground who are leading the charge against threats to American security. These soldiers, fighting in thick Colombian jungles or on dusty Afghani plains, are the forefront of the new American foreign policy, a policy being implemented one soldier at a time. As Kaplan brings us inside their thoughts, feelings, and operations, these modern grunts provide insight and understanding into the War on Terror, bringing the war, which sometimes seems so distant, vividly to life.
Customer Reviews:
Boots on the ground firmly grounded in reality.......2007-10-15
Right off the bat let me say that I have no axe to grind about the military bureaucracy and I'm not looking to make any pronouncements about the war in Iraq. Though I served in the Army over 40 years ago and briefly with Treasury department about five years later, it's safe to say that over a generation later I have little or no clue how these institutions operate these days. Nonetheless, those two episodes introduced me to a bunch of folks who were practical, courageous, innovative, honest and humble. Imperial Grunts is proof that these kinds of people are thankfully still serving our country. I'm grateful to Robert Kaplan for allowing me to spend some time with them again.
The War that Few Hear About.......2007-10-13
Imperial Grunts is a well written book that begins to look at the Global War of Terrorism from a much larger perspective than the normal "military interest" books that are now flooding the market.
In it you begin to see the bigger effort that encompasses not only Iraq and Afghanistan but the whole global community.
These are the stories that you should be hearing about. I highly recommended this book for those who want the "bigger picture".
There is no need to like the author's ideas, but he has worked on them.......2007-09-16
Being fair, one must acknowledge that Mr. Kaplan is not promoting a military state or arguing that the creation of an empire as a good thing. He simply recognizes that war is deeply engrained as a mode to solve disputes among humans and since the U.S, has strategic interest in every corner of the world, sooner that later he will be forced to use it as a policy tool, and in those situations, is better to have a capable and dedicated army than none at all.
On the other hand it is obvious that he professes and admiration for the U.S. military which could more effectively categorized as adoration, which as many other reviewers have correctly pointed out, should make the reader highly suspicious of its equanimity or objectivity.
It seems to me that the author places a lot of effort to avoid rendering a moral judgment on Bush's policies or if the existence of an empire is good or not. He departs form the fact that it is a reality and as such which shall be the ideal role of the US army in its management.
He knows that most readers already have a view on that topic, and it would be useless to convince them otherwise. However he feels that most of the officials and privates he encountered are not in the army because they want to "enjoy the spoils of war" but more likely because of a naive and sort of innocent belief that when their government orders them to give their life for the US it is doing so guided by principles such as freedom, honor and patriotism. That they are deeply mistaken, particularly those serving in Iraq right now is another story.
Energetic, entertaining, and speaks to you.......2007-09-12
I don't know if anyone has told Kaplan he's a gifted writer or not, but someone should have. In this book he takes on the task of not one war, but wars. Not only that, he picks Grunts - 11 bravo as his subject. If you think writing about guys marching, sleeping, eating, and answering nature's call in the rain, mud, and snow is easy, give it a try. To make the task even more difficult, these are totally different people from totally different times in history. About the only thing these guys had in common was the fact they were trying not to get killed while killing others.
Since my newest book, "Kill Me If You Can", about the Vietnam War has come out; I'm asked almost daily the difference between the Vietnam and Iraq wars. The difference is religion. Both of these wars, like all wars, are started for control and profit, but add religion into the mix, and brother, you've got yourself a war. George W. Bush might have started the Iraq War, but he'll not live long enough to see it end, and it's possible that his grandchildren might not either.
This book of Kaplan's shows his ability to bring people and events long since past back to life again. He puts you there on the battlefield and into the minds of the men up front and the sociopats that are out of harms way doing their best to perpetuate the war for power and profit. Here, I'll turn it over to Henry Kissinger and Dick Cheney to explain the thinking of the men behind the scenes.
"Military men are dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns for foreign policy." -Henry Kissinger
"Principle is OK up to a certain point, but principle doesn't do any good if you lose." -Dick Cheney
Great window into current military operations........2007-09-07
Mr Kaplan's book is very informative and really struck a cord for me. After performing civil affairs in Ramadi, so many of the trials and tribulations of the soldiers and Marines in Imperial Grunts took on deep meaning and kept making me want to say "Yeah! Thats right!" I think that most Americans don't realize the great weight being put on our fighting forces in terms of US foreign policy. As a company grade officer I've sat in many a meeting with local, Provincial, and national Iraqi politicians, engineers, and sheiks and made desisions that have defined our relationship and our interaction with Iraqi leaders. Don't get me wrong, the General Officers and State Dept reps live and work at a level above me and their decision making effects things at a long-term macro level; but the military rank and file walking the streets and meeting locals in their homes in places like Iraq and Afganistan (and many others!) are making the decisions at the "bleeding edge" of US foreign policy, period. I would recommend this book for anyone involved in Civil Military Operations, Information Operations, US foreign policy decision making, anyone working for or contemplating working for a US State Dept Provincial Reconstruction Team, or anyone that just wants a current and relevant look into how US foreign policy matters are made at the ground level around the world.
Book Description
In this revised and expanded edition of American Foreign Policy, Bruce Jentleson addresses the vital questions of this new global era: how should the United States wield its power, pursue peace, be true to its principles, and work with the international community? American Foreign Policy is unique in its integrated approach, combining foreign policy strategy and foreign policy politics and blending a focus on contemporary issues with theoretical and historical perspectives. Students are offered a solid foundation for analyzing U.S. foreign policy amidst the challenges of terrorism, the Iraq war and its aftermath, globalization, geopolitics, ethnic conflict, democratization, and a host of other issues.
Customer Reviews:
Tediously terrible.......2005-11-05
Aside from generally frusterating page design, this book is worthless. If you want a basic introduction to American foreign policy, look elsewhere.
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