Masters of War: Militarism and Blowback in the Era of American Empire
Book Reviews | Feb 3rd, 2007
Author: Carl Boggs, Ed.
Publisher: Routledge
Genre: Political Science
Pages: 384
Retail Price: 0.00
Buy on Amazon.com link
Critical essays from our most respected political science scholars and thinkers on the U.S.’s post-9/11 foreign policy (which is the extreme culmination of 50 years of Cold War foreign policy).
Spanning the “war on terror” to the weaponization of space to the U.S.’s long and misfortunate history of political and economic meddling, the contributors make the persuasive case that peaceful America the Beautiful is and has been steeply involved in harsh militarism and imperialism, helped along by a complacent and self-censoring media, glorified by Hollywood, and largely ignored by its citizens.
The term “blowback”, as Chalmers Johnson defines in his excellent piece “American Militarism and Blowback”, is a CIA term used in the 50s “for the unintended consequences of covert operations against foreign nations and governments.” Examples range from arming and training Osama Bin Laden in the 70s against the Soviet Union, to arming and aiding Saddam Hussein in the 80s against Iran. Blowback is the bed the U.S. made and the world, including the U.S., has to lie in.
All of the above is nothing new; you’ve heard it before. But these pieces are so well-researched and academic in tone that they can’t be ignored or shrugged off as leftist jibber jabberin’ or conspiracy paranoia. This collection is a factual, stark look at the U.S.’s shameful misuse of power in its quest to dominate, and should be read by anyone who wonders why the rest of the world doesn’t love peaceful America the Beautiful.
Bottom Line: Essays on the failures of US foreign policy.
Favorite Part(s):
Overall Rating:
