Synopses & Reviews
With the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States' long war on communism was replaced by a perpetual "war on terror." The authors posit that this neo-imperialistic phase is but the latest development in a line of thought and action established after World War II. But, they say, 2005 is not 1945. Today, they argue, the United States uses its power to deplete the resources of the developing world, and to compel the rest of the world to remain dependent on American management of the global economy. Contending that this situation is ultimately untenable, they assert that the United States is entering a period of deep crisis. The best thing for American neo-imperialists to do to avert their worst nightmare--a strategic and economic alliance among Europe, Russia, China, and OPEC--would be to arrange for the orderly withdrawal of American power before it is too late for the human and environmental security of the world.
Review
Fouskas and Gokay have produced a Marxist-oriented critique of American foreign policy, particularly the neoconservative orientations of that policy. The book sets the Bush administration's foreign policy in the context of foreign policy dating back to the era of Dean Acheson. The authors' argument is not particularly cohesive, in the context of too many loosely connected chapters. Some references cited are not especially authoritative. In addition, by presupposing an extensive knowledge of both US foreign policy and Marxist critiques, the authors limit the book's appeal. Nevertheless, certain aspects may be of current interest in view of emerging controversies regarding the actions of the Bush administration in the context of the "war on terror." These points of interest include the authors' general argument that the resort to increasingly militarized foreign policy is a product of an eroding US international economic dominance and, in particular, Chapter 3, which addresses the covert gathering and selective use of intelligence in US foreign policy. Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty.Choice
Review
"Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty." - Choice
Review
"This timely and insightful work provides a provocative analysis of the dynamics of U.S. power in the age of the 'War on Terror' and the 'Export of Freedom." < p="">Dan Plesch, Research Fellow at Birkbeck College, University of London <>
Review
"An innovative and challenging book, essential to understanding Washington's New World Order." < p="">Donald Sassoon, Professor of Comparative European History, Queen Mary, University of London <>
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"This is a brilliant and courageous analysis of the present-day American Empire that we ignore at our own peril." < p="">Cornel West, Princeton University <>
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"A stimulating and important contribution." < p="">Leo Panitch, Professor of Politics, University of York, Canada <>
Synopsis
With the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States' long war on communism was replaced by a perpetual "war on terror." The authors posit that this neo-imperialistic phase is but the latest development in a line of thought and action established after World War II. But, they say, 2005 is not 1945. Today, they argue, the United States uses its power to deplete the resources of the developing world, and to compel the rest of the world to remain dependent on American management of the global economy. Contending that this situation is ultimately untenable, they assert that the United States is entering a period of deep crisis. The best thing for American neo-imperialists to do to avert their worst nightmare--a strategic and economic alliance among Europe, Russia, China, and OPEC--would be to arrange for the orderly withdrawal of American power before it is too late for the human and environmental security of the world.
Synopsis
Examines the staying power of the global supremacy of the United States, which is directly dependent on how long and how effectively its preponderance in Eurasia is sustained.
About the Author
VASSILIS K. FOUSKAS is a Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Stirling. He is the founding editor of the Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans and the author of Zones of Conflict: U.S. Foreign Policy in the Balkans and Greater Middle East (2003) and Italy, Europe, and the Left (1998).BULENT GOKAY is a Senior Lecturer in International Relations at Keele University. He is the editor of the Eurasian Studies Network and the author of The Politics of Caspian Oil (2001) and co-editor of Kosovo: Politics of Delusion (2001) and 11 September 2001: War, Terror, and Judgement (2003).