100 Ways America Is Screwing Up the World [Paperback]

John Tirman (Author), Howard Zinn (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 8, 2006

What do George W. Bush, Wal-Mart, Halliburton, gangsta rap, and SUVs have in common? They're all among the hundred ways in which America is screwing up the world. The country that was responsible for many, if not most, of the twentieth century's most important scientific and technological advancements now demonizes its scientists and thinkers in the twenty-first, while dumbing down its youth with anti-Darwin/pro-"Intelligent Design" propaganda. The longtime paragon of personal freedoms now supports torture and illegal wiretapping—spreading its principles and policies at gunpoint while ruthlessly bombing the world with Big Macs and Mickey Mouse ears.

At once serious-minded and satirical, John Tirman's 100 Ways America Is Screwing Up the World is an insightful, unabashed, entertaining, and distressing look at where we've gone terribly wrong—from the destruction of the environment to the promotion of abhorrent personal health and eating habits to the "wussification" of the free press—an alternately admonishing and amusing call to arms for patriotic Blue America.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As a liberal response to the wealth of pop conservative writing—such as last year's 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America by Bernard Goldberg and Peter Schweitzer's Do as I Say (Not as I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy—this collection of 100 pithy salvos against current U.S. culture, and domestic and foreign policy hits its mark. Tirman, an unabashed liberal and the executive director of MIT's Center for International Studies, has a sly style and makes his often predictable points with unexpected panache. Whether he 's skewering the American obsession with consumerism, the rise of the pro-war progressive ("when I see a liberal hawk, I smell a rat") or the recent globalization of Christian evangelism, Tirman stays just this side of cranky and avoids preaching only to the converted. About a third of the time, he makes arresting points, such as that the media obsesses over white "damsels in distress," like Laci Peterson or Natalee Holloway, while refusing to discuss truly important issues such as "rapes of girls as a weapon of war." As quick-sketch political commentary goes, these laconic essays are terrific. But the bottom line is that while Tirman is arguably fairer and more nuanced than Goldberg or Schweitzer, none of these books contributes to substantive political understanding or debate. (Aug. 1)
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About the Author

John Tirman is executive director of MIT's Center for International Studies. He is the author, or coauthor and editor, of nine books on international affairs. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Nation, the Wall Street Journal, and the International Herald Tribune. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 258 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (August 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061133019
• ISBN-13: 978-0061133015
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,114,245 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My focus on the "human element" of war goes back several years. Most of my books have engaged the causes and consequences of war for the innocent people caught up in conflict. This is a neglected topic in academic research and gets little attention in the news media. Somehow, the ordinary people in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, and other venues of war don't seem to count for much. The topic is not only important politically and morally -- for how we shape war policies -- but is fascinating (often heart-rending) as stories. Millions of people have been killed in U.S. wars (and other wars, of course), many more millions have been made homeless, destitute, and damaged. Yet we seem as a society to care very little for these people. It's an enormous puzzle, really, why so many civilians suffer in war and why we do so little about that.

I recall one of the best war documentaries ever, "Hearts and Minds," which was about the Vietnam War. Near the end, a Vietnamese man was sobbing over the rubble of his home, which had been bombed by the U.S., asking why his village, which had no military value, was destroyed, and his family destroyed with it. "Tell Nixon she was only a little girl," he cried about his young daughter, "a little schoolgirl." You see this and you must wonder, How could this possibly happen?

So I have set out to explore how and why ordinary people are buffeted by war. Much of my work at MIT is focused on these kinds of questions. The "terrible swift sword" of war strikes all around, even the innocent, particularly the innocent. This -- and the hope to prevent it -- is my life's work.

For a fuller and more conventional bio, see http://www.johntirman.com/bio.html

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Hundred Different Perspectives, November 17, 2007

By 

Bob Magnant (Jupiter, Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 100 Ways America Is Screwing Up the World (Paperback)

Be it 'AIPAC', 'Big Pharma', 'Consumerism' or 'Disney, Inc.', John Tirman's celebration of democracy provides the reader with much food for thought. In 'Altering the Earth's Climate' and 'Television', the leadoff chapters of 100 Ways America Is Screwing Up the World, the author sets the tone for his fascinating book and shows how a fresh perspective of some common topics can easily set your mind spinning.

Tirman is a well respected political scientist who has written widely on foreign policy, politics and human rights. This book takes a long look at broad range topics that you are probably well aware of but may never have really given them this kind of thought. His very personal style of writing makes each topic quite understandable and sensible at the same time. He also packs a lot into just a few pages on each subject. I have paraphrased some of his reflections on 'Agribusiness' below to provide you with what I feel is a good example.

'The lower cost of Government subsidized corn in the US has created an incentive for processed food manufacturers to substitute high-fructose corn syrup for other sugars, which now strongly correlates with obesity and an epidemic of diabetes that offsets any intended good of the subsidies. Genetically modified foods are sure to be another health-related problem of farm subsidies that's just over-the-horizon. And to make matters worse, such subsidies end up costing the developing world some $300 billion annually with actual assistance being only $50 billion! And just because Europe is as guilty as we are on these issues doesn't make it right.'

In 'We Don't Do Body Counts', Tirman shows how, with our current policy in the Middle East, we have callously attempted to deflect attention from the moral consequences of our war of choice, which are always inconvenient. It makes us remember the Vietnam Nightly News and the failure of past policies. 'America as Victim', 'Damsels in Distress', 'The Weapons Habit', 'The Killing Fields of Death Row'; the list goes on. Each topic is a masterpiece of insightful analysis. I feel that his discussion of 'Consumerism' should be required annual reading for people of all ages until 'we get it.'

As the current Executive Director of MIT's Center for International Studies, he is obviously no pessimist and he demonstrates that by ending this work on a positive note with a wrap-up called Ten Things America Does Right. I encourage you to read this book; it will definitely open your eyes.

Bob Magnant is the author of The Last Transition... - a fact-based novel about Iran, Iraq and the Middle East...

18 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Screwing Down the Screw-Ups, September 4, 2006

By 

Meme Mutation - See all my reviews

This review is from: 100 Ways America Is Screwing Up the World (Paperback)

This book, rather obviously, synopsizes the major flaws with, from, and metastasizing within American politics (primarily), culture, and society at large.

I agree with about 98% of what the author has to say. I just appreciated that so many of the hypocrisies and flaws erupting within American society that bother me are shared by Mr. Tirman and the reasons why one should be bothered are raised as concerns above being trivial and petty. (Love the Paris Hilton and celebrity worship entry).

Mr. Tirman wants to come off as objective, or at least apolitical, but his liberal leanings become more pronounced, and more painfully obvious as his list progresses. This in and of itself is not problematic, it's his occassional assertions that he is not swaying to far to the liberal side (or simply falling prey to conservative bashing ) which seem all the more ridiculous.

Otherwise, he comes off as rather fair and reasonable. Although, I can't agree with him that no-smoking laws in the US (and now creeping through Europe) are diminishing rights (especially coming from someone so adverse to wonton pollution and selfish acts that harm others-which is what smoking is.)

I really didn't like his glossing over of the immigration issue that is now confronting America. He, in elitist and ivory tower flair, dismisses illegal immigration as spats with people vying for jobs as car wash jockies and maids. For a man so concerned with the "global south" to reduce illegal immigration to this is a shame. He never delves into the exploitation of these illegal immigrants by the agribusinesses, the Wal-Marts, and the profit seeking at all cost conglomerates that suck them up and spit them out that he spends 90% of his time railing against. He doesn't believe (or at least doesn't lead us to believe that he does) that this period of unheralded illegal immigration has its roots in profiteering at the expense of not only the migrants, but the working class and middle class for the benefit of the few, the wealthy, and powerful. He laments poverty in America, education, healthcare, and the prison system, but never acknowledges the role of illegal immigration in all of this (depressed wages for Americans and migrants fueled by illegal immigration, overburden on public schools, etc..).
If he doesn't care about the low wage jobs (the only ones being created now in America) being handed over to the exploited migrants, what will he think of the spreading impoverishment of the domestic working class that is resulting?

Then there is his unsubstantiated, no, make that conjecture regarding Scots-Irish(?) and military loyalty. (I think he must have been talking to an uncredited Jim Webb).

Finally, (me being petty) this guy has it out for SUVs, and mostly the SUVs of jingoistic troop supporters with their yellow ribbon decals. I also have witnessed this correlation. Fine, but don't expose your disdain as a phobia by constantly referring to it to almost the point of being irrational.

Overall, Mr. Tirman presents the reasons, the facts, and the history behind the screw-ups he documents succintly and utterly.
Other than that, it's nice knowing that such an intellectual and open-minded person is bothered by the same things.

Ughhh... Paris Hilton???
We're doomed!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent eye-opening book, March 1, 2011

By 

ameer - See all my reviews

This review is from: 100 Ways America Is Screwing Up the World (Paperback)

great book and all Americans should read it. It doesn't make you ashamed to be an American, however it does show you logically how we fit into the rest of the world.