Customer Reviews

Bait and Switch: Human Rights and U.S. Foreign Policy (Global Horizons)

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This book has enough detail for a serious student of human rights but is written for everyone. Indeed it should be read by anyone with an interest in human rights OR foreign policy. Upon reading this book both communities will quickly see how their interests are inter-related. In her book Julie Mertus does an excellent of job addressing questions such as how does the War on Terror fit into the American historical experience of human rights advocacy? These questions are clearly timely and of great interest to those following current events. Perhaps the best thing about this book is that the author addresses these questions without accepting ANY group's political agenda. She examines each aspect of a policy or organization based on the merits of that approach or entity, not based on an accepted ideological position.

Mertus uses the recurring theme that America approaches human rights advocacy with a policy of "American exceptionalism." That is American rhetoric demands certain behaviors from the rest of the world but neither accepts these limits on its own behaviors nor applies these principles uniformly in its dealings with others. She first explains why American exceptionalism on human rights issues is a very understandable result of the American political system and historical experience. Then she goes on to demonstrate how it is producing a series of policy decisions ill-suited for an interdependent globalized world. America is not only risking direct actions against its interests by ignoring internationally accepted norms but is seriously hampering its ability to achieve both human rights and other foreign policy goals. Expressing the catch phrases of human rights is not enough. If the US wants to have a real effect on human rights throughout the world it would be best served by changing the international perception that it is exempted from the standards it applies to others. US national and human rights interests can be best achieved by an American approach that considers itself as first among equals not as unique among subjects.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in how the US can simultaneously achieve its foreign policy goals and be a force for progress and improvements in human rights

Julie Mertus has written a compelling and timely book. Neo-cons might dismiss it as not in line with the American national interest (as they intepret it), and people on the left might wish for a more frontal attack on the Bush administration. Either way, no one interested in US foreign policy in the US and abroad can afford to ignore it. The book is well written, highly accessible, and extremely insightful.

A very good primer on US Government's foreign policy for someone who lives outside US and has experienced the outcomes of double standards that the US Government has been employing with regard to his country. Healthy criticism is an inseparable part of healthy democracy.

Bait and Switch is an exceptional examination of American foreign policy that is not only timely and accessible, but extraordinarily well documented. The interview methodology, extensive citations and resources included are a testament to the fact that Bait and Switch is grounded in solid research. Mertus has provided an essential guide for all with an interest in understanding the treatment of human rights in American foreign policy - a must read indeed!!

Scintillating with insight--a lucid account of a complex topic.

To the general interest person like myself, this book was extremely helpful in understanding the issues in Iraq. The timing couldn't have been more compelling!

This well-researched book taught me a great deal. I highly recommend it! Part of the responsibility of our government is to protect its citizens, but we can't allow ourselves to be protected from the truth.

Just in time for one of the most divisive presidential elections in recent history, Mertus provides the reader with the thorough research necessary to make an informed decision about the future of our country, and our place in shaping human rights around the world. As Mertus points out, the United States has long engaged in a double standard of human rights, with what is essentially a "do as I say, not as I do" attitude, and actions that demonstrate this attitude of global superiority. That Mertus has meticulously researched her topic and conducted extensive interviews is not surprising: It is the excellent standard that one has come to expect from Mertus.

Julie Mertus' timely Bait and Switch: Human Rights and US Foreign Policy, illustrates that although human rights have made it into the lexicon of US politicians, they too often remain an instrumental foreign policy "option" that rings hollow, rather than a principle-based priority. Her hard-hitting, on-the-nose interviews with primary actors provide deep insight that only an insider can. Mertus spans the spectrum from those with the hardest of power - the US military - to those with the softest power - non-governmental organizations (NGOs). They reveal that despite increasing efforts by the military and effective lobbying by NGOs, since the Carter administration, the Executive has often preached human rights without practicing them. A comparison of each administration provides an important history for anyone who cares about human rights. Bait and Switch provides the essential context necessary for understanding the Abu Ghraib scandal as well as the rights infringements of the Bush administration's War on Terror.

A wonderful book for academics and anyone looking for a good read on how the human rights movement was promoted or neglected during the post -cold war period in the United States. Through numerous interviews, Julie Mertus has compiled a fascinating look into the world of U.S. foreign policy and its interaction with human rights in the international community. The objectivity of the book was useful in gaining a broad perspective of various influences on human rights in the U.S. including presidential administrations, civil society, and the military.
As a student of human rights, this book helped me to gain a better understanding of the U.S.' relationship with human rights. As an avid reader, I found Bait and Switch to be an interesting and easy story to follow. I would recommend this book to anyone!