Customer Reviews

Selling Us Wars

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An Empire built on hundreds of military bases and intimidation is still an empire. Control without responsibility of governing or providing for the welfare of citizens. Ignorance, arrogance, and spectacular hypocrisy are required. Most Americans are blinded by the rationales of policy; most peoples in exploited areas (and many allies) are not.

Read this series of essays by well known specialists (at last well known outside the US) with an open mind. Policies are seriously flawed while many are blinded by policy rationales these writers see as, with some justification, excuses. More extremism and terror are but part of the reaction of the weak, dishonored, and exploited. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands die to support a way of life characterized by greed, anger, and arrogance which increases vast differences in wealth and unsustainable injustices. (A favorite example versus the myth: US foreign aid is about the lowest proportionally of industrial countries, it is less than some domestic economic subsidies that destroy peoples and economies in other countries and requires many purchases from the US of military goods. The US also gives 10 times as much per capita to Israel as the nearest second, Egypt.)

Key essays are on: the global war on terror (an absurd notion at its roots); weapons of mass destruction; failed states; humanitarian intervention; regime change towards democracy; war on drugs. All provide the basis for autocratic governments profiteering from their piece of `farming' their economies. Many governments simply label opposition as terrorist or extremist (like labeling "communist" years ago) to expunge opposition and democratic elements. But state terrorism is totally ignored by those supporting the self declared "Washington consensus". Extreme injustice can not be sustained forever by brute power. .

Editor"s essays tie things together sucessfully and author Tariq Ali adds his reflections. Some overseas editions are entitled, "Masks of Empire".