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America Right or Wrong
Explanation
A controversial and timely exploration of the
dark side of American idealism – and its potentially dangerous
consequences for the world.In this thoughtful critique of
America’s role in the world, Lieven contends that U.S. foreign policy
since 9/11 has been shaped by the special character of its national
identity, which embraces two contradictory features. The first, a civic
nationalism or ‘creed’ which espouses liberty and democracy, sometimes
irrespective of the needs and desires of others. The other feature,
Jacksonian nationalism, has its roots in the defensive White America,
and is fed by a profound pessimism and a sense of personal, social,
religious, and sectional defeat. Lieven examines how these two opposing
impulses have played out in recent US policy and suggests that, in the
Middle East in particular, the uneasy combination of policies has
gravely undermined U.S. credibility and complicated the war against
terrorism.It has never been more vital that we examine the way in
which America thinks about itself. Drawing comparisons with earlier
European models, he offers powerful insights into alarming elements of
the American psyche and their disturbing implications for the coming
century. This hard-hitting study directs a spotlight on the American
political soul and on the curious mixture of chauvinism and idealism
that has been exploited by the Bush administration.
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Writer
Language
English
ISBN
9780007164615
Number of pages
288
America Right or Wrong - Anatol Lieven