Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Scholarly polemicist Noam Chomsky's latest book Hegemony or Survival argues that America's strategy for the future is nothing less than the maintenance of American hegemony through the use or threat of military force--a strategy that threatens to leave the world a more dangerous and divided place. He goes on to claim that the only other world superpower with any chance whatever of curbing America's ideologically driven quest for global dominance is World Public Opinion. Recent books on American involvement in Middle East affairs, books such as Dilip Hiro's Iraq, Rampton and Stauber's Weapons of Mass Deception, and, more recently, The Guardian sponsored The War We Could Not Stop have also drawn attention to the propaganda war waged upon the American public by the Bush administration. For Chomsky this is by no means a new development. He sees American foreign policy historically showing a remarkably pattern of hypocrisy, racism, exploitation, and cynical manipulation of public opinion by successive US administrations. What is new and disturbing about the events leading up to the invasion of Iraq, he says, is the precedent America and Britain have set for establishing new norms of international law. The concept of "preventative war" must have its victims and those victims must be weak, yet important enough to be worth the trouble. Any country that is opposed to US interests but is capable of defending itself--i.e., those with nuclear capabilities--will be left alone. He leaves us with the terrifying assessment that the clear and catastrophic message to opponents of American hegemony is to get nuclear--quick. It's the only way to keep the bully off our backs.
One of Chomsky's special talent remains his ability to undermine comforting platitudes--such as the idea that we Westerners have become more "humanitarian" over the last few decades or that we have been making steady moral progress. As with Greg Palast's The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, Chomsky's Hegemony or Survival is relentlessly damning of the American political and economic elite and highly sceptical of the idea that virtue is to be found there. But if you're looking for a more balanced and hopeful examination of America's excursion into modern empire building and the problems it poses try Michael Ignatieff's Empire Lite. --Larry Brown --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Observer Nov 30 2003
"America's greatest dissenter, a one-man cultural revolution whose writing on globalisation has mobilised a generation."
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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First Sentence
A few years ago, one of the great figures of contemporary biology, Ernst Mayr, published some reflections on the likelihood of success in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.1 Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
A few years ago, one of the great figures of contemporary biology, Ernst Mayr, published some reflections on the likelihood of success in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.1 Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
96 of 108 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Those new to Chomsky�s view on American dominance of the world will find this book a revelation. Those who�ve been reading Chomsky for years will find an unsatisfying familiarity; not with his eminently straightforward writing style, but with the fact that little in the world seems to have changed. All who read this book will turn off their bedside lamp with a will to change the world tomorrow.
Chomsky tends to write his books as updates to previous books, therefore those familiar with his past works will inevitably find themselves being exposed to facts they�ve already heard. However, as these facts are so numerous and noteworthy, only the most retentive brain will mind hearing them for a second or third time. And for newcomers what this man has to say about America�s intentions for the world will require two or three reads to soak in, and a further session of research to determine whether his meticulously documented facts could possibly all be true.
The book itself does exactly what Amazon�s synopsis says, so those in the know will click on add to basket straight away. For those unfamiliar with Chomsky, I�ll say only this: if you still question whether the US administration is willing to sacrifice innocent lives for oil, this book provides an intelligent answer.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I have always been one to question Noam Chomsky's positions on issues, and at times have even felt his proclivity for citing himself in support of an argument to be a bit questionable from a scholarly perspective. But that being said, this is an excellent read. Despite what one may think of this author's point of view there is much to be considered within this book.
Chomsky supports his arguments and delivers them in a concise way that puts into context so much of recent histories worst attrocities. I recomend this book highly for any one who is ready to see what has been well hidden by a very tight knit group of commercial interests and elitists who do not have the needs of humanity at heart.
Chomsky supports his arguments and delivers them in a concise way that puts into context so much of recent histories worst attrocities. I recomend this book highly for any one who is ready to see what has been well hidden by a very tight knit group of commercial interests and elitists who do not have the needs of humanity at heart.
21 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If you are reading this, then you are probably already familiar with Professor Noam Chomsky's writings, so rather than re-cap his work, I will offer only a few salient points.
This is Chomsky's most well written book in years. It is a small irony that a professor of linguistics has often authored books that can be quite badly written - Year 501: The Conquest Continues, being a prime offender. This isn't dumbed-down Chomsky but rather this book feels as if Chomsky has taken much more care in making this book accessible to a wider audience and not just his hardcore fanbase.
Secondly, as usual with Chomsky's books, he recapitulates his own work quite frequently (to phrase it generously). Hegemony or Survival is no different. About half of this book is fresh material and half is previously published.
However, this book is most definitely worth purchasing, even if you have Deterring Democracy (probably his best) because it covers the years 1993 - 2003 (approx.) with his usual insightful prose. Though the book covers outside of this timeframe, looking at the Cuban Missile Crisis or Israel and Palestine, for example, Chomsky is at his best in this book when he is being contemporary. The parallels he draws betwixt Clinton's bombing of the Sudanese pharmaceutical factory and Al Qaeda's bombing of the Twin Towers is fiercely provocative and yet thoroughly underpinned by diligent research and logic.
This is Chomsky's most well written book in years. It is a small irony that a professor of linguistics has often authored books that can be quite badly written - Year 501: The Conquest Continues, being a prime offender. This isn't dumbed-down Chomsky but rather this book feels as if Chomsky has taken much more care in making this book accessible to a wider audience and not just his hardcore fanbase.
Secondly, as usual with Chomsky's books, he recapitulates his own work quite frequently (to phrase it generously). Hegemony or Survival is no different. About half of this book is fresh material and half is previously published.
However, this book is most definitely worth purchasing, even if you have Deterring Democracy (probably his best) because it covers the years 1993 - 2003 (approx.) with his usual insightful prose. Though the book covers outside of this timeframe, looking at the Cuban Missile Crisis or Israel and Palestine, for example, Chomsky is at his best in this book when he is being contemporary. The parallels he draws betwixt Clinton's bombing of the Sudanese pharmaceutical factory and Al Qaeda's bombing of the Twin Towers is fiercely provocative and yet thoroughly underpinned by diligent research and logic.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
clear and cogent argument
On a first reading of Noam Chomsky, I have to say that Nick Cohen's review of Hegemony or Survival, published in the Observer (14/12/03), seems so wide of the mark that he could... Read more
Published 17 months ago by chris "masher" morgan
Not good enough - superficial with inherent bias
I've owned this book for years & thought I'd try to review it. There are several points that ought to be made:--
[1] The 'white guilt' aspect. Read more
[1] The 'white guilt' aspect. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Rerevisionist
Communism has a lot to teach America
Well - I am still trying to come to terms with the fact that most of our so-called unbiased media has America as the good guys in popular films and books about WW2. Read more
Published on 2 April 2010 by G. Wigmore
Chomsky up to his usual mischief
Few contemporary intellectuals divide opinion quite like Chomsky. To his defenders, he sets out an irrefutable case that US history is dominated by an underlying imperialistic aim... Read more
Published on 12 Jan 2009 by Steve M
An unconventional, controversial view of U.S. foreign policy
Most commentators view globalization almost exclusively from an economic perspective. However, controversial iconoclast Noam Chomsky, a well-known left-wing (some would say far... Read more
Published on 7 Aug 2008 by Rolf Dobelli
A bit like running through treacle...
Don't get me wrong, I am a BIG fan of Chomsky. I think he is one of the most important intellectuals in the world. Read more
Published on 4 Jun 2008 by G. D. Atkinson
Hegemony or Survival
As a linguist, Mr. Chomsky has an amazing way with words which makes this book well worth a read. He describes events very well, and has an extraordinary way of explaining the... Read more
Published on 7 Mar 2008 by Erik Cleves Kristensen
Hegemony or Survival
This is another eye opening book from Chomsky about American foreign and domestic policy. It covers the period from the end of the second world war, and focuses (as expected) on... Read more
Published on 5 Aug 2007 by Spider Monkey
Hegemony or Survival
This is another eye opening book from Chomsky about American foreign and domestic policy. It covers the period from the end of the second world war, and focuses (as expected) on... Read more
Published on 5 Aug 2007 by Spider Monkey
The truth behind the spin
I give this book four stars because of the importance of its subject matter: a high profile intellectual encouraging us to think for ourselves and not be led by the right wing,... Read more
Published on 12 Jun 2007 by James
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