Editor s Choice, NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW Ambitious and valuable --WASHINGTON POST America is trapped in a state of war that has consumed our national life since before Pearl Harbor. Over seven decades and several bloody wars, Democratic and Republican politicians alike have assembled an increasing complicated and increasingly ineffective network of security services. Trillions of tax dollars have been diverted from essential domestic needs while the Pentagon created a worldwide web of military bases, inventing new ...
Read More
Editor s Choice, NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW Ambitious and valuable --WASHINGTON POST America is trapped in a state of war that has consumed our national life since before Pearl Harbor. Over seven decades and several bloody wars, Democratic and Republican politicians alike have assembled an increasing complicated and increasingly ineffective network of security services. Trillions of tax dollars have been diverted from essential domestic needs while the Pentagon created a worldwide web of military bases, inventing new American security interests where none previously existed. Yet this pursuit has not only damaged our democratic institutions and undermined our economic strength it has fundamentally failed to make us safer. In "The Emergency State," senior "New York Times" journalist David C. Unger reveals the hidden costs of America s obsessive pursuit of absolute national security, showing how this narrow-minded emphasis on security came to distort our political life. Unger reminds us that in the first 150 years of the American republic the U.S. valued limited military intervention abroad, along with the checks and balances put in place by the founding fathers. Yet American history took a sharp turn during and just after World War II, when we began building a vast and cumbersome complex of national security institutions and beliefs. Originally designed to wage hot war against Germany and cold war against the Soviet Union, our security bureaucracy has become remarkably ineffective at confronting the elusive, non-state sponsored threats we now face. "The Emergency State" traces a series of missed opportunities from the end of World War II to the election of Barack Obama when we could have paused to rethink our defense strategy and didn t. We have ultimately failed to dismantle our outdated national security state because both parties are equally responsible for its expansion. While countless books have exposed the damage wrought by George W. Bush's "war on terror," Unger shows it was only the natural culmination of decades of bipartisan emergency state logic and argues that Obama, along with many previous Democratic presidents, has failed to shift course in any meaningful way. "The Emergency State: America s Pursuit of Absolute Security At All Costs" reveals the depth of folly into which we ve fallen, as Americans eagerly trade away the country s greatest strengths for a fleeting illusion of safety. Provocative, insightful, and refreshingly nonpartisan, "The Emergency State "is the definitive untold story of how America became this vulnerable and how it can build true security again."
Read Less
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. Good condition. Acceptable dust jacket. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fine in fine dust jacket. Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 359 p. Audience: General/trade. No previous owner's name. Clean, tight pages. No bent corners.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
**SIGNED AND INSCRIBED BY AUTHOR** Hardcover copy is in good, solid condition, DJ has some wear, tearing, unmarked text, first blank page may have inscription, a good copy. We take great pride in accurately describing the condition of our books and media, ship within 48 hours, and offer a 100% money back guarantee. Customers purchasing more than one item from us may be entitled to a shipping discount.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very Good Condition. Text appears to be clean. Cover has wear and corner bumps. The spine is in good condition with some wear. Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilo. Category: Education; ISBN: 1594203245. ISBN/EAN: 9781594203244. Pictures of this item not already displayed here available upon request. Inventory No: 1561034529.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. A copy that has been read, but remains in excellent condition. Pages are intact and are not marred by notes or highlighting, but may contain a neat previous owner name. The spine remains undamaged. An ex-library book and may have standard library stamps and/or stickers. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!