Temptations of Power: The United States in Global Politics After 9/11

by R. Jackson, P. Towle

Overview

Temptations of Power examines the new security dilemma which confronted George W. Bush when terrorists proved on 9/11 that they could seriously wound a great military powers on home ground. The authors argue that the response was influenced by neo-conservative exaggeration of the efficacy of military power and belief in the US ability.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781403946775
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan UK
Publication date:	08/22/2006
Edition description:	2006
Pages:	228
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.02(d)

About the Author

ROBERT J. JACKSON is Fletcher Jones Professor of Government and Director of International Relations at the University of Redlands, California, USA. He is also Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Carleton University Ottawa and Life member of Clare Hall, University of Cambridge. His former experience includes employment in various high government positions, including Senior Policy Advisor to the Canadian Prime Minister. Since obtaining his DPhil from Oxford, he has published over 30 books in Comparative Politics and International Relations. Among the most recent are Politics in Canada, North American Politics and Europe in Transition.

PHILIP TOWLE is Reader in International Relations at the Centre of International Studies at Cambridge University, UK, where he has taught for the last 25 years. He was previously employed by The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, The Australian National University in Canberra and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. His most recent books are Enforced Disarmament from the Napoleonic Campagin to the Gulf Warand Democracy and Peacemaking.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements Introduction: Temptations of Power PART 1: GRAPPLING WITH THE NEW WORLD: CONCEPTS AND REALITIES September 11 2001 and its Aftermath Concepts and Realities Concepts in International Relations Realities in International Relations The Security Debate Limited Sovereignty International Intervention The Old and New Security Dilemmas PART 2: IDEOLOGIES, IDEAS AND SLOGANS IN GEORGE W. BUSH'S FOREIGN POLICY A Clash of Civilizations America as Empire The Neo-conservatives From Commentators and Analysts to George W. Bush PART 3: THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE IN THE WORLD From Victim to Pariah The Temptation of Iraq The Anti-Iraq Coalition, 2003 Why Europeans often Disagreed with the United States The Growth of US Military Power The End of the Balance of Power? The United States' Unipolar Moment PART 4: NEW CHALLENGES TO US HEGEMONY: CHINA AND THE MUSLIM WORLD The Challenge from China The Muslim Challenge PART 5: MILITARY POWER AND DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION The Uses and Abuses of Military Power Military Power and Democracy Coalition-building or Unilateral Action? The Importance of Restraint PART 6: THE TEMPTATION OF PREVENTIVE WAR Modern Precedents for Pre-emptive and Preventive Wars Israel's Preventive War Precedents in the Middle East The United States Creeps towards Pre-emptive and Preventive Strategies The US Decision to Launch Precentive War Fire Discipline Precision Attacks Preventive War and the 'Axis of Evil' Advantages and Disadvantages of Preventive War PART 7: MISUNDERSTANDING TERRORISM: THE SWORD The New Face of Conflict Terrorism as a Concept New and Old Terrorism Al-Qaeda, Affiliates, Regional Jihadists and Copycats Anti-terrorist Strategies Bush's Moment: War without Purpose PART 8: HOMELAND (IN) SECURITY: THE SHIELD Civil Liberties The Patriot Act Enemy Combatants Prison Abuses Justice or Security? The Department of Homeland Security Border Controls The Intelligence Agencies Nuclear Terrorism Financial Costs Homeland Securites Security or Insecurity? PART 9: CREATING QUAGMIRES: WINNING WARS AND LOSING THE PEACE Context and War in Afghanistan Context and War in Iraq Justifications and Denunciations of the Wars Consequences of the Wars Afghanistan since the War Iraq since the War Constitutional Developments in Iraq Staying Power and Counter-insurgency Ending Insurgencies Quagmires PART 10: THE BURDENS OF POWER Bibliography Index

Editorial Reviews

'Jackson and Towle have written the best indictment of American foreign policy under the leadership of George W. Bush yet published...[They] have given us a snap shot of the deterioration of international relations. They have written a must-read - and have possibly told more than thy intended.' - Carl Cavanagh Hodge, International Journal

'...an empowering and engrossing book that encourages the reader to reflect on the world populus following events post 9/11...Jackson and Towle have provided a book that will be useful both as a text and reference, not only for academics and students of international relations, international policy and governance, but as a very readable book for the generalist interested in developing and forming an informed and honest opinion of the Bush administration and American international politics since the end of the Cold War.' - Victoria Redfern Australian Journal of Public Administration

The book's importance lies in its attempt to address the most controversial and important aspect of contempaory politics in a serious, multilateral and deeply political way... Jackson and Towle have written a brave book'

- Eleni Karasavvidou, The European Legacy

From the Publisher