In 1993, political scientist Samuel Huntington turned conventional political wisdom on its head by arguing that future conflicts wouldn’t be between nations but between civilizations — notably, between the secular West and the fundamentalist Islamic world. At the same time, Eric S. Margolis was arguing the same point from a different position: that of a journalist reporting from within the Muslim world.American Rajis the culmination of Margolis’ years of boots-on-the-ground insight into the way the Muslim world really operates. It takes readers inside the thinking and worldview of anti-Western Islamic radicals throughout the Muslim world and identifies the historical, political, and religious factors that have played a major role in generating hostility toward the West. Employing the model of Britain’s imperialist hegemony in Asia, Margolis explores in fascinating detail whether the West risks a replay of the Raj experience or whether we face an entirely new world order.
Can John D. Negroponte be described as 'The Last American Diplomat'? In a career spanning 50 years of unprecedented American global power, he was the last of a dying breed of patrician diplomats - devoted to public service, a self-effacing and ultimate insider, whose prime duty was to advise, guide and warn - a bulwark of traditional diplomatic realism against ideologue excess. Negroponte served as US ambassador to Honduras, Mexico, the Philippines and Iraq; he was US Permanent Representative to the UN, Director of National Intelligence and Deputy Secretary of State to George W. Bush. His was a high-flying and seemingly conventional career but one full of surprises. Negroponte opposed Kissinger in Vietnam, supported a 'proxy war' but opposed direct American military action against Marxists in Central America - facing bitter Congress opposition in the process. He swam against the floodtide of George W. Bush's neocon-dominated administration, warning against the Iraq war as a possible new 'Vietnam' and criticising aspects of Bush's 'War on Terror'. He disconcerted the administration by arguing that the re-establishment of Iraq would take as long as five years. And he was influential in international social and economic policy - working for the successful re-settlement of millions of refugees in Southeast Asia following the Vietnam War, issuing early warnings about the scourge of AIDS in Africa and successfully launching the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). George W. Liebmann's incisive account is based on personal and shared experience but it is no hagiography; beyond the author's discussions with Negroponte, this book is deeply researched in US state papers and includes interviews with leading actors. It will provide fascinating reading for anyone interested in the inside-story of American diplomacy, showing personal and policy struggles, and the underlying fissures present even in the world's last remaining superpower.
From the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in New York to the Madrid and London bombings of 2004 and 2005, the presence of Muslim communities in the West has generated security issues and major political concern. The government, the media, and the general public have raised questions regarding potential links between Western Muslims, radical Islam and terrorism. This speculation has given rise to popular myths concerning the Islamic world and led to a host of illiberal measures such as illegal warranting, denial of Habeas Corpus, "black prisons" and extreme torture throughout the democratic world. This book challenges the authenticity of these myths and examines the ways in which they have been used to provide an ideological cover for the "war on terror" and the subsequent Iraq war. It argues that they are not only unfounded and hollow, but have also served a dangerous purpose, namely war-mongering and the empowering of the national-security state. It further considers the origin and transmission of these myths, focusing on media, government policy and popular discourse.
This book contains interviews conducted over more than a decade with experts of all descriptions — including Daniel Ellsberg, Seymour Hersh, Gar Alperovitz, Hans Kristensen, Gordon Prather, Joe Cirincione and more — about the threat of nuclear war between major and minor powers, the nuclear arms-industrial complex, the nuclear programs and weapons of the so-called “rogue states” of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Israel and North Korea, the bitter truths and eternal lessons of America’s nuclear bombing of Japan in World War II and the dedicated activists working to abolish the bomb for all time.
"After more than a decade and a half, the results are in. The U.S. government has been unable to achieve its goals in Afghanistan. Even worse, what state it has been able to achieve there is completely unsustainable and certain to fall apart when the occupation is finally called off, and America does come home. The politicans, generals, and intelligence officers behind this unending catastrophe, who always promise they can fix these problems with just a little bit more time, money and military force, have lost all credibility. The truth is America's Afghan war is an irredeemable disaster. It was meant to be a trap in the first place. America is not only failing to defeat its enemies, but is destroying itself, just as Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda always intended. Fool's Errand is an attempt to present the American people with the reality of this forgotten war, because only the ignorance of pride and refusal to admit they have been deceived can prevent Americans from realizing they have supported a policy that is destructive to the United States as well as Afghanistan." -- from Introduction.
The world is reaching a nuclear tipping point, and a catastrophe looms. Even the United Nations cant seem to do anything about the threat. Given the circumstances, people everywhere need to unite to prevent a disaster. In this new study, peace activist R. B. Herath explains whats at stake and what everyday people can do to solve the problem. Here are some of the questions Herath seeks to answer: What are the major violent conflicts in the world today? Is there any guarantee that none of the ongoing violent conflicts will deteriorate into a worldwide fiasco? If there is no such guarantee, what needs to be done to prevent such an eventuality? Is there anything more to be done to ensure lasting peace on the planet? By taking steps to prevent tension from building up to a tipping point and by building a stronger system of checks and balances, its possible to resolve conflicts at all levels through peaceful means. Join Herath as he seeks to change habits that promote war to habits that promote peace in the face of the present troubled state of the world.
The 9/11 terror attacks and the ensuing War on Terror have profoundly impacted Muslim communities across North America. Islamophobia: Understanding Anti-Muslim Racism through the Lived Experiences of Muslim Youth is a timely exploration of the experiences of young Canadian Muslims and the challenges they have encountered since 9/11. Through framing anti-Muslim racism, or ‘Islamophobia’, from a critical race perspective, Naved Bakali theorizes how racist treatment of Muslims in public and political spheres has been mediated through the War on Terror. Furthermore, he examines the lived experiences of Muslim youth as they navigate issues relating to race, gender, identity, and politics in their schools and broader society. This book uncovers systemic bias and racism experienced by Muslim youth in a climate that is increasingly becoming hostile towards Muslims. Ultimately, the findings detailed in this work suggest that anti-Muslim racism in the post-9/11 era is inextricably linked to the effects of the War on Terror in the North American context. Moreover, Islamophobia is also impacted by localized practices, policies, and nationalist debates. This book is a unique contribution to the field of anti-racism education as it examines systemic and institutionalized racism towards Muslims in Canadian secondary schools in the context of the War on Terror.
The definitive bibliography of Canada’s Governor General’s Literary Awards Alice Munro, Michael Ondaatje, Margaret Atwood, Antonine Maillet, Carol Shields, Marie-Claire Blais, Gilles Vigneault... For over three quarters of a century, the Governor General’s Literary Awards have been instrumental in recognizing many of Canada’s best authors, illustrators and translators. The result is impressive: between 1936 and 2017, 705 titles have been recognized with this prestigious award. With careful attention to detail, Andrew Irvine presents the history and evolution of the Awards and extols their importance for the careers of authors, illustrators and translators, as well as for the development of Canada’s national literature. The heart of the book contains the first comprehensive bibliography of the awards, including the first list of winning books organized according to their historically correct award categories; information about five books wrongly omitted from previous lists of winning titles; detailed information about award ceremonies, film adaptations and jury members; and other key information. This is a seminal work that belongs on the shelf of every scholar and every lover of Canadian literature. This book is published in English. - Une bibliographie incontournable des Prix littéraires du Gouverneur général du Canada Alice Munro, Margaret Atwood, Antonine Maillet, Carol Shields, Marie-Claire Blais, Michael Ondaatje, Gilles Vigneault... Les écrivains canadiens sont depuis longtemps encensés sur la scène nationale comme à l’échelle mondiale, et les Prix du Gouverneur général jouent un rôle clé dans la reconnaissance de certains de nos meilleurs auteurs, illustrateurs et traducteurs. La liste est impressionnante : ce prestigieux prix a récompensé 705 oeuvres entre 1936 et 2017. Avec un souci minutieux au détail, Andrew Irvine présente l’histoire et l’évolution des Prix et vante leurs vertus indispensables à la carrière des écrivains et des traducteurs ainsi que dans l’élaboration d’une littérature nationale au Canada. Cette bibliographie est la toute première recension complète des Prix littéraires du Gouverneur général et donne des renseignements détaillés au sujet des cérémonies, des adaptations cinématographiques, des membres des jurys ainsi que d’autres informations clés. Le livre présente aussi une copie exhaustive et exacte de données bibliographiques tirées d’archives, une première dans le monde de l’édition. En somme, une référence incontournable. Ce livre est publié en anglais.
