Containment : rebuilding a strategy against global terror / Ian Shapiro.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Shapiro, Ian.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Terrorism--Prevention--Government policy--United States.

Terrorism.

National security--United States--History--20th century.

National security.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (209 p.)

Edition:

Course Book

Place of Publication:

Princeton : Princeton University Press, c2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In this powerfully argued book, Ian Shapiro shows that the idea of containment offers the best hope for protecting Americans and their democracy into the future. His bold vision for American security in the post-September 11 world is reminiscent of George Kennan's historic "Long Telegram," in which the containment strategy that won the Cold War was first developed. The Bush Doctrine of preemptive war and unilateral action has been marked by incompetence--missed opportunities to capture Osama bin Laden, failures of postwar planning for Iraq, and lack of an exit strategy. But Shapiro contends that the problems run deeper. He explains how the Bush Doctrine departs from the best traditions of American national-security policy and accepted international norms, and renders Americans and democratic values less safe. He debunks the belief that containment is obsolete. Terror networks might be elusive, but the enabling states that make them dangerous can be contained. Shapiro defends containment against charges of appeasement, arguing that force against a direct threat will be needed. He outlines new approaches to intelligence, finance, allies, diplomacy, and international institutions. He explains why containment is the best alternative to a misguided agenda that naively assumes democratic regime change is possible from the barrel of an American gun. President Bush has defined the War on Terror as the decisive ideological struggle of our time. Shapiro shows what a self-defeating mistake that is. He sets out a viable alternative that offers real security to Americans, reclaims America's international stature, and promotes democracy around the world.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

1. The Idea Vacuum

2. End of the Criminal Justice Consensus

3. Filling the Vacuum

4. Containment for Democracy

5. Containment's Realism

6. Democracy for Containment

7. Our Present Peril

Acknowledgments

Notes

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [137]-178) and index.

ISBN:

9786612086847

9781282086845

1282086847

9781400827565

1400827566

OCLC:

335205017