The age of illusions : how America squandered its Cold War victory / Andrew J. Bacevich.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bacevich, Andrew J., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Hegemony.

History.

United States--Politics and government--1989-.

United States.

Politics and government.

Cold War--Influence.

Cold War.

Executive power--United States--History.

Executive power.

Hegemony--United States--History.

United States--Social conditions--1980-2020.

Social conditions.

United States--History--1969-.

War--Influence.

Genre:

History.

Informational works.

Physical Description:

236 pages ; 22 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2020.

Summary:

"A thought provoking and penetrating account of the post-Cold war follies and delusions that culminated in the age of Donald Trump, from the bestselling author of The Limits of Power. When the Cold War ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Washington establishment felt it had prevailed in a world-historical struggle. Our side had won, a verdict that was both decisive and irreversible. For the world's 'indispensable nation, ' its 'sole superpower, ' the future looked very bright. History, having brought the United States to the very summit of power and prestige, had validated American-style liberal democratic capitalism as universally applicable. In the decades to come, Americans would put that claim to the test. They would embrace the promise of globalization as a source of unprecedented wealth, while embarking on wide-ranging military campaigns to suppress disorder and enforce American values abroad, confident in the ability of U.S. forces to defeat any foe. Meanwhile, they placed all their bets on the White House to deliver on the promise of their Cold War triumph: unequaled prosperity, lasting peace, and absolute freedom. In The Age of Illusions, bestselling author Andrew Bacevich takes us from that moment of seemingly ultimate victory to the age of Trump, telling an epic tale of folly and delusion. Writing with his usual eloquence and vast knowledge, he explains how, within a quarter of a century, the United States ended up with gaping inequality, permanent war, moral confusion, and an increasingly angry and alienated population, as well, of course, as the strangest president in American history"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Al, Fred, and Homer's America : and mine

The end of history!

Kicking 41 to the curb

Glimpsing the Emerald City

Bedfellows

State of the union

Plebiscite

Attending to Rabbit's question.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781250175083

1250175089

OCLC:

1082542602