Perilous Power:The Middle East and U.S. Foreign Policy: Dialogues on Terror, Democracy, War, and Justice - Hardcover

Achcar, Gilbert; Chomsky, Noam

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0241143683 ISBN 13: 9780241143681

Publisher: Hamish Hamilton, 2007

Synopsis

Shipped from UK, please allow 10 to 21 business days for arrival. Very Good, A very good, near fine copy in red/black half-cloth, gilt title on spine with a very good dust jacket.

About this title

About the Author:

Gilbert Achcar, who lived in Lebanon for many years before moving to France, now teaches politics and international relations at the University of Paris. He is the author of several books on contemporary politics and is a frequent contributor to Le Monde Diplomatique.

Noam Chomsky, M.I.T., is the author most recently of 9-11 (a national bestseller) and Middle East Illusions. His articles and books revolutionized the contemporary study of linguistics and his political essays are widely read and translated throughout the world. In 2003 a profile of Chomsky in The New Yorker described his influence as one of the most widely cited scholars in history.

From Publishers Weekly:

This intriguing series of conversations between like-minded peers about America in the Middle East pairs dissident intellectual Chomsky with Achcar, who is less well known for critiques of U.S. foreign policy (Clash of Barbarisms). Drawing on deep historical background, they deconstruct Western assumptions about international politics: "Every state you can think of is based on violence, repression... the state system itself has no inherent legitimacy." While refreshingly careful to note when their conclusions aren't backed by rigorous documentation, both make broad assumptions about human behavior, while easily disregarding contradictions. For example they rely on opinion polls to indicate the desires of a given people (as opposed to the ruling elite), but reject the once-broad Palestinian support of the Oslo Peace Accords, for instance, because, as Chomsky says, the Palestinians "were just totally deluded." Similarly, they give little weight to nonrational influences—religiosity, fear—where these almost certainly played a key role in forming public opinion, such as in Arab disillusionment with secular nationalism or Israeli presumptions of anti-Semitism. Particularly in Chomsky's case, this can extend to an unfortunate contempt for those with whom he disagrees. Both men raise vital questions, but some readers may be alienated by the authors' often dismissive manner. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Hamish Hamilton
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0241143683
• ISBN 13: 9780241143681
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 5