The Umbrella of U.S. Power: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Contradictions of U.S. Policy (The Open Media Pamphlet Series, 9) - Softcover

Noam Chomsky

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1888363851 ISBN 13: 9781888363852

Publisher: Seven Stories Press, 1999

Synopsis

Chomsky observes the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a''Path to a Better World,'' while chronicling how far off the trail the United States is with respect to actual political practice and conduct. Analysing the contradictions of U.S. power while illustrating the real progress won by sustained popular struggle, Chomsky cuts through official political rhetoric to examine how the United States not only violates the UD, but at times uses it as a weapon to weild against designated enemies

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Review:

The United States government often invokes a moral imperative to honor human rights as justification for its foreign-policy decisions. But, according to Noam Chomsky, America's actual track record falls far short of the principles iterated in 1948's Universal Declaration of Human Rights--the accepted international standard. This slim but passionate volume lists case after case in which the United States has provided aid to grossly abusive regimes--among which Chomsky includes Israel and Indonesia--and examples of how the American government seeks to limit the human rights of its own citizens. With equal criticism for Democrat and Republican administrations, The Umbrella of U.S. Power refuses to remain silent about "the things it 'wouldn't do' to mention" as it works to expose the contradictions between what government leaders tell their people and what they actually do. --Ron Hogan

About the Author:

Professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Noam Chomsky is widely regarded to be the foremost critic of U.S. foreign policy in the world. He has published a multitude of books, articles and essays on global politics, history, and linguistics. Among his recent books includes ''Hegemony or Survival,'' published by Haymarket Books in audiobook format, with Brian Jones reading. Eduardo Galeano is one of Latin America's most admired writers. He is the author of the Memory of Fire trilogy (for which he won the 1989 American Book Award) and Open Veins of Latin America.

About this edition

• Publisher: Seven Stories Press
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 1888363851
• ISBN 13: 9781888363852
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 80