1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910777726103321

Autore

Shapiro Ian

Titolo

Containment [[electronic resource] ] : rebuilding a strategy against global terror / / Ian Shapiro

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Princeton, : Princeton University Press, c2007

ISBN

1-282-08684-7

9786612086847

1-4008-2756-6

Edizione

[Course Book]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (209 p.)

Disciplina

363.325/170973

Soggetti

Terrorism - Prevention - Government policy - United States

National security - United States - History - 20th century

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

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

Nota di contenuto

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

Sommario/riassunto

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 He debunks the belief that containment is obsolete.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.