Hegemony or Survival: America’s Quest for Global Dominance – Noam Chomsky

Wow. This book is simply fantastic in my opinion. As critique of U.S. foreign policy for the past 50 year, the writing is exceptional for its clarity and depth. Chomsky methodically picks apart the multiple aspects of foreign relations: economic, military, cultural, and places them within the grand context of America’s strategic aims for maintains its role as leader of the world. Dismissing what is said on governments behalf and focusing on the much more accurate indicator of actions, a clear and coherent picture emerges; the U.S. will stop at nothing to maintain its power and influence around the globe. Denouncing terror one hand while supporting it when it serves an interest, preaching democracy abroad while limiting it as much as possible at home, promising aid for development while ensuring its main effect is financial return at the developing country’s expense; the goes on and Chomsky never runs out of examples taken from the last 50 years to prove his points.
I have been introduced to Chomsky before mainly through his work in linguistics and from listening to a few of his speeches, but this book took it to a whole new level. To my knowledge there is no one else currently writing in the U.S. that can reproduce the criticisms that Chomsky raises, whether it be on the level of clearly laid down arguments, depth of research, or the ability to see things for what they really are. I can’t remember who said the quote “A true historian can have no country” but I can think of no one better to apply this to than Chomsky, perhaps replacing historian with observer of international affairs.
Anyone with any interest in the world, the U.S. role in it, international relations, and the reasons behind the antagonism felt by much of the world towards the U.S. should read this book. Even those who are ardent supporters of U.S. policy would do well to give it a go if only to be brought up to date with the most challenging arguments against it. I have engaged in conversations with a few such people and they have always faltered when I brought up the points raised in the book. I now Hugo Chavez is a fan, he brought the book (Spanish translation of course) to the U.N. when he addressed the general assembly and said that anyone who wanted to know what was happening in the world today simple had to read Chomsky to understand. Getting that kind of endorsement is pretty telling; a head of state on the largest international stage is the kind of publicity one cannot buy. Perhaps I should just leave you with that.