MBR: The Political Science Shelf
Midwest Book Review
A Power Governments Cannot Suppress
Howard Zinn
City Lights Publishers
261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
0872864758 $16.95 www.citylights.com
Written by historian, playwright, and World War II veteran Howard
Zinn, A Power Governments Cannot Suppress is a scathing attack against
America's political and ethical failings, using examples of atrocities
America perpetuated in history - from massacres in Vietnam to abuses
of Chinese immigrant labor workers to complicity in the genocide of
East Timor and much more - to add context to current ills such as the
extended toll of the war in Iraq. "There is no certainty as to what
would happen in our absence [in Iraq]. But there is absolute certainty
about the result of our presence - escalating deaths on all sides."
Zinn is firmly anti-death penalty and decries its usage as well. Of
especial interest in A Power Governments Cannot Suppress is the
author's denouncement of a disturbing tendency to compartmentalize the
Holocaust, to forget the millions of non-Jews that were executed along
with 6 million Jews, and worse, neglect the occurrence of modern acts
of genocide thereby betraying the memory of victims of the Holocaust
genocide. A strident call to action, speaking out against governmental
and human misdeeds, and vociferously encouraging the reader to stand
up and take action..
Political Philosophy
Adam Swift
Polity
c/o Blackwell Publishing
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
0745635326 $26.95 www.blackwellpublishing.com 1-800-216-2522
Now in a revised and expanded second edition featuring a new chapter
specifically about democracy, Political Philosophy: A Beginners' Guide
for Students and Politicians by Adam Swift (Fellow in Politics and
Sociology, Balliol College) is a highly accessible text for students,
lay readers, and novice political philosophers concerning basic
political principles that are used to govern society. Chapters
describe and discuss philosophical constructs such as social justice,
liberty, equality, community, and democracy, and especially dissect
common misperceptions and assumptions concerning the denotative
meaning of certain principles and labels. Laden with examples designed
to prompt the reader to think long and hard concerning what political
concepts such as "social justice" truly mean, Political Philosophy is
enthusiastically recommended not just for students, but for anyone
seeking to prepare themselves to cast a well-informed vote in
elections.
Ethical Realism
Anatol Lieven and John Hulsman
Pantheon Books
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
0375424458 $22.00 www.pantheonbooks.com 1-800-726-0600
America faces a more complicated world than ever, but both political
parties have failed to develop a foreign policy to address the
increasing crises overseas. ETHICAL REALISM: A VISION FOR AMERICA'S
ROLE IN THE WORLD hones in on the fallacies and repair of America's
foreign policy, making it a top recommendation for college-level
collections and public libraries alike. The authors call for a
revamped foreign policy which takes advantage of America's real
strengths and weaknesses, explaining how the U.S. can achieve morality
overseas through a blend of common sense and ethical realism as set
out by Reinhold Niebuhr and others.
The Silence of the Rational Center
Stefan Halper and Joanthan Clarke
Basic Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
0465011411 $26.95 www.basicbooks.com
While many are calling for alternatives to a buildup of troops in
Iraq, few understand where such proposals come from and who shapes
them. THE SILENCE OF THE RATIONAL CENTER: WHY AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY
IS FAILING examines career professionals - academics, journalists,
scholars and retired politicians - who are the real gatekeepers for
foreign policy information. Public debate has taken second place to
behind-the-scenes actions and influences: THE SILENCE OF THE RATIONAL
CENTER seeks to examine these influences and consider how public voice
can again help influence policy direction in the international
community. It's a pick for both college-level collections strong in
political science and general-interest holdings alike.
Hell and High Water
Joseph Romm
William Morrow
c/o HarperCollins
10 East 53rd Street, New York NY 10022
006117212X $24.95 www.harpercollins.com
Global warming is threatening the whole world, and HELL AND HIGH WATER
is a wake-up call to the country, critiquing American environmental
and energy policy and offering a call to action. It comes not from a
politician but from an expert in science, business and politics, and
provides a concrete plan of action to reduce emissions and adapt a
nation-wide energy-efficient policy. Most books on the topic offer
little more than rhetoric: this concrete game plan is a 'must' for any
collection serious in global warming issues, whether it be at the
college or public library level.
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