The Stupidity of War - American Foreign Policy and the Case for Complacency

This innovative argument shows the consequences of increased aversion to international war for foreign and military policy.

List of contents

Part I. Assessing the Threat Record: 1. Korea, massive extrapolation, deterrence, and the crisis circus; 2. Vietnam, containment, and the curious end of the cold war; 3. Military intervention and the continued quest for threat after the cold war; 4. Al-Qaeda and the 9/11 wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan; 5. Chasing terrorists around the globe and other post-9/11 ventures; Part II. Evaluating Present Threats: 6. The rise of China, the assertiveness of Russia, and the antics of Iran; 7. Proliferation, terrorism, humanitarian intervention, and other problems; 8. Hedging, risk, arrogance, and the Iraq syndrome.

About the author

John Mueller is a political scientist at Ohio State University, Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, and member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Summary

This innovate argument shows how increased aversion to international war over the last century has caused countries to no longer view war as a way to resolve differences. Undergraduates and interested readers will consider complacency and appeasement as productive diplomatic devices and discover why a large military force is no longer necessary.

Additional text

'Mueller’s account of a rising aversion to international war since 1945 provides a timely rejoinder to ominous predictions of war.' Etel Solingen, University of California Irvine

Product details

• Authors: John Mueller, John (Ohio State University) Mueller
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.03.2021
• EAN: 9781108843836
• ISBN: 978-1-108-84383-6
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Postwar 20th century history, from c 1945 to c 2000, HISTORY / Americas (North, Central, South, West Indies), HISTORY / Military / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / General, International Relations, Warfare & defence, Later 20th century c 1950 to c 1999, Warfare and defence, History of the Americas, c 1945 to c 2000 (Post-war period)