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- The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism
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List Price: $24.00
Our Price: $16.32
Your Save: $ 7.68 ( 32% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Metropolitan Books
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 320.973
EAN: 9780805088151
ISBN: 0805088156
Label: Metropolitan Books
Manufacturer: Metropolitan Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 224
Publication Date: 2008-08-05
Publisher: Metropolitan Books
Release Date: 2008-08-05
Studio: Metropolitan Books
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Editorial Reviews:
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From an acclaimed conservative historian and former military officer, a bracing call for a pragmatic confrontation with the nation's problems The Limits of Power identifies a profound triple crisis facing America: the economy, in remarkable disarray, can no longer be fixed by relying on expansion abroad; the government, transformed by an imperial presidency, is a democracy in form only; U.S. involvement in endless wars, driven by a deep infatuation with military power, has been a catastrophe for the body politic. These pressing problems threaten all of us, Republicans and Democrats. If the nation is to solve its predicament, it will need the revival of a distinctly American approach: the neglected tradition of realism. Andrew J. Bacevich, uniquely respected across the political spectrum, offers a historical perspective on the illusions that have governed American policy since 1945. The realism he proposes includes respect for power and its limits; sensitivity to unintended consequences; aversion to claims of exceptionalism; skepticism of easy solutions, especially those involving force; and a conviction that the books will have to balance. Only a return to such principles, Bacevich argues, can provide common ground for fixing America’s urgent problems before the damage becomes irreparable.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: The Limits of Power
Comment: Great book although depressing to see where we have been and what we need to do. A must read regardless of your political leanings. Shows Congress is as much to blame as our presidents when it comes to war policy due to abdication of their responsibilities.
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Summary: Best Political Insight In Years
Comment: In this short book, Bacevich gets right to the point--the American way of life since post-WWII can best be described as the desperate drive for "more"; this penchant for more drives our foreign policy, threatens our economic stability and national security, and profoundly affects how we are perceived around the globe. This book is not preachy. I read lots of political works, but this one, more so than any book in the last several years, really made me see myself, as well as my country, from a fresh perspective.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: A watered-down wakeup call
Comment: Bacevich uses history from primarily the last half-century to point out the flaws with the way our country has been operating.
I applaud the effort, and understand these short books are more of a motivational device for readers. As such, I feel the book serves its purpose. I wish, however, that Mr Bacevich would have chosen to dig beneath the veneer of events as presented by the mainstream media.
On one hand, he questions the handling of many popular events, but never the reporting of said event. It left me with the same bad taste the 7:00 news would. I guess my only point is that if you can't trust the leadership to accurately inform you of their decisions after an event, how can you trust them to accurately report on the event itself?
With the exception of a brief discussion of fact manipulation prior to the invasion of Iraq, Bacevich has left most of the truths "in the closet" - perhaps to not be labelled as a conspiracy theorist? Anyway, the book is still a good wakup call attempt, focusing more on military actions as opposed to something like The Revolution: A Manifesto which focuses more on the political side.
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Summary: The decline of America has been predicted many times before.
Comment: First it was communism and Sputnik. Remember? America was never going to be a great power again. Then it was Korea and Viet Nam. And America was never going to be a great power again. Remember? Then it was the Japanese industrial revolution and we could not make anything anymore, and, of course, America was never going to be a great power again. *sigh* It get's kind of old does it not?
Reality: At the dawn of the 21st century, there are no genuine competitors to the title of "super power." France, hardly a true ally, even calls the United States a "Hyper Power," (to their great dismay). Most nations have dismantled their militaries with the exception of Great Britain. Canada is a laughing stock. France and Germany can barely meet their UN peacekeeping duties. All of Europe together could not solve the unrest in the Balkan wars, and needed American assitance.
Economy? We have the highest per capita production of any nation (Opps...someone forgot to tell you that). Our GDP is greater than all of Europe combined. We are far and away the wealthies nation on earth. Even in Iraq, the tide has turned in our favor (you know that because you don't see it on the news anymore. What happened to the nightly coverage?)
Sadly, there are always ready and anxious readers who slather at the possibility of America's downfall. Remember the book "The Decline and Fall of Great Powers?" About 20 years ago, and the author, John Kennedy (no relation to any political figure), had a great following! Surely America was done for! Many slathered and hoped, but it was not to be. One has to sense the disappointment. What a shame!
And here we go again. *yawn* What these anti-Americans never get right is that America is the most adaptable country in the world. We re-invent ourselves routinely because we are free to do so. As long as America is free, our people (not the government) will adapt to new realities faster than any other country in the world.
PS: Someone should tell all the immigrants from all over the world that we are near collapse. They still seem to be under the delusion that America is the last best hope.
Joseph M. Vottis
Customer Rating:
Summary: Limits of Power - PVM Review
Comment: As a Historian and expert of International Relations, I found Andy Bacevich's book, The Limits of Power, to be very much on target with informative and insightful perspectives on current political and military policies, and how Presidential administrations have more liberally interpreted our Constitution to satisfy and justify their assertive foreign policy agendas to promote the U.S. agenda.
Also, the author's views of how the U.S. has shifted from a nation of producers to one of conspicuous consumption, which has been a major contributing factor in our current economic demise, were quite interesting.
Overall, this is an excellent book, easy read, and written in a very unbiased manner. I highly recommend it regardless of your views.
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