Product Description

Is the United States a force for democracy? From China in the 1940s to Guatemala today, William Blum presents a comprehensive study of American covert and overt interference, by one means or another, in the internal affairs of other countries. Each chapter of the book covers a year in which the author takes one particular country case and tells the story - and each case throws light on particular US tactics of intervention.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #256869 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-09
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 460 pages

Review
'Far and away the best book on the topic.' - Noam Chomsky 'A valuable reference for anyone interested in the conduct of US foreign policy.' - Choice 'I enjoyed it immensely.' - Gore Vidal 'The single most useful summary of CIA history.' - John Stockwell, former CIA officer and author ' Each chapter I read makes me more and more angry.' - Helen Caldicott 'A very useful piece of work, daunting in scope, important.' - Thomas Powers, author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist 'A very valuable book. The research and organization are extremely impressive.' - A.J. Langguth, author and former 'New York Times' bureau chief

About the Author
WILLIAM BLUM left the State Department in 1967, abandoning hopes of becoming a foreign service officer because of his opposition to what the US was doing in Vietnam. He became a founder and editor of the Washington Free Press, the first 'alternative' newspaper in the US capital. As a freelance journalist, he worked in Chile in 1972-3, writing about the Allende government and its tragic overthrow in a CIA-designed coup. He is the author of Rogue State (Zed Books, revised edition, 2001).

Customer Reviews

The Stars and Stripes' red? For innocent BLOOD!
I am an honors history major and studied US history and US foreign policy. I was aware of some mistakes by the US, such as giving Japanese occupiers of Korea power and then, Korean collaborators of the Japanese over regional people's committees; ignoring the gross corruption of Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist regime during the 1945-1949 civil war; ignoring the blatantly unfair practices of the Shah of Iran prior to the 1979 revolution; meddling in Brazil's internal affairs in the mid-1960s. But after reading this book, all I can say is that I wish it had been part of my college material, for although I read many books, this would have enriched my education.

The United States remains a wonderful country full of opportunities for its citizens and for legal immigrants who obey the law and contribute to the nation's well being; its freedoms, natural beauties, and cultural advancement are not to be questioned. But as far as American integrity abroad... The United States IS NOT a force for democracy. It has continually labeled internal rebellions and legitimately elected officials "communists" whenever Washington disliked the ruler or disagreed with the country's independent and non-hostile foreign policy.

I regret to confess that I have lost respect for the government of the US, and that I must rank it with the hypocritical Japanese government in terms of honesty about its past--it has not only been communist dictatorships that lied and used propaganda to deceive its own people. American foreign policy has killed millions of innocent people, and it is their blood that colors the red square in the Stars and Stripes.

A must reading for all history lovers and for all who really want to know what this great country of ours is doing abroad.

Intriguing book about the perfidy of U.S. foreign policy
Blum's work is written in an easy-to-understand style and will thoroughly shock anyone not familiar with United States escapades around the world since the end of World War II. Blum has done excellent research and discusses the incidents with a high degree of objectivity. Although he is highly critical of the United States during the Cold War, this is by no means a pro-Soviet book, for Blum condemns the actions of both superpowers in his work. Excellent reading--packed with information (the book has relatively small print so 400+ pages is a lot).

Redressing the balance
This book is by no means a thorough investigation of world affairs nor an exercise in balanced reporting, the USA vs. 'Communism'.
It is however what it says it is, a detailed review of tactics used by the USA which have been forgotten or ommitted from general western history, which itself is slanted against other 'powers' or ideologies in order to create the idea that the allies are always 'the good guys' and can do no wrong.
This even in the face of copiuos evidence that the 'good guys' were in fact agent provocateurs and subversive, working with the aim of futhering Multi-national business and the commercial economy of the USA, Britain and its allies.
Good will, righteousness and press coverage can be shown as having served to engender this in our collective westernised society.
Hence any terrorism has to be based on Greed and Envy, instead of any nefarious actions on our behalf.
The wolrds view on Communism is both well documented and biassed. This book serves to redress the balance