Korea: Division, Reunification, and U.S. Foreign Policy

by Martin Hart-Landsberg

Book Overview

"Korean unification is one of the most important issues on the international agenda today. Hart-Landsberg's broad-ranging inquiry develops a perspective that is rarely heard, and that merits careful attention. It is a valuable contribution to a debate that should not be delayed."
--Noam Chomsky

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0853459274
• ISBN13: 9780853459279
• Release Date: December 1998
• Publisher: Monthly Review Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Free from Capitalist Propaganda

Perhaps more credit should be given to people who approach American foriegn policy with more objectivity than the average American. There are many Americans who are identified with their country on a psychological level and cannot allow any contradiction to what they were taught in school, or in the case of these reviewers, what military propaganda taught them. Marty Hart-Landsberg breaks the reader free from this psychological mold and pulls you into a more open-minded world. Granted, he is a socialist, and his views are represented disporportionally at times, the book still rings true. Why does America have any foriegn policy? Altruism is never the reason.

Korea:Division, Reunification, and U.S. Foreign Policy

The previous reviewer is obviously a true (conservative cold war) believer; even though his "review" provides zero information on this book. In reality, Hart-Landsberg's book is a useful debunking of mainstream myths surrounding U.S. policy towards Korea. According to these myths, U.S. policy has been underpinned by humanitarian and democratic motives, and the division of Korea and the Korean War resulted from the evil empire-building actions of international communism. Hart-Landsberg shows how the potential for a unified and democratic Korea has been repeatedly frustrated by U.S. Government efforts to secure its influence on the Korean peninsula and advance U.S. political and economic interests in Northeast Asia. At the same time, by not reducing complex global-historical processes to imperialist conspiracies, Hart-Landsberg's analysis holds out hope for a democratic, popularly-driven unification of Korea. Overall, Hart-Landsberg's book follows and deepens the critical tradition in Korea scholarship established by Bruce Cumings, with the addition of a solid economic analysis of the development problems faced by both "Koreas." Don't be misled by the previous reviewers nonsensical ravings! This is an excellent and rewarding book.