America as Empire: Global Leader or Rogue Power?

By James A. Garrison

Book Overview

In America as Empire, Jim Garrison urges us to face up to the complexities and responsibilities inherent in the indisputable fact that America is now the world's single preeminent power. "America", Garrison writes, "has become what it was founded not to be: established as a haven for those fleeing the abuse of power, it has attained and now wields near absolute power. It has become an empire."
Garrison traces the roots of the American empire to the very beginnings of the republic, in particular to the historic willingness of United States' to use military might in the defense of two consistent --- if sometimes contradictory --- foreign policy objectives: protection of American commercial interests and promotion of democracy.
How long can the American empire last? Garrison looks at American history within the context of the rise and fall of empires and argues that the U. S. can gain important insights into durability from the Romans. He details the interplay between military power, political institutions, and legal structures that enabled the Roman empire at it's apogee to last for longer than America has as a country.
But the real question is, what kind of empire can and should America be? As the sole superpower, America must lead in shaping a new global order, just as after World War II Roosevelt and Truman took the lead in shaping a new international order. That international order is now crumbling under the pressures of globalization, persistent poverty, terrorism and fundamentalism. Garrison outlines the kinds of cooperative global structures America must promote if its empire is to leave a lasting legacy of greatness. Garrison calls for Americans to consciously see themselves as a transitional empire, one whose task is not to dominate but to catalyze the next generation of global governance mechanisms that would make obsolete the need for empire. If this is done, America could be the final empire.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 157675281X
• ISBN13: 9781576752814
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

If you're concerned about the state of the world, read this!

Jim Garrison's strikingly clear message is that the U.S. is at a historical crossroads. Like it or not, we have become an empire, the most powerful the world has ever known. How we handle that role will make an enormous difference to our own prosperity, security and future, and to the rest of the world. Garrison argues convincingly that our current foreign policy, typified by unilateral military interventions, ad-hoc "coalitions of the willing," and devaluation of international law, international accords, and international organizations such as NATO and the UN, is dangerously misguided. He shows that even though our military power is enormously greater than any current or likely adversary, reliance on military power alone cannot solve the global problems that spawn failed states, violent extremism, and terrorism. Instead, he advocates that the U.S. needs a "transcendental vision" of itself as the last empire, a transitional empire that steers the world toward an era of global good governance. He argues that we should have a much more balanced approach based on what he sees as all three main themes of our history--democracy, market capitalism, and our view of ourselves as destined to bring the light of freedom to the world. He feels that this vision led the U.S. to create the League of Nations after WWI, the United Nations, NATO, and other great international institutions after WWII, and should guide us now to stabilize the world not only through our military might, but also by creating and fostering new and better forms of international cooperation and governance. I feel that Garrison has a lot to say that both liberals and conservatives need to hear. He makes it clear to the left that the world is in a state of crisis that requires forceful U.S. leadership backed up by the willingness to intervene militarily when and where needed. But he also makes it clear to the right that relying only or primarily on our military power, without building strong and wise international institutions, will lead to disaster. I found this book extremely clear, very well written, highly informative, and thought-provoking. I think that every concerned citizen should read it, and only hope that our leaders will read it too. Robert Adler, author of _Medical Firsts: From Hippocrates to the Human Genome; and Science Firsts: From the Creation of Science to the Science of Creation

Eye-opening, brilliant, and wise

It has always struck me as a sign of wisdom to be able to find opportunities in difficult moments. Jim Garrison's extraordinary book, America As Empire, does just that, revealing the opportuinities in our current situation. With breathtaking clarity, it shows how we could use our global pre-eminence not to dominate and bully, but to establish the new mechanisms and institutions necessary for the effective management of the global system. It's a bold and refreshing vision, in which America uses its national sovereignty and power with imagination and decisiveness to establish an effective and democratic world order. What I love about this book is that it presents a realistic way for this nation to express its greatness and use its power to lead. If we fail to heed its message, I am afraid the international system will continue to degenerate into increasing chaos, leading to what policymakers call "catastrophic futures" or "extreme events." Eloquently written, with a deep sense of the historical significance of our present moment, JIm Garrison's America As Empire may be one of the most important books to appear on the world stage in decades.