The Freedom Agenda: Why America Must Spread Democracy (Just Not the Way George Bush Did)

By James Traub

Book Overview

As we leave behind an era in which America tried to assert democracy by force (and often failed), the question arises: what part of our efforts to spread democracy can we preserve for the future? In The Freedom Agenda, James Traub traces the history of America's democratic evangelizing, offering an assessment of the George W. Bush administration's failed efforts abroad. And he puts forth the argument that democracy matters--for human rights, the resolution of conflicts, political stability and equitable development. But America must exercise caution in spreading it, both internationally and at home.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031242857X
• ISBN13: 9780312428570
• Release Date: October 2009
• Publisher: Picador USA
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Naïveté and Hubris

This book was an excellently-written and interesting round up of the history of America's "Freedom Agenda", its promotion of democracy abroad, with particular reference to George W Bush's "War on Terror" and how that has influenced global opinion on the USA. The book looks closely at the experience of democracy in the Philippines, Mali and Egypt, as well as the different ways in which Presidents approached the dissemination of democracy. He covered well the difficulties that Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib have caused in global views of America's brand of democracy and encapsulated much of outsiders' views of the Freedom Agenda as 'naïveté and hubris'. The book was perhaps a little disappointing in that offered few recommendations for the future under Barack Obama. What's clear from history is that democracy works very differently and takes a very different form depending on the country and that few successes in one situation can be automatically applied to others. What was also very surprising to this British reader was the vast amount of money the US pays to other nations to try to bargain with - much of which seems to do little good. It would have been good to explore how this money might be more effectively used and whether the cost of spreading democracy is considered worthwhile by the average American. This was overall a very good read and provided much food for thought. Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008