Overview

"A sobering account of how the United States trapped itself in endless wars-abroad and at home-and what it might do to break free. Over the past half-century, Americans have watched their country extend its military power to what seemed the very ends of the earth. America's might is felt on nearly every continent-and even on its own streets. Decades ago, the Wars on Drugs and Terror broke down the walls separating law enforcement from military operations. A World of Enemies tells the story of how an America plagued by fears of waning power and influence embraced foreign and domestic forever wars. Osamah Khalil argues that the militarization of US domestic and foreign affairs was the product of America's failure in Vietnam. Unsettled by their inability to prevail in Southeast Asia, US leaders increasingly came to see a host of problems as immune to political solutions. Rather, crime, drugs, and terrorism were enemies spawned in ""badlands""-whether the Middle East or stateside inner cities. Characterized as sites of endemic violence, badlands lay beyond the pale of civilization, their ostensibly racially and culturally alien inhabitants best handled by force. Yet militarized policy has brought few victories. Its failures-in Iraq, Afghanistan, US cities, and increasingly rural and borderland America-have only served to reinforce fears of weakness. It is time, Khalil argues, for a new approach. Instead of managing never-ending conflicts, we need to reinvest in the tools of traditional politics and diplomacy."

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9780674244221

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Reviews

Osamah Khalil’s magisterial book could not be more timely. Relentlessly critical of six decades of US global policy, it challenges readers’ assumptions in a way that is intelligible, innovative, and deeply grounded in evidence. A World of Enemies should become required reading for students, scholars, policymakers, and the public. -- Richard H. Immerman, author of <i>Empire for Liberty</i> In A World of Enemies, Khalil paints a dark image of post-Vietnam America, where a fear of decline drives militarized wars against crime, drugs, and terrorism. This deeply researched book explains our present moment with great clarity, showing what links the ‘badlands’ targeted by imperial violence at home and abroad. -- Nathan J. Citino, author of <i>Envisioning the Arab Future</i>

Osamah Khalil’s magisterial book could not be more timely. Relentlessly critical of six decades of US global policy, it challenges readers’ assumptions in a way that is intelligible, innovative, and deeply grounded in evidence. A World of Enemies should become required reading for students, scholars, policymakers, and the public. -- Richard H. Immerman, author of <i>Empire for Liberty</i>

Author Information

Osamah F. Khalil is Associate Professor of History at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He is the author of America’s Dream Palace, which was named a Best Book of 2017 by Foreign Affairs. His research on foreign policy, national security, and military affairs has been featured widely, from PBS NewsHour to USA Today.

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