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The Resource The Hell of good intentions : America's foreign policy elite and the decline of U.S. primacy, Stephen M. Walt

The Hell of good intentions : America's foreign policy elite and the decline of U.S. primacy, Stephen M. Walt

Creator
Author
Summary
  • An International Affairs professor at Harvard University discusses the failures of the foreign policy elite since the Bush administration and makes suggestions for a fresh approach to improve global relations and stop violent extremism
  • "Dissects the faults and foibles of recent American foreign policy--explaining why it has been plagued by disasters like the 'forever wars' in Iraq and Afghanistan and outlining what can be done to fix it. In 1992, the United States stood at the pinnacle of world power and Americans were confident that a new era of peace and prosperity was at hand. Twenty-five years later, those hopes have been dashed. Relations with Russia and China have soured, the European Union is wobbling, nationalism and populism are on the rise, and the United States is stuck in costly and pointless wars that have squandered trillions of dollars and undermined its influence around the world. The root of this dismal record, Walt argues, is the American foreign policy establishment's stubborn commitment to a strategy of "liberal hegemony." Since the end of the Cold War, Republicans and Democrats alike have tried to use U.S. power to spread democracy, open markets, and other liberal values into every nook and cranny of the planet. This strategy was doomed to fail, but its proponents in the foreign policy elite were never held accountable and kept repeating the same mistakes. Donald Trump won the presidency promising to end the misguided policies of the foreign policy 'Blob' and to pursue a wiser approach. But his erratic and impulsive style of governing, combined with a deeply flawed understanding of world politics, are making a bad situation worse. The best alternative, Walt argues, is a return to the realist strategy of 'offshore balancing,' which eschews regime change, nation-building, and other forms of global social engineering. The American people would surely welcome a more restrained foreign policy, one that allowed greater attention to problems here at home. This long-overdue shift will require abandoning the futile quest for liberal hegemony and building a foreign policy establishment with a more realistic view of American power. Clear-eyed, candid, and elegantly written, Stephen M. Walt's The Hell of Good Intentions offers both a compelling diagnosis of America's recent foreign policy follies and a proven formula for renewed success."--Dust jacket
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Edition
First edition.
Extent
xii, 384 pages
Contents
  • A better way
  • Preface
  • Introduction
  • A dismal record
  • Why liberal hegemony failed
  • Defining the "blob" : what is the "foreign policy community"?
  • Selling a failing foreign policy
  • Is anyone accountable?
  • How not to fix U.S. foreign policy
Isbn
9780374280031
Instance
Label
The Hell of good intentions : America's foreign policy elite and the decline of U.S. primacy
Title
The Hell of good intentions
Title remainder
America's foreign policy elite and the decline of U.S. primacy
Statement of responsibility
Stephen M. Walt
Title variation
America's foreign policy elite and the decline of U.S. primacy
Creator
Author
Subject
Language
eng
Summary
  • An International Affairs professor at Harvard University discusses the failures of the foreign policy elite since the Bush administration and makes suggestions for a fresh approach to improve global relations and stop violent extremism
  • "Dissects the faults and foibles of recent American foreign policy--explaining why it has been plagued by disasters like the 'forever wars' in Iraq and Afghanistan and outlining what can be done to fix it. In 1992, the United States stood at the pinnacle of world power and Americans were confident that a new era of peace and prosperity was at hand. Twenty-five years later, those hopes have been dashed. Relations with Russia and China have soured, the European Union is wobbling, nationalism and populism are on the rise, and the United States is stuck in costly and pointless wars that have squandered trillions of dollars and undermined its influence around the world. The root of this dismal record, Walt argues, is the American foreign policy establishment's stubborn commitment to a strategy of "liberal hegemony." Since the end of the Cold War, Republicans and Democrats alike have tried to use U.S. power to spread democracy, open markets, and other liberal values into every nook and cranny of the planet. This strategy was doomed to fail, but its proponents in the foreign policy elite were never held accountable and kept repeating the same mistakes. Donald Trump won the presidency promising to end the misguided policies of the foreign policy 'Blob' and to pursue a wiser approach. But his erratic and impulsive style of governing, combined with a deeply flawed understanding of world politics, are making a bad situation worse. The best alternative, Walt argues, is a return to the realist strategy of 'offshore balancing,' which eschews regime change, nation-building, and other forms of global social engineering. The American people would surely welcome a more restrained foreign policy, one that allowed greater attention to problems here at home. This long-overdue shift will require abandoning the futile quest for liberal hegemony and building a foreign policy establishment with a more realistic view of American power. Clear-eyed, candid, and elegantly written, Stephen M. Walt's The Hell of Good Intentions offers both a compelling diagnosis of America's recent foreign policy follies and a proven formula for renewed success."--Dust jacket
Cataloging source
DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorDate
1955-
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Walt, Stephen M.
Illustrations
illustrations
Index
index present
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • United States
  • Political consultants
  • United States
  • États-Unis
  • Conseillers politiques
  • Diplomatic relations
  • Political consultants
  • HISTORY / United States / General
  • United States
  • Außenpolitik
  • Einfluss
  • Hegemonie
  • Krise
  • Liberalismus
  • Politische Elite
  • Verlust
  • Weltsystem
  • USA
Label
The Hell of good intentions : America's foreign policy elite and the decline of U.S. primacy, Stephen M. Walt
Instantiates
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 293-362) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
  • A better way
  • Preface
  • Introduction
  • A dismal record
  • Why liberal hegemony failed
  • Defining the "blob" : what is the "foreign policy community"?
  • Selling a failing foreign policy
  • Is anyone accountable?
  • How not to fix U.S. foreign policy
Control code
1019930392
Dimensions
24 cm
Edition
First edition.
Extent
xii, 384 pages
Isbn
9780374280031
Lccn
2018007639
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Note
WorldCat record variable field(s) change: 650, 651
Other control number
40028606960
Other physical details
1 illustration
System control number
(OCoLC)1019930392
Label
The Hell of good intentions : America's foreign policy elite and the decline of U.S. primacy, Stephen M. Walt
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 293-362) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
  • A better way
  • Preface
  • Introduction
  • A dismal record
  • Why liberal hegemony failed
  • Defining the "blob" : what is the "foreign policy community"?
  • Selling a failing foreign policy
  • Is anyone accountable?
  • How not to fix U.S. foreign policy
Control code
1019930392
Dimensions
24 cm
Edition
First edition.
Extent
xii, 384 pages
Isbn
9780374280031
Lccn
2018007639
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Note
WorldCat record variable field(s) change: 650, 651
Other control number
40028606960
Other physical details
1 illustration
System control number
(OCoLC)1019930392

Subject

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