Power Trip

U.S. Unilateralism and Global Strategy After September 11

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Edited by John Feffer

Seven Stories Press

Due/Published May 2003, 304 pages, paper

ISBN 158322579X

Power Trip is a concise critique of the fundamental shift in U.S. foreign policy to unilateralism -- and the disastrous consequences that will follow. The essays cover such topics as the domestic impact of post-9/11 policies on spending priorities and civil liberties and the new military strategy of the Bush administration.

Contributors include Ahmed Rashid, Barbara Ehrenreich, Martha Honey, David Coetzee, Tom Barry, and Stephen Zunes,

Review

“The power trip that the United States is on, as so many have discovered at home and abroad, is a very bad trip indeed.” – John Feffer

The United States’ relationship to the rest of the world dramatically changed in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11. George W. Bush declared a war on terror, committed troops to Afghanistan and Iraq, and reconfigured America’s role in the world. Needless to say, these actions and America’s increasingly go-it-alone attitude have been met with misgivings throughout the world. The contributors to this excellent new collection analyze the efforts, goals, and implications of America’s foreign policy as it flexes its military and economic might. In separate chapters, the contributors discuss America’s unilateral approach as it affects military strategy, foreign policy economics, international law, control of natural resources, intelligence, and culture. Other essays consider America’s policies in Africa, Eurasia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Power Trip also includes a discussion of the key players in U.S. foreign policy and an analysis of the extent to which Bush’s attitude toward the world diverges from previous administrations. The collection concludes with an argument for what should be done to create a foreign policy that sees other nations as partners in the effort to make the world a safer place. The contributors offer a sharp critique of U.S. unilateralism that is an excellent primer on America’s current foreign policy and a warning of the dangers that lie ahead if things do not change.

Contributors include Barbara Ehrenreich, Ahmed Rashid, Stephen Zunes, William D. Hartung, Coletta Youngers, and Michael Klare.