America and the World : the Double Bind

"As the world's first democracy with a written constitution and Bill of Rights, the United States has stood for global aspirations toward democratic liberty, equality, and solidarity since its formation in 1776. However, as it developed into an empire by the late nineteenth century, the United States also has threatened the liberties of other peoples, including Native Americans, Hawaiians, Latin Americans, Asians, and Africans. The American role in world affairs has long been polarized around two conflicting images and strategies. In the name of counter-terrorism, the Bush administration pursued a largely unilateralist policy in the Middle East and elsewhere. Yet, in the name of protecting its national sovereignty, the United States also has rejected most of the recent multilateral treaties that strive to contain violence by fortifying the rule of international law. A unilateralist strategy also goes largely against the U.S. postwar multilateralism, which established the United Nations and its specialized agencies. This volume explores these contradictions. Contributors include: Kevin P. Clements, Tom Coffman, Audrey Kitagawa, Jeffrey F. Addicott, Steven Zunes, Vivien Stewart, Kath