Why America Misunderstands the World - Paul Pillar

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Résumé :
Drawing a fascinating line from colonial events to America's handling of modern international terrorism, Pillar shows how presumption and misperception turned Finlandization into a dirty word in American policy circles, bolstered the for us or against us attitude that characterized the policies of the George W. Bush administration, and continue to obscure the reasons behind Iraq's close relationship with Iran. Fundamental misunderstandings have created a cycle in which threats are underestimated before an attack occurs and then are overestimated after they happen. By exposing this longstanding tradition of misperception, Pillar hopes the United States can develop policies that better address international realities rather than biased beliefs.

Biographie:
Paul R. Pillar is nonresident senior fellow at the Center for Security Studies of Georgetown University. He served in several senior positions with the CIA and the National Intelligence Council and is a retired army reserve officer. He is the author of Intelligence and U.S. Foreign Policy: Iraq, 9/11, and Misguided Reform; Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy; and Negotiating Peace: War Termination as a Bargaining Process.

Sommaire:
Preface
1. The American Prism
2. Behind the Ocean Moats
3. Abundance and Power
4. The Successful Society
5. Searching for Monsters to Destroy
6. Unending Misperception
Notes
Index