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Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace (2002)

by Gore Vidal

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711731,686 (3.69)11
The United States has been engaged in what the great historian Charles A. Beard called "perpetual war for perpetual peace." The Federation of American Scientists has cataloged nearly 200 military incursions since 1945 in which the United States has been the aggressor. In a series of penetrating and alarming essays, whose centerpiece is a commentary on the events of September 11, 2001 (deemed too controversial to publish in this country until now) Gore Vidal challenges the comforting consensus following September 11th and goes back and draws connections to Timothy McVeigh's bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City. He asks were these simply the acts of "evil-doers?" "Gore Vidal is the master essayist of our age." -- Washington Post "Our greatest living man of letters."--Boston Globe "Vidal's imagination of American politics is so powerful as to compel awe."--Harold Bloom, The New York Review of Books… (more)
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Showing 1-5 of 6 (next | show all)
a bit of a polemic. ( )
  Phyllis.Mann | Mar 18, 2020 |
"Interestingly, this book emphasizes something I had not considered that bears emphasis: although there were numerous intelligence failures in detail, Vidal suggests that the Director of Central Intelligence is correct when he claims that 9-11 was not (at root) an intelligence failure--but then leaves unsaid what Vidal says explicitly: it was a policy failure in that Bush-Cheney decided not to alarm the people and not to share the warning information, in part to avoid turbulence and in part because such an attack would be welcome--as Pearl Harbor was welcome--as a means to remilitarize foreign policy.
INTERESTING THAT GORE BELIEVES THAT ROOSEVELT KNEW THE JAPANESSE WERE GOING TO ATTACK-PLB
  plb1934 | May 1, 2009 |
Explains how the U.S. may well incite terror, which it so vehemently now fights. Full of wit, wisdom, and just that classic touch of Vidal satire. ( )
  sweetdissident | Mar 3, 2009 |
What's there to say...? Its Gore Vidal! ( )
  tjrandall79 | Dec 27, 2006 |
I found this book poorly written with errors and found that it jumped around too much and was repetitive. The list of wars was given but no background information at all which made its usefullness limited. I found that some of the phrases were intended for Americans who already knew the background of certain issues and some words used that may be familiar to Americans but not necessarily to others. It was a short read with little value though I do agree with many of the end remarks. I don't think it was effective in making a point that the government provoked McVeigh or Osama. It may have, had he included more information. It was in the end, disappointing in it's content.
  BookAddict | Mar 20, 2006 |
Showing 1-5 of 6 (next | show all)
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It is a law of physics (still on the books when last I looked) that in nature there is no action without reaction.
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The United States has been engaged in what the great historian Charles A. Beard called "perpetual war for perpetual peace." The Federation of American Scientists has cataloged nearly 200 military incursions since 1945 in which the United States has been the aggressor. In a series of penetrating and alarming essays, whose centerpiece is a commentary on the events of September 11, 2001 (deemed too controversial to publish in this country until now) Gore Vidal challenges the comforting consensus following September 11th and goes back and draws connections to Timothy McVeigh's bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City. He asks were these simply the acts of "evil-doers?" "Gore Vidal is the master essayist of our age." -- Washington Post "Our greatest living man of letters."--Boston Globe "Vidal's imagination of American politics is so powerful as to compel awe."--Harold Bloom, The New York Review of Books

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