Ruses for War: American Interventionism Since World War II

by John B. Quigley

As a prelude to war in 2003, the administration of George W. Bush did its utmost to convince the public that Saddam Hussein's Iraq posed a threat to American security from the secret development of weapons of mass destruction. Within a year of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, it became clear that no such weapons existed. Sadly, this was not the first time the American public was urged to support a war for reasons that turned out later to be scarcely credible. As law professor John Quigley amply demonstrates in this damning indictment of U.S. military interventionism since World War II, the Bush administration's actions fit a decades-old pattern of going to war on a pretense rather than informing the public of the government's true intentions.This newly updated and revised paperback edition of The Ruses for War analyzes each instance of military intervention abroad by the United States since World War II from the perspective of what the government told the public, or did not tell it, about the reasons for war. Quigley concludes that the government's explanations differed greatly from reality.Why were American troops committed to Korea in 1950? Was it to stop the onslaught of world communism, as President Truman claimed? Why did the U.S. Marines land in the Dominican Republic in 1966? President Johnson argued that it was to protect Americans in danger. This is the same defense used by President Reagan when he sent troops to Grenada in 1983. Quigley also analyzes the stated versus actual reasons for intervention in the first Gulf War, Somalia, Kosovo, and other trouble spots. What emerges from his research is a tale of coverups, distortions, and manipulation of the media by our country's leaders for the purpose of gaining public support.

Genres: History

427 pages, Paperback

First published May 22, 2007

Reviews

[Gregg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A series of short, easily-digestible chapters detailing our misadventures and foreign entanglements abroad, this book is a good reference text for both the novice unaware of our misguided and disingenuous motives for overseas military ventures, and for those well versed in American imperialism looking for footnotes and reference points. It's hard to argue with the details and what they add up to. Nicaragua. Lebanon. Somalia. Guatemala. Iran. Iraq. Korea. Vietnam. Et al. There's the official pieties and statements, and there's what we actually did. We can deny our past, or we can learn from it and hold our government and military to the standard we wish to.

Arguably, this has started to happen. Obama's inability to convince the country of the necessity to undertake military action in Syria earlier this year could be defined as political weakness. I prefer to define it as a stronger, more assertive public. We still have a hangover from the Bush II years of WMD-hunting and international disdain. We weren't willing to do the heavy lifting in Libya, due to a distrust over our military agenda. Ditto with Syria. Once we keep our history straight, we can make a clearer, more persuasive argument for the future we wish to see. This book could help that happen.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good, strong reference book to have on hand that peruses the typical U.S. lies for entering wars over the past half-century -- Korea, Guatemala, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Grenada, Panama, and many others. Well-documented and eye-opening.