War Without End: The Iraq War in Context

by Michael Schwartz

In this razor-sharp analysis, TomDispatch.com commentator Michael Schwartz turns every mainstream conclusion about Iraq on its head. He shows how US occupation is fueling civil war in Iraq and beyond, and how US officials dismantled the Iraqi state and economy, helping to destroy rather than rebuild the country. In a popular style reminiscent of the best writing against the Vietnam War, he punctures the myths used to sell the US public the idea of an endless “war on terror” centered in Iraq. Schwartz shows how the real US interests in Iraq were rooted in the geopolitics of oil and the expansion of a neoliberal economic model in the Middle East—and around the globe—at gunpoint. War Without End also reveals how the failure of the United States in Iraq has forced US planners to fundamentally rethink the imperial dreams driving recent foreign policy. This book is the third in a series of very successful books published in cooperation with TomDispatch.com, including the New York Times bestseller United States v. George W. Bush et al. by Elizabeth de la Vega (Seven Stories Press). Michael Schwartz , professor of sociology and faculty director of the Undergraduate College of Global Studies at Stony Brook University, has written extensively on the war in Iraq at websites including TomDispatch , ZNet , Asia Times , and Mother Jones , and in numerous magazines, including Contexts , Against the Current , and Z Magazine .

Genres: Nonfiction, Middle East, Current Affairs

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2008

About the author

A pioneer in the natural foods industry, and a nutritional counselor and teacher of naturopathic programs, Michael Schwartz created the "Synergistically Complete ®" concept that has become an industry standard. The author of "The Universal Teachings", "The Art of Mental Healing" and his newest book "Health and Disease Symbology Handbook: A Mind Body Perspective", Michael is an illuminating and inspiring speaker."

Reviews

[Peter Buren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is one of the best presentations of the argument the war was about oil and empire, laying out the case it was US policy from the beginning to destroy Iraq both as a lesson to everyone else in the world and as a precursor toward rebuilding it as a docile American puppet to anchor a broader strategy of Middle East conquest. The clumsiness of our handling of the oil in Iraq suggests that may not have been our goal (or we were bad at implementing it) but the details presented on the Iraq War as step one in a broader struggle are still worth reading.

[Louie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5.

Didn’t completely finish it as I had to hand it back to the ENFF library before my flight but a good and sharp analysis of the Iraq war, the destruction of the Iraqi economy and infrastructure with the U.S ‘s failed attempt to build Iraq as a neoliberal state.
The chapters about death squads, shooting civilians on site, with anyone a terrorist or sympathiser and bombing of cities is brutal and so similar to Israel’s current siege on Gaza.

[Mason Bryda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Schwartz's phenomenal use of detail and specifics draws you into this book as a reader within the first few paragraphs. The book focuses greatly on "war on terror" crisis, centered in Iraq. Michael descriptively explains how the United States' involvment in foreign affairs in Iraq is in fact fueling not restraining the Civil War in Iraq. He also shows that U.S. officials dismantled Iraq's state and economy as opposed to resolving problems and helping out. For example, it was stated by James Glanz that, "It looked like some gargantuan heart-bypass operation gone nightmarishly wrong." Another reason this book interested me was because he explained that the only reason the U.S. was involved with Iraq was rooted in the geopolotics of Oil.
I would suggest this book to anyone that has a great interest in learning more about how the United States' involvment in foreign affairs does not always help the situation. War Without End also reveals how the failure of the United States in Iraq has forced U.S. planners to rethink the imperialistic fantasies driving recent foreign policy to do what they are doing. I lost interest and focus in this book multiple times due to the numerous facts thats were not all that interesting to me. Other than that, it was a very informative book that I think more people should read.