Gulliver Unbound: America's Imperial Temptation and the War in Iraq

by Stanley Hoffmann, Frédéric Bozo (Contributor)

Renowned for his compassionate and balanced thinking on international affairs, Stanley Hoffmann reflects here on the proper place of the United States in a world it has defined almost exclusively by 9/11, the war on terrorism, and the invasion of Iraq. His analysis of the latter focuses on the misconceptions, ignorance, and incompetence of the Bush administration and shows how damaging this 'war of choice' has been for America's reputation in the world. Hoffmann's perspective is uniquely informed by his place as a true global citizen-a public intellectual with one foot in Europe, the other in America. In this brilliant essay, he considers point by point the events and actions that have led America down the path of imperialism, becoming a power at once arrogant, victorious, and unilateral. Tracing the significance of 9/11 in the short term and over the long course of American history, Hoffmann explains the contradictions and the consequences for international order―and disorder.

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Hoffmann was born in Vienna in 1928, and moved to France with his family the following year. A French citizen since 1947, Hoffmann spent his childhood between Paris and Nice before studying at Sciences Po. He followed an academic career in the United States and founded Harvard's Center for European Studies in 1968.

Hoffmann also participated as a political expert in the film The World According to Bush, dealing with the vicissitudes of the Bush administration after the 2000 presidential election.

Reviews

[Joana Marinho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting the interviews to Hoffmann, a french university teacher who lives in the USA for more than 50 years. He explores the franco-american relations before and during the transatlantic events following the 9/11. He also comments on what was behind the hubris in Bush's administration and the impreparedness of the Administration for the hard and essencial tasks of post conflict. The inflated patriotism, overestimation of the american military power, lack of respect for the iraqis and ignorance of their history, culture, language and traditions all combined might explain why everything fell apart.