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The Wikileaks Files: The World According to Us Empire
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First published June 2, 2015
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October 17, 2015
I would not recommend this book to those who are well informed and I would hesitate to recommend this book to those who are uninformed about the workings of US empire.
There are some great chapters in this book and they are as follows:
Chapters 1-3.
The chapter pertaining to the ICC is phenomenal.
The chapters outlining the workings of US Empire in Syria, Russia, Turkey, East Asia, Venezuela, and Latin America were quite clear and very enjoyable.
I am hesitant to recommend this book mainly because of its terrible editing and the selection of authors. With the latter, there were times where I thought that the authors took the assumptions of the elites as a given. The chapter on Afghanistan is a case in point. The author of that section argued that the war was bullshit because it was the temporary home of Al Qaeda. Nevermind that the war was total bullshit because we did not bother to pursue peaceful means or proposals to apprehend suspects. The Taliban offered to extradite Al Qaeda suspects three times upon receiving evidence of their participation in the 9/11 attacks. This fact was only brought up in the US press to dismiss the proposal by fiat, but it was discussed at length in the European press. The omission of this point not only demonstrates the disregard for international law, but takes the US' war like response to a criminal act as reasonable.
On one hand, I can see why their selection of authors had to be somewhat conservative -- as the book would have been summarily dismissed. But with some decent radicals and a firm editor this book would have been amazing.
The editing was pretty terrible, so much so that as a consequence the frameworks between the authors were inconsistent. In the chapter on Israel, for example, it is argued that US support of Israel is not a case of the tail wagging the dog. Instead, US support is due to the fact that US and Israeli interests often coincide. In the chapter on Iran, the author argues that the Israeli lobby prevented the United States from pursuing an independent non-proliferation treaty with Iran -- making it look as if the tail was indeed wagging the dog (queue eye roll).
The book has the right idea, but it was executed very poorly.
There are some great chapters in this book and they are as follows:
Chapters 1-3.
The chapter pertaining to the ICC is phenomenal.
The chapters outlining the workings of US Empire in Syria, Russia, Turkey, East Asia, Venezuela, and Latin America were quite clear and very enjoyable.
I am hesitant to recommend this book mainly because of its terrible editing and the selection of authors. With the latter, there were times where I thought that the authors took the assumptions of the elites as a given. The chapter on Afghanistan is a case in point. The author of that section argued that the war was bullshit because it was the temporary home of Al Qaeda. Nevermind that the war was total bullshit because we did not bother to pursue peaceful means or proposals to apprehend suspects. The Taliban offered to extradite Al Qaeda suspects three times upon receiving evidence of their participation in the 9/11 attacks. This fact was only brought up in the US press to dismiss the proposal by fiat, but it was discussed at length in the European press. The omission of this point not only demonstrates the disregard for international law, but takes the US' war like response to a criminal act as reasonable.
On one hand, I can see why their selection of authors had to be somewhat conservative -- as the book would have been summarily dismissed. But with some decent radicals and a firm editor this book would have been amazing.
The editing was pretty terrible, so much so that as a consequence the frameworks between the authors were inconsistent. In the chapter on Israel, for example, it is argued that US support of Israel is not a case of the tail wagging the dog. Instead, US support is due to the fact that US and Israeli interests often coincide. In the chapter on Iran, the author argues that the Israeli lobby prevented the United States from pursuing an independent non-proliferation treaty with Iran -- making it look as if the tail was indeed wagging the dog (queue eye roll).
The book has the right idea, but it was executed very poorly.
January 21, 2021
No book can teach politics as well as this book due to scientific journalism embraced by WikiLeaks. One of a kind!
December 23, 2015
The Wikileaks Files does a great job incorporating information from the leaked diplomatic cables with an overall narrative depicting the inner workings of the US empire.
The first section, chapters 1 to 3, is a concise overview of the nature and operational modes of US imperialism, including a brief history of its evolution from classical land grabs (Phillipines, Cuba) through armed regime change (Nicaragua, Iran, Honduras, and many others) and ending with neoliberal "free trade" enforced by extortion from the World Bank and IMF and only occasionally military force. Most of the sources for this section are publicly available, and not from the Wikileaks archives. But it provides a necessary framework for understanding the context underlying the leaked diplomatic cables. The entire section was written by a single anonymous author.
The second (and final) section of the book devotes one chapter to each of 15 specific topics, regions, or countries. It begins with an overview of the Wikileaks archives, and suggestions for researchers on how to best use it. This is followed by a chapter on the US refusal to recognize the ICC (International Criminal Court) except, of course, when it is convenient to US aims to do so. Then we are given one chapter each on the main regions and countries of current interest to the US. This includes obvious candidates (Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Ecuador, Venezuela), as well as a couple not so obvious ones - South Africa and Turkey.
The chapters in section 2 are a bit uneven since each one was written by a different author. But there is a wealth of detail drawing on both the Wikileaks archives as well as other sources, and for the most part it fits well into the overarching narrative of the essentially lawless and rogue US empire.
The first section, chapters 1 to 3, is a concise overview of the nature and operational modes of US imperialism, including a brief history of its evolution from classical land grabs (Phillipines, Cuba) through armed regime change (Nicaragua, Iran, Honduras, and many others) and ending with neoliberal "free trade" enforced by extortion from the World Bank and IMF and only occasionally military force. Most of the sources for this section are publicly available, and not from the Wikileaks archives. But it provides a necessary framework for understanding the context underlying the leaked diplomatic cables. The entire section was written by a single anonymous author.
The second (and final) section of the book devotes one chapter to each of 15 specific topics, regions, or countries. It begins with an overview of the Wikileaks archives, and suggestions for researchers on how to best use it. This is followed by a chapter on the US refusal to recognize the ICC (International Criminal Court) except, of course, when it is convenient to US aims to do so. Then we are given one chapter each on the main regions and countries of current interest to the US. This includes obvious candidates (Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Ecuador, Venezuela), as well as a couple not so obvious ones - South Africa and Turkey.
The chapters in section 2 are a bit uneven since each one was written by a different author. But there is a wealth of detail drawing on both the Wikileaks archives as well as other sources, and for the most part it fits well into the overarching narrative of the essentially lawless and rogue US empire.
March 2, 2017
Generally, this is an illuminating book on the US Government's place in international politics and its attempts to keep the US "exceptional", which happens to use the WikiLeaks cables as contextualising sources -- the introduction points out that academic journals, in particular, have ignored them. The quality of the different chapters varies widely (the first three and last two are the best), and there's plenty of overlap between them, but they're all worth at least glancing through, even if only for the interesting information provided in the author's sources (which fortunately are not limited to the leaked cables).
My only complaint, aside from the poorer chapters (I know first-year students who are better at padding than Naiman), is that on another level, this is obviously a PR exercise in part. The authors seem to have had to meet a quota of WikiLeaks mentions, even when it's beside the point (and the sources just happen to be cables made available there). A couple of chapters conclude by praising the website rather than making a final statement about the subject at hand; others, fortunately, are more reserved in their praise, and instead acknowledge that they could have made the same points (though in less depth) by referring solely to official, declassified sources and existing studies.
Most of the time, though, it's worth pushing past the sponsor shout-outs to get to the actual information.
My only complaint, aside from the poorer chapters (I know first-year students who are better at padding than Naiman), is that on another level, this is obviously a PR exercise in part. The authors seem to have had to meet a quota of WikiLeaks mentions, even when it's beside the point (and the sources just happen to be cables made available there). A couple of chapters conclude by praising the website rather than making a final statement about the subject at hand; others, fortunately, are more reserved in their praise, and instead acknowledge that they could have made the same points (though in less depth) by referring solely to official, declassified sources and existing studies.
Most of the time, though, it's worth pushing past the sponsor shout-outs to get to the actual information.
June 26, 2015
This seems to be an executive summary; as we learn, Wikileak’s “Public Library of US Diplomacy,” or PlusD, is now a searchable archive of over 2.3 million documents, and not just the recent “Cablegate” leak but the Kissinger and Carter cables as well, going back to 1966. Chapter 4, “Indexing the Empire,” alone is worth a four-star rating, since it describes the collection and provides journalists and researchers useful tips on how to search PlusD, and more important, find similar cables to put a document in context. It also provides a guide to indexing and terminology.
As to what the cables say, the book provides commentary. Julian Assange’s “introduction” is over 140 pp., Part One of the book, its first three chapters. The remaining chapters are each by a different author, each about a different part of the world, Europe, Russia, Iran, Iraq and so forth, as seen through these cables and through the U.S. State Department. The overall picture is: this is how the U.S. does business, and has over several recent decades.
The book’s title is slightly misleading: as Assange mentions, and other chapters also make clear, is that the U.S. global reach isn’t an “empire” in the traditional sense, governing conquered provinces. Rather, it seems to be a hegemon in which compliant local governments, usually authoritarian or military regimes, often corrupt, govern on behalf of U.S. national strategic interests, and on behalf of U.S. multinational corporations – backed by U.S. military power, although that is usually indirect. The authors are judgmental – this is commentary as well as summary – but represents one view of what the cables mean in a particular country or landmass.
The chapter titles are somewhat misleading as well: Assange’s Chapter 2, “Dictators and Human Rights,” is about U.S. handling of human rights in foreign lands, and Chapter 3, “War and Terrorism,” is more about corporations, global markets and environmental impacts. Some of the observations are profound, e.g., “The United States had visited an apocalypse on Vietnam to avert the canger of ‘communism,’ and failed. But where it failed, debt, finance and the institutions of global capitalism succeeded.” And not just there, as he explains.
Same is true for the other commenters’ chapters: Chapter 5, “US War Crimes and the ICC” is mainly about the U.S. coercing countries over participation in the International Criminal Court system, which might prosecute U.S. war crimes but still would need participating nation-states. Still, the commentaries, chapter by chapter and country by country, do show how these enforcement patterns work, with the State Department as its field offices. They’re often dense reads but stay on topic. The book provides no new earthshaking, standalone revelations but does suggest a disturbing pattern. It’s also a door to an archive from which other researchers, journalists, historians might take different, or new, findings.
It’s an old story: in the 1933 book and speech “War is a Racket,” Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler said, “... when the dollar only earns 6 percent over here, then it gets restless and goes overseas to get 100 percent. Then the flag follows the dollar and the soldiers follow the flag.” This book shows that it’s truer now than ever.
As to what the cables say, the book provides commentary. Julian Assange’s “introduction” is over 140 pp., Part One of the book, its first three chapters. The remaining chapters are each by a different author, each about a different part of the world, Europe, Russia, Iran, Iraq and so forth, as seen through these cables and through the U.S. State Department. The overall picture is: this is how the U.S. does business, and has over several recent decades.
The book’s title is slightly misleading: as Assange mentions, and other chapters also make clear, is that the U.S. global reach isn’t an “empire” in the traditional sense, governing conquered provinces. Rather, it seems to be a hegemon in which compliant local governments, usually authoritarian or military regimes, often corrupt, govern on behalf of U.S. national strategic interests, and on behalf of U.S. multinational corporations – backed by U.S. military power, although that is usually indirect. The authors are judgmental – this is commentary as well as summary – but represents one view of what the cables mean in a particular country or landmass.
The chapter titles are somewhat misleading as well: Assange’s Chapter 2, “Dictators and Human Rights,” is about U.S. handling of human rights in foreign lands, and Chapter 3, “War and Terrorism,” is more about corporations, global markets and environmental impacts. Some of the observations are profound, e.g., “The United States had visited an apocalypse on Vietnam to avert the canger of ‘communism,’ and failed. But where it failed, debt, finance and the institutions of global capitalism succeeded.” And not just there, as he explains.
Same is true for the other commenters’ chapters: Chapter 5, “US War Crimes and the ICC” is mainly about the U.S. coercing countries over participation in the International Criminal Court system, which might prosecute U.S. war crimes but still would need participating nation-states. Still, the commentaries, chapter by chapter and country by country, do show how these enforcement patterns work, with the State Department as its field offices. They’re often dense reads but stay on topic. The book provides no new earthshaking, standalone revelations but does suggest a disturbing pattern. It’s also a door to an archive from which other researchers, journalists, historians might take different, or new, findings.
It’s an old story: in the 1933 book and speech “War is a Racket,” Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler said, “... when the dollar only earns 6 percent over here, then it gets restless and goes overseas to get 100 percent. Then the flag follows the dollar and the soldiers follow the flag.” This book shows that it’s truer now than ever.
June 4, 2018
This book took me an eternity to get through because there's so much information to read. Leaked diplomatic cables are used interspersed with background information to illustrate how the foreign policy practiced by the United States has little or nothing in common with the values and objectives our leaders espouse. Whether the president was Bush or Obama, nothing changed except undermining democracy abroad in order to protect the interests of American corporations and investors, and the military-industrial complex.
Summarizing this book is too much work. The book itself is a summary of some of the more interesting cables which were leaked by Chelsea Manning. I think it's most useful as a reference work. Each chapter or section covers a particular country or region. The index is exhaustive. So when a country comes up in the news, one can go to the corresponding section and read up on U.S. foreign policy there. Since policies remain the same from administration to administration, the information in this book can explain what's actually going on.
Interestingly, those studying American foreign policy in the United States are not allowed to use the Wikileaks files as source material. How nuts is that!? Our State Department will neither fund nor hire those who use these insightful primary source documents--they must use official ones. That's like writing a history of Coca-Cola based solely on advertising and press releases, without looking at corporate records.
Summarizing this book is too much work. The book itself is a summary of some of the more interesting cables which were leaked by Chelsea Manning. I think it's most useful as a reference work. Each chapter or section covers a particular country or region. The index is exhaustive. So when a country comes up in the news, one can go to the corresponding section and read up on U.S. foreign policy there. Since policies remain the same from administration to administration, the information in this book can explain what's actually going on.
Interestingly, those studying American foreign policy in the United States are not allowed to use the Wikileaks files as source material. How nuts is that!? Our State Department will neither fund nor hire those who use these insightful primary source documents--they must use official ones. That's like writing a history of Coca-Cola based solely on advertising and press releases, without looking at corporate records.
March 3, 2019
Contrary to the opinion in the most popular review, I think this book should definitely be recommended to people who don't have much background knowledge. We have the responsibility to know what kind of forces are influencing our lives. It is an awakening revelation of how unilateral interests overrides all, including human rights/principles touted as buzzwords all the time. Not necessarily saying that it is evil, but it is good to know to avoid naiveness.
The book summarised relatively contemporary geopolitical influences of the US, mainly in the Middle East, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Basically we can see that financial aid (to the oppositions of target countries), bilateral pressure, stigmitisation and international propaganda are the four most common tricks. It is a pity that no narration was given about the US' interaction with the South Pacific.
I am giving a five-star not because the book is perfect - editing needs improving indeed. But I think it is a sufficiently informative overview and, above all, what Wikileaks strives to do is truly respectful.
The book summarised relatively contemporary geopolitical influences of the US, mainly in the Middle East, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Basically we can see that financial aid (to the oppositions of target countries), bilateral pressure, stigmitisation and international propaganda are the four most common tricks. It is a pity that no narration was given about the US' interaction with the South Pacific.
I am giving a five-star not because the book is perfect - editing needs improving indeed. But I think it is a sufficiently informative overview and, above all, what Wikileaks strives to do is truly respectful.
September 11, 2022
A harrowing account of US foreign policy since WWII, with a specific focus on post 9/11, based on diplomatic cables and documents released through Wikileaks. A must read to understand US aims in a variety of regions (Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Asia). Each chapter is written by a different area specialist. The US establishment seems to favor stability and a welcoming business environment above all else when it comes to foreign policy. What was illuminating was what diplomats and government officials say in private as opposed to what is released for public consumption. The book also makes the point of the US (through the National Endowment for Democracy, National Democratic Institute, and the International Republican Institute) funding opposition movements in countries where they do not like and want to change the government. Ultimately, the authors argue that US foreign policy is wholly bipartisan and both political parties provide a unified front when it comes to furthering US interests abroad.
August 19, 2022
One of the most important books I have ever read. Reveals many truths about United States of America hegemony, which infringes upon the national sovereignty of other nations--often in brutal ways that violate international law--to support global multinational corporations based in America. This can only lead to fascism, and opposing such a regime--indeed all forms of empire and totalitarianism--should be a value shared by all.
This book should be required reading in school, especially America, in order to self-reflect and change for the better. It should be taught along with works from authors such as Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, Audre Lorde, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Howard Zinn, Cornell West, Chris Hedges, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, Murray Bookchin, Fritjof Capra, Winona LaDuke, Derrick Jensen, Daniel Quinn, Paul Hawkin.
I look forward to additional books published by Wikileaks.
This book should be required reading in school, especially America, in order to self-reflect and change for the better. It should be taught along with works from authors such as Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, Audre Lorde, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Howard Zinn, Cornell West, Chris Hedges, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, Murray Bookchin, Fritjof Capra, Winona LaDuke, Derrick Jensen, Daniel Quinn, Paul Hawkin.
I look forward to additional books published by Wikileaks.
December 18, 2015
I was very disappointed with it.
I was hoping for a detailed independent account of what's happening around the world. The truth behind the news. Instead it was a series of far left essays that channeled Noam Chomsky and whined about rogue nations like Iran, Venezuela and North Korea being misunderstood.
It's a shame because I think Wikileaks would be great as an independent watchdog. Let's expose the shenanigans of the American government and multinational corporations. But let's also shine the light on Russia, China, the European Union and the rest of the world as well.
I was hoping for a detailed independent account of what's happening around the world. The truth behind the news. Instead it was a series of far left essays that channeled Noam Chomsky and whined about rogue nations like Iran, Venezuela and North Korea being misunderstood.
It's a shame because I think Wikileaks would be great as an independent watchdog. Let's expose the shenanigans of the American government and multinational corporations. But let's also shine the light on Russia, China, the European Union and the rest of the world as well.
February 27, 2017
When WikiLeaks released the trove of documents that came to be known as the Embassy Cables, the reaction of the media was rather tepid. The New York Times and the Guardian, both WikiLeaks media partners at the time, dedicated very few column inches to discussing the content of the US diplomatic cables and instead focused on the snide and snarky comments some diplomats made about world leaders they worked with. The US government, on the other hand, was apoplectic with rage that its private communications were dumped into the public sphere for all to read. The gossip and snark factor was definitely not what they were most worried about.
The book presents the contents of select cables and comments on their larger geopolitical relevance. For the most part the cables are written in clear and unambiguous language and reveal a side of American power and diplomacy the public never gets to see. What US officials say publicly to the media and what they say amongst themselves are very different indeed. Reading the chapter on Syria, for example, one learns the rhetoric from Washington about human rights and democracy and humanitarian concern that permeates the media is, quite frankly, bullshit.
That won't surprise anybody who critically follows global politics but it is quite something to read in plain language the cynical, conniving and subversive tactics the United States government has been covertly employing since at least 2005 to undermine and destabilize the Syrian state and ultimately overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad...as written by the people making it happen. The cables very clearly demonstrate the breakdown of Syrian society in 2011 did not cause any "concern" in DC for the wellbeing of the "Syrian people" because the US has been working very hard to bring about a collapse that would give them a pretext to bring about "regime change" (aka coup d'état).
Which brings me back to the media's strange lack of interest in the cables, seeing as they contradict the blatant propaganda and disinformation that the BBC, the Guardian, CNN, Fox, Channel 4, NYT etc. pass off as fair and unbiased analysis of the Syrian Civil War and the multilayered power-struggle playing out in the surrounding region.
The absolute lack of any journalistic integrity shown by once respected outfits like the BBC is shocking. The embassy cables provide a perfect opportunity for media to speak truth to power and hold leaders to account, but they have chosen instead to pretend the evidence doesn't exist and happily continue to deceive the public with lies and distortions.
This book is required reading for any person wishing to see what goes on behind the curtain while the clowns and acrobats of the media put on a stage show that keeps the public away from the truth. If, after reading this book, you want to check out the cables firsthand (Syria is only one of many conflicts discussed) they are indexed and cross-referenced on WikiLeaks' homepage and duplicated on mirror sites throughout the world.
The book presents the contents of select cables and comments on their larger geopolitical relevance. For the most part the cables are written in clear and unambiguous language and reveal a side of American power and diplomacy the public never gets to see. What US officials say publicly to the media and what they say amongst themselves are very different indeed. Reading the chapter on Syria, for example, one learns the rhetoric from Washington about human rights and democracy and humanitarian concern that permeates the media is, quite frankly, bullshit.
That won't surprise anybody who critically follows global politics but it is quite something to read in plain language the cynical, conniving and subversive tactics the United States government has been covertly employing since at least 2005 to undermine and destabilize the Syrian state and ultimately overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad...as written by the people making it happen. The cables very clearly demonstrate the breakdown of Syrian society in 2011 did not cause any "concern" in DC for the wellbeing of the "Syrian people" because the US has been working very hard to bring about a collapse that would give them a pretext to bring about "regime change" (aka coup d'état).
Which brings me back to the media's strange lack of interest in the cables, seeing as they contradict the blatant propaganda and disinformation that the BBC, the Guardian, CNN, Fox, Channel 4, NYT etc. pass off as fair and unbiased analysis of the Syrian Civil War and the multilayered power-struggle playing out in the surrounding region.
The absolute lack of any journalistic integrity shown by once respected outfits like the BBC is shocking. The embassy cables provide a perfect opportunity for media to speak truth to power and hold leaders to account, but they have chosen instead to pretend the evidence doesn't exist and happily continue to deceive the public with lies and distortions.
This book is required reading for any person wishing to see what goes on behind the curtain while the clowns and acrobats of the media put on a stage show that keeps the public away from the truth. If, after reading this book, you want to check out the cables firsthand (Syria is only one of many conflicts discussed) they are indexed and cross-referenced on WikiLeaks' homepage and duplicated on mirror sites throughout the world.
October 6, 2016
It provides a well-organized look of what the billions of words Wikileaks have provided are all about, without having to get lost in a sea of databases or hundreds of related news articles of varying quality, and journalistic ethics.
If you have read Chomsky, with or without Wikileaks, most of this is old news. It serves as additional "confirmation" of things that have been going on for decades, and are well-known within intellectual circles that are critical of U.S. interventionism across the Americas and beyond.
Since the book was written by multiple authors, it can seem a bit disjointed at times. The first three chapters (author Unknown) are excellently written, but otherwise some sections of the book have the template feel of an essay written by a college student.
Nevertheless, a must read.
If you have read Chomsky, with or without Wikileaks, most of this is old news. It serves as additional "confirmation" of things that have been going on for decades, and are well-known within intellectual circles that are critical of U.S. interventionism across the Americas and beyond.
Since the book was written by multiple authors, it can seem a bit disjointed at times. The first three chapters (author Unknown) are excellently written, but otherwise some sections of the book have the template feel of an essay written by a college student.
Nevertheless, a must read.
December 6, 2020
I have never thought of the US as an Empire. Until now.
That the Empire has the same devious selfish subjugating principles and thought processes as the previous Dutch, English and French empires is truly astounding, though not unexpected. What was already known is lade bare and naked for everyone to see from the hacked treasure trove of US Dept cables. All power to Wikileaks.
The commentators have made a commendable job of highlighting illustrating the important portions of the policies, shifts, characters and more importantly the underlying ideology and devious machinations of the US Empire.
Diplomats everywhere - watch out ! Your country may be invaded on whims and fancies, you maybe lied to, you may even be sold machinery on pure policy positions of US. This is truly incredible work.
That the Empire has the same devious selfish subjugating principles and thought processes as the previous Dutch, English and French empires is truly astounding, though not unexpected. What was already known is lade bare and naked for everyone to see from the hacked treasure trove of US Dept cables. All power to Wikileaks.
The commentators have made a commendable job of highlighting illustrating the important portions of the policies, shifts, characters and more importantly the underlying ideology and devious machinations of the US Empire.
Diplomats everywhere - watch out ! Your country may be invaded on whims and fancies, you maybe lied to, you may even be sold machinery on pure policy positions of US. This is truly incredible work.
June 16, 2015
I would like a lot of people to read this book, because it gives a complete sightseeing over the U.S. Foreign Policy and it would be nice to eventually open our eyes to many things that are, at last, a lot confused. I'm sure I would buy this book as soon as it's published and lend it to as many people as possible.
Mi piacerebbe molto che tantissime persone leggessero questo libro perché offre una visione globale e dettagliata della politica estera degli Stati Uniti negli ultimi 50 anni e potrebbe darci la possibilitá di capire molte cose che sono, allo stato attuale dei fatti, quanto meno confuse. Sono sicura che compreró questo libro appena viene pubblicato e lo presteró al maggior numero di persone possibile.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND VERSO BOOKS (US) FOR THE PREVIEW!
Mi piacerebbe molto che tantissime persone leggessero questo libro perché offre una visione globale e dettagliata della politica estera degli Stati Uniti negli ultimi 50 anni e potrebbe darci la possibilitá di capire molte cose che sono, allo stato attuale dei fatti, quanto meno confuse. Sono sicura che compreró questo libro appena viene pubblicato e lo presteró al maggior numero di persone possibile.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND VERSO BOOKS (US) FOR THE PREVIEW!
September 12, 2015
THE WIKILEAKS FILES: THE WORLD ACCORDING TO US EMPIRE BY JULIAN ASSANGE was to me a very difficult book to read. In my humble opinion it was loaded with too many facts your head starts swimming,so I took a different approach to the book.I went to the index in the back of the book picked a topic and then went and read the pages noted. To me it was the easiest way to absorb the facts in the book. With no thought to political correctness Assange has used this book and the information he acquired, to tell the public about the US foreign policies. Not favoring a specific era ( or president) he laid it all out in one fell swoop.
May 22, 2016
Not a simple book to get through, loaded with facts and figures you might not know and in a range of historical backgrounds you might know little about. It reads like a textbook.
If you get through it, you won't deny it's importance and relevance to you, in this world, today. American foreign policy, hegemony, affects us all. This is a glimpse into how the empire works, how it launches it operations and influences the world.
If there is one book you should read, up there with Noam Chomsky, it is this one. It is a beautiful hard to read summary of the results and operations of the US Empire.
Pick it up.
If you get through it, you won't deny it's importance and relevance to you, in this world, today. American foreign policy, hegemony, affects us all. This is a glimpse into how the empire works, how it launches it operations and influences the world.
If there is one book you should read, up there with Noam Chomsky, it is this one. It is a beautiful hard to read summary of the results and operations of the US Empire.
Pick it up.
December 18, 2016
The first three chapters (for which there are curiously no authors listed) are absolutely indispensable for understanding the US Empire and its relationship to the rest of the world. The book is highly recommended for that aspect alone.
The rest of the book's chapters will be of varying interest to readers depending upon their region of interest; I personally found the chapter on Israel most informative, as that's my primary area of interest in regards to US foreign policy. The chapter on Syria, and US efforts to exacerbate sectarian tensions there before the outbreak of the ongoing civil war, is also particularly revealing.
The rest of the book's chapters will be of varying interest to readers depending upon their region of interest; I personally found the chapter on Israel most informative, as that's my primary area of interest in regards to US foreign policy. The chapter on Syria, and US efforts to exacerbate sectarian tensions there before the outbreak of the ongoing civil war, is also particularly revealing.
January 2, 2022
How the US does its business with the rest of the world as revealed by the unredacted emails Wikileaks received from whistleblowers and it's far from flattering .
Assange did the world a favour.
The US is not the benevolent peaceful benefactor many thought it was and the proof is here.
In fact the US has and continues to represent corporate interests and has historically interfered in politics all over the world in order to achieve the outcomes it desires. Sometimes on the pretext of fighting commumism other times terrorism .
Starting or financing wars,financing coups or destabilising governments.
Is it better the devil we know to keep the status quo..maybe.
Assange did the world a favour.
The US is not the benevolent peaceful benefactor many thought it was and the proof is here.
In fact the US has and continues to represent corporate interests and has historically interfered in politics all over the world in order to achieve the outcomes it desires. Sometimes on the pretext of fighting commumism other times terrorism .
Starting or financing wars,financing coups or destabilising governments.
Is it better the devil we know to keep the status quo..maybe.
August 23, 2016
For those that take an active interest in US foreign policy, there are very few surprises in store. That said, this volume is a collection of contributions from scholars, journalists and Think Tank intellectuals that perform a breakdown of the CableGate leaks on a region-by-region basis, and offer up samples of the cables that give insight into the day-to-day grind of Empire. The most interesting aspect of this work just might be the view one gets of how the Empire views itself.
October 12, 2017
An extraordinary book that reveals the multitude of double standards, brazen illegal interference in the affairs of sovereign nations around the globe by the United States government.
A must read for anyone who wants to get to the truth about the duplicity and hypocrisy of the State Department and its acolytes in the corporate owned, mainstream media.
A must read for anyone who wants to get to the truth about the duplicity and hypocrisy of the State Department and its acolytes in the corporate owned, mainstream media.
January 20, 2020
The WikiLeaks File, published on September 2015, brings together some of the most critical thinkers around. It offers an in-depth and insightful analysis of the inner-workings, scope and drivers of US imperialism, based on the Cablegate files. On top of that, this book published by verso books is beautifully edited, making it an even more delightful read!
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October 10, 2020
I was hoping for some juicy gossip about the corrupt inner workings of the world. But this was pretty dry. Difficult to read. Impossible to enjoy reading. Loaded with info but almost too much to take in.
November 13, 2020
It is a good book but different contributers make the narrative lens a bit uneven.
The US is a willful empire not an incedental one, although not always in the circumstances of its own choosing.
The difference in two characterizations is huge.
The US is a willful empire not an incedental one, although not always in the circumstances of its own choosing.
The difference in two characterizations is huge.
May 4, 2017
Fascinating
December 16, 2018
The book was design for professionals, primary in political science. Hard to read for usual person. But very interesting. For everyone who likes politics and history.
June 23, 2019
This book is incredibly important, especially now. If everyone read this, the world would more thoroughly understand the implications of United States foreign policy.
June 12, 2018
You would think a book with this tittle would be exiting, but this was extremely dry and boring. Most of the book content is already known if you have read any Noam Chomsky's books or something similar. The actual Wikileaks cables don't bring nothing new, only small details of how American diplomats, politicians and intelligent agents actually think about other countries. The writers are actual politics experts so the language of the book is mostly impartial and that makes it so boring. Noam Chomsky's books where clearly hyper ideological, but his edgy leftist populism made his books so accessible and fun to read. If you love America and agree with the "liberal internationalism" ideology then this book only proves that US has its fingers in every country and it is trying to make all of the "enemy" states liberal democracy's by any means necessary or bring them to the US sphere of influence. If you are not a communist or a anti-imperialist you will not see any problems in US actions, only maybe question why its not respecting international law and why its not trying to democratize its undemocratic allies. But like many ideological people say "The end justify the means."
December 22, 2025
Plenty of damning evidence of US involvement in coup and destabilizing attempts, alliances with authoritarian regimes, and so on. Especially tragic and evil are the Afghanistan and Iraq sections documenting torture program and the mistaken arrest and torture of many muslims. Most of the cables are not new knowledge, but they reveal a consistent pattern of continual US involvement in 'stab in the back' tactics. However, one particular area that weakens Wikileaks' otherwise positive image as supporter of transparency is its allignment with Russian foreign policy goals. The Russian section is quite disappointing. It is either the Russians are so good at encrypting their cables, or the Russians don't use cables in much of their questionable behavior, or Wikileaks purposefully hid and refuse to unveil them.
March 27, 2023
This is a useful book if you follow geopolitics in particular.
It will remind you of the history that leads up to the current Ukraine proxy war as well as Anglosphere states support for various dictators around the globe.
I would have liked to see a section in the book that documents the methods by which the NSA/GCHQ have been found to be spying on their citizens but thats by the by.
I bought it as something to remind me, should i forget sometime in the future, of the nature of US geopolitical bullying, skullduggery & subterfuge. It makes a nice follow on from Hitchen's "the trial of henry Kissenger" in doing so.
It will remind you of the history that leads up to the current Ukraine proxy war as well as Anglosphere states support for various dictators around the globe.
I would have liked to see a section in the book that documents the methods by which the NSA/GCHQ have been found to be spying on their citizens but thats by the by.
I bought it as something to remind me, should i forget sometime in the future, of the nature of US geopolitical bullying, skullduggery & subterfuge. It makes a nice follow on from Hitchen's "the trial of henry Kissenger" in doing so.
March 14, 2023
This isn't my typical read. But this book had many great facts to it. And the way the authors had many great sources that were cited made there points better. As a person who didn't now Mitch about the WikiLeaks it made it a bit harder to understand the book.
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