The Illusion Of Control: Force And Foreign Policy In The Twenty-first Century
by Seyom Brown /
2003 / English / PDF
5.4 MB Download
This provocative book assesses the implications of a disturbing
trend in U.S. security policy: an increased willingness to use
military force as an instrument of diplomacy. In The Illusion of
Control, Seyom Brown shows how U.S. officials are relying on force
to counter a wide range of threats to America's global interests
--eclipsing previous strategies that restricted the use of military
force to situations in which the country's vital interests were at
stake. Brown points out that a disposition to employ military power
broadly as an instrument of diplomacy was on the rise well before
September 11, 2001 -- and it shows every sign of persisting into
the future. While resorting to force may seem to be a reliable way
to establish control over a disorderly world, Brown cautions that
expecting to gain and maintain control through military prowess
could turn out to be a dangerous illusion. In fact, employing new
military technologies in an effort to control international
terrorist activities, wars, and civil conflicts is likely to pull
the United States into excessive commitments and imprudent action.
Brown analyzes the growing willingness of U.S. government officials
to use force, then critically assesses the strategic, political,
and moral implications for the United States. Adapting traditional
"just war" concepts to contemporary strategic, political, and
technological realities, he offers a set of guidelines to help
ensure that use-of-force decisions are approached with the
judicious care and gravity they warrant.
This provocative book assesses the implications of a disturbing
trend in U.S. security policy: an increased willingness to use
military force as an instrument of diplomacy. In The Illusion of
Control, Seyom Brown shows how U.S. officials are relying on force
to counter a wide range of threats to America's global interests
--eclipsing previous strategies that restricted the use of military
force to situations in which the country's vital interests were at
stake. Brown points out that a disposition to employ military power
broadly as an instrument of diplomacy was on the rise well before
September 11, 2001 -- and it shows every sign of persisting into
the future. While resorting to force may seem to be a reliable way
to establish control over a disorderly world, Brown cautions that
expecting to gain and maintain control through military prowess
could turn out to be a dangerous illusion. In fact, employing new
military technologies in an effort to control international
terrorist activities, wars, and civil conflicts is likely to pull
the United States into excessive commitments and imprudent action.
Brown analyzes the growing willingness of U.S. government officials
to use force, then critically assesses the strategic, political,
and moral implications for the United States. Adapting traditional
"just war" concepts to contemporary strategic, political, and
technological realities, he offers a set of guidelines to help
ensure that use-of-force decisions are approached with the
judicious care and gravity they warrant.