Imperial Overstretch George W. Bush and the Hubris of Empire

George W. Bush has fundamentally changed America's place in the world. In some neo-conservative circles the word 'empire' is back in fashion, and a great republic that broke away from the British empire is now supposed to be proud of its new imperial role. This book explains how the neo-conservatives and the petro-military complex have hijacked US foreign policy. It examines the price that Americans will have to pay for this new era of unlimited US military might - a never ending fear of terrorism; mushrooming defence and security spending; the erosion of civil liberties at home and the deaths abroad of tens of thousands of civilians and military combatants. At the heart of this disturbing and timely book is the ultimate question. Previous empires have foundered on the rock of imperial overstretch - the costs of trying to run and protect empires eventually outstripping the capacity and willingness of the citizenry to pay for them. Is the US in danger of going down that road? Who around George 'Dubya' Bush is pushing him along that path?

'Imperial Overstretch is a sweeping view of the history of US empire, the economic and military underpinnings of this empire, and the rise of the petro-military complex under the Bush administration. It is essential reading for those wishing to understand the rise of the neo-cons, the political birthing of George Bush and the imperial hijacking of September 11. But most of all, Imperial Overstretch is an urgent call to the American public to join the global movement against corporate and military domination, to jointly slay the imperial beast that is a menace to us at home and abroad.' - Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Global Exchange and the women's peace group CodePink
Contents
Prologue: The Toll of Empire
1. George W. Bush and the Reality of Empire
2. Empire as the American Way of Life
3. The 'American Century'
4. The Rise of the Bush People
5. The Making of George Bush
6. The Politics of Fear: Bush Hijacks September 11
7. The Drums of Pre-emptive War
8. Iraq and the Imperial Dead Enders
9. Interregnum: Empire in Descent Confronts World in Upheaval