War and the American PresidencyW. W. Norton & Company, 2004 - 160 pages The gravest decision in a democracy is the one to go to war. Describing unilateralism as the oldest doctrine in American history, Schlesinger nevertheless warns of the dangers posed by the fatal turn in US policy from deterrence and containment to preventive war. He writes powerfully about George W. Bush's expansion of presidential power and the revived Imperial Presidency (a phrase Schlesinger invented). He reminds Americans of their distinguished legacy of patriotism through dissent in wartime, calling on them to honour that tradition even in the face of their need for security. He reminds us of the inscrutability of history. |
Contents
UNILATERALISM The Oldest Doctrine in American Foreign Policy | 3 |
EYELESS IN IRAQ The Bush Doctrine and Its Consequences | 21 |
THE IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY REDUX | 45 |
PATRIOTISM AND DISSENT IN WARTIME | 69 |
HOW TO DEMOCRATIZE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY | 83 |
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Adams administration al-Qaeda amendment American history AMERICAN PRESIDENCY Ashcroft Asian attack attorney authority Bryce Bush Doctrine Bush's candidate Cheney Civil Cold War Congress congressional constitutional crisis debate decision democracy democratic direct elections dissent doubt electoral college electoral votes executive Federalist flag foreign policy Franklin D future George George H. W. Bush Guantánamo Bay historian imperial presidency intelligence internationalist Iraq Iraq War isolationism isolationist Jackson John John Quincy Adams Kennedy League Lincoln majority Marxist military Mossad Munich national security Nixon nuclear Osama bin Laden parties peace percent political polls popular vote popular-vote winner prediction President Bush presidential power preventive problem republic Republican Revolution role Roosevelt Rumsfeld Saddam Hussein Schlesinger Second World Second World War Secretary Sedition Acts Senate terrorists things threat tion Truman twentieth century unilateralism United Nations Vietnam voters weapons of mass White House WMDs Wolfowitz Woodrow Wilson wrote