Book description
In a probing look at the myths of American culture that led us into the Vietnam quagmire, Loren Baritz exposes our national illusions: the conviction of our moral supremacy, our assumption that Americans are more idealistic than other people, and our faith in a technology that supposedly makes us invincible.…
Why read it?
1 author picked Backfire as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
This book describes two enduring American conceits so brilliantly that I assigned this book in classes whenever I could. The first conceit is ‘enabling ignorance.’ Could there be a more apt description for how we undermined our own efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq? I love this term. His second concept I love is solipsism.
Baritz uses this to refer to our misplaced notion that inside every non-Westerner is an American just waiting to be liberated by us. I remember a very reserved Pakistani Air Force officer who laughed uncontrollably in class as soon as I suggested that if only we…
From Anna's list on The best books to understand why our foreign policy fails so frequently.
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