'Nemesis' The U.S. in Peril

[aeroplane]

This is an audio file of an National Public Radio interview with scholar Chalmers Johnson, author of 'Blow Back'. In his latest book 'Nemesis' he explains that America's current global military actions might one day soon lead to military dictatorship or the civilian equivalent.

Nemesis The U.S. in Peril
_________________
"Penalties against the possession of a drug
should not be more damaging to the individual
than the drug itself."

US President Jimmy Carter

[aeroplane]

This is an audio file of an National Public Radio interview with scholar Chalmers Johnson, author of 'Blow Back'. In his latest book 'Nemesis' he explains that America's current global military actions might one day soon lead to military dictatorship or the civilian equivalent.

Nemesis The U.S. in Peril
_________________
"Penalties against the possession of a drug
should not be more damaging to the individual
than the drug itself."

US President Jimmy Carter

[Nachtschattenreich]

I read into "Blowback" a couple of years ago because it had a theory about post-WWII West Germany that makes a lot of sense:

In the aftermath of the last world war, the American occupiers quickly shut down the Denazification programs and any Nazi renegade could make a career in the new government of Germany. George F. Kennan recommended to do so, as he believed Denazification would only benefit the Soviets.

In the second half of the 20th century, a new generation of Germans grew up and saw that the country was governed by Nazi renegades, and there was no way to change that until they died out, because the Americans provided security. They hated the old Nazis, and soon they came to hate the Americans behind them as well.

This is blowback. The same can be found up to the current day in countries like Egypt or Pakistan, where an illegitimate government is allied with America, and people who have their reasons to hate that government come to hate America as well. Where Johnson fails however is when it comes to a recipe how to safely disengage from that, since the problem is, once such a commitment as described above is being taken, there is no way out without consequences. The best thing that can be done is not repeating those mistakes.

When the Americans toppled Saddam, there were only a few politicians who took Debaathification seriously: No old war criminals must be employed, or the new government and its external allies will be hated by the most hopeful of the country. Most of the American foreign policy establishment wanted (and still wants) to continue the colonialist way: Let local thugs rule if only they promise loyalty. Debaathification still is the key to success in Iraq, but the Baker commission prefers blowback instead.