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?

Burbach and Tarbell argue that George W. Bush has fundamentally changed America's place in the world—for the worse. Hijacked by neoconservatives and the petro-military complex, the nation that once broke from an empire is swiftly becoming an empire itself. Fed by wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; a never-ending fear of terrorism; mushrooming defense expenditures; and the slow but steady erosion of civil liberties on the home front, is this empire in danger of becoming too large to survive? What are the costs—in lives at home and abroad—of failure? Who is driving these policies? And—most important of all—can Americans change direction and restore America's reputation in the world as the shining city on the hill?

"This book explains how the neo-cons, the Christian right and the petro-military complex have hijacked US foreign policy. It asks some very important questions. What is the price Americans will have to pay for this new era of endless projections of American military might - a price measured in terms of a never ending fear of terrorism; mushrooming spending on security, defence, and overseas military adventures; the erosion of civil liberties inside the United States; and most importantly the deaths abroad of tens of thousands of innocent civilian and military combatants on both sides?"--BOOK JACKET. 1. Bush and the Costs of the New American Imperium -- 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 Doctrine of Pre-emptive War and the Iraqi Debacle -- 8. Imperial Overstretch: An American Exit? -- Bibliography -- Index Presenting insights into the neo-conservative personalities surrounding George W. Bush, this work is a disturbing analysis of the prospects for the US presidency and its global ambitions