The Revenge of History : The Battle for the 21st Century

From 9/11 to the Arab uprisings and beyond—encompassing the economic crisis, war on terror, rise of China and tide of change in Latin America—__The Revenge of History__ turns the orthodoxies of the past generation on their head. In this coruscating account of the first decade of the twenty-first century, Seumas Milne presents a powerful indictment of a US global and corporate empire in—and its British and European camp followers. Milne traces the breakdown of a failed ‘free market’ system, exposes the power and resource grab driving western military interventions, explains the dynamo behind a roaring Chinese economy and highlights the social alternatives being developed in Latin America. Brilliant, bold and always incisive, The Revenge of History is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand what has gone wrong—and grasp the possibilities of an emerging future. From The Outset, Seumas Milne's Guardian Essays On The West's War On Terror Provoked Angry Denunciations On Both Sides Of The Atlantic. A Decade On, Milne Addresses Bank Bailouts And Arab Uprisings, Confronting The Advocates Of Violent Capitalism And Chronicling The Breakdown Of The New World Order. From The Outset, Seumas Milne's Guardian Essays On The West's War On Terror Provoked Angry Denunciations On Both Sides Of The Atlantic. A Decade On, The Advocates Of Violent Capitalism Have Been Silenced. From Class To Religion, Blair To Obama, Palestine To Pakistan, Bank Bailouts To The Arab Uprisings, The Rise Of China To The Wave Of Change In Latin America, Milne Powerfully Exposes The Breakdown Of The New World Order - And Draws Out The Prospects For The Emerging Politics Of The Future. Introduction ---- 1. Last Days Of The New World Order: The Rise Of Liberal Interventionism (1999-2002) --- 2. A Dragons' Teeth Harvest: Wars On Terror And Tyranny (2001-02) --- 3. Onslaught Of Empire: Aggression, Occupation And Delusion (2002-08) --- 4. In Thrall To Corporate Power: The High Tide Of Neoliberal Politics (1993-2008) --- 5. Resistance And Reaction: The Refusal To Be Subjugated (2004-08) --- 6. Capital Meltdown: The Crisis Of The Neoliberal Order (2007-09) --- 7. End Of The Unipolar World: The Limits Of Imperial Power (2008-10) --- 8. A Tide Of Social Change: Latin America, China And Twenty-first-century Socialism (2003-12) --- 9. Lords Of Misrule: Elites Unmasked And Discredited (2009-12) --- 10. Uprising And Hijacking: Arab Revolt And The Crisis Backlash (2011-12). Seumas Milne. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. In 2001, Tony Blair declared that those who opposed the war on terror had been "proved wrong"--Along with critics of unfettered corporate power and free market capitalism. Ten years later, the critics had been comprehensively vindicated and the champions of the New World Order proved catastrophically wrong. The evidence on hand includes the disastrous occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq and the failure of an economic model that has brought the Western World to its knees. The Revenge of History is a powerful corrective to the discredited dominant account of the first decade of the twenty-first century. As Seumas Milne shows in a panoramic narrative that reaches from 9/11 to beyond the Arab uprisings, crisis and war have turned the orthodoxies of a generation on their head. The neoliberal market, hailed as the only economic option, crashed with devastating consequences; calamitous western military interventions demonstrated the limits of US global power; the rise of China challenged both; while Latin America has embraced social and economic alternatives that were said no longer to exist. In a culture dominated by eager apologists of power, Milne has consistently written against the grain. This book offers a compelling perspective on the convulsions that brought us to the crises of the early 2010s and the shape of the emerging politics of the future--and an indictment of a global and corporate empire in decline.--Adapted from jacket flap From 9/11 to the Arab uprisings and beyond—encompassing the economic crisis, war on terror, rise of China and tide of change in Latin America— The Revenge of History turns the orthodoxies of the past generation on their head. In this coruscating account of the first decade of the twenty-first century, Seumas Milne presents a powerful indictment of a US global and corporate empire in—and its British and European camp followers. Milne traces the breakdown of a failed ‘free market’ system, exposes the power and resource grab driving western military interventions, explains the dynamo behind a roaring Chinese economy and highlights the social alternatives being developed in Latin America. Brilliant, bold and always incisive, The Revenge of History is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand what has gone wrong—and grasp the possibilities of an emerging future.