Empires Fall

This is a topic I'd love to read more about, so it worked out great that Ben had the book from his old college days (which I'm beginning to think USU must have been a little liberal leaning . . . trying to balance out the "Utah" part perhaps?).

I've always known I didn't like US involvement in the Mid-East, even before I realized how much Western and Muslim cultures clash (just by sheer living standards, religion aside).  Reading this is like having someone intellectually explaining why I had a bad gut feeling about the Wars.  Since it has been so long since I read the book, I think I'll just copy my goodreads review and let that suffice.

"It wasn't so much an "ah-ha!" book as a "well of course, I just didn't think of it that way till you said it" book. 

Does America really want democracy in Iraq? No. That would mean a stronger relationship with Iran, kicking US bases out, and favoring Palestine independence. Those three things are the opposite of our goal in Iraq/the entire Middle East.

As history constantly tells us . . . America really only wants democracy in foreign lands if the people are willing to vote in a way that is most beneficial to us. And not even our closest allies are willing to do that! So why do we think someone on the long list of our enemies ever will? Oh, cause we live on their soil, occupy their land, and keep repeating broken promises.

Sounds like a pretty well run Empire to me."


-- 3 stars -- decent, but I'd like to find something else like it . . . but better.