by Chalmers Johnson
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Product Description
The term 'blowback,' invented by the CIA, refers to the unintended results of American actions abroad. In this incisive and controversial book, Chalmers Johnson lays out in vivid detail the dangers faced by our overextended empire, which insists on projecting its military power to every corner of the earth and using American capital and markets to force global economic integration on its own terms. From a case of rape by U.S. servicemen in Okinawa to our role in Asia's financial crisis, from our early support for Saddam Hussein to our conduct in the Balkans, Johnson reveals the ways in which our misguided policies are planting the seeds of future disaster. In a new edition that addresses recent international events from September 11 to the war in Iraq, this now classic book remains as prescient and powerful as ever.
Amazon.com Review
If the 20th century was the American century, the 21st century may be a time of reckoning for the United States. Chalmers Johnson, an authority on Japan and its economy, offers a troubling prognosis of what's to come. Blowback--the title refers to a CIA neologism describing the unintended consequences of American activity--is a call for the United States to rethink its position in the world. "The evidence is building up that in the decade following the end of the Cold War, the United States largely abandoned a reliance on diplomacy, economic aid, international law, and multilateral institutions in carrying out its foreign policies and resorted much of the time to bluster, military force, and financial manipulation," writes Johnson. "The world is not a safer place as a result." Individual chapters focus on Okinawa (where American servicemen were accused of raping a 12-year-old girl in "Asia's last colony"), the two Koreas, China, and Japan. The result is a liberal-leaning (and Asia-centric) call for the United States to disengage from many of its global commitments. Critics will call Johnson an isolationist, but friends (perhaps admirers of Patrick Buchanan's A Republic, Not an Empire) will say he simply speaks good sense. All will agree he is an earnest voice: "I believe our very hubris ensures our undoing." --John J. Miller
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Average Customer Review:
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Informative, Important, Imperfect, 2009-01-01
I must admit that I nearly set down this book of Chalmers Johnson on reading the prologue. There, Johnson offers praise for committed communist and "old China hand" John Stewart Service. Having previously read M. Stanton Evan's very important "Blacklisted by History", I was familiar enough with Service to know that anyone praising him would have an extraordinary bias in favor of Marxism and communist China. And while this bias does seep through in Johnson's work, it does not entirely diminish it. Finally, I am glad that I continued to read the book. And I feel that I profited from doing do.
Johnson essentially argues that America has created an imperial system that will ultimately unravel of its own weight. In fact, his last two chapters, written, I believe, in the late 1990's are extraordinarily prophetic in this regard. Johnson basically avers that the American empire may finally be brought down through its own inherent economic contradictions. From the perspective of the ending years of the first decade of the 2000's, this judgment is really to be applauded.
Readers ought to be aware that this book deals almost exclusively with American imperial operations in East Asia. There is particular emphasis on Japan and China. In addition, there is much important information revealed relative to Korea, Indonesia, and Taiwan. Here, Johnson's insights are excellent, and extremely valuable. But, even noticing this, we must also point out that many of Johnson's judgments in regard to Japan and China are clearly influenced by the above mentioned association with such as Service, and are really inaccurate. In particular, I can report that, like Johnson, I served as a US Navy officer in Cold War Yokosuka, Japan. From having so served, I can also report that Johnson's description of Yokosuka is very misleading in certain aspects. There was no "brothel exclusively for Navy officers", as Johnson reports, of which I was aware. And, as Police Operations at the Fleet Activity in Yokosuka, I would very likely have been aware of one if it indeed existed. Now, it may be that one did exist in the fifties when Johnson served in Yokusuka. But it almost certainly did not in the seventies.
The writing is generally very good. And the points made are important. Some of the insights could rightly even be styled as extraordinary. However, we can't help but to observe that the overall quality of the book is deeply marred by the evident prejudices of the author, alluded to above. In general, we recommend this book, but with a "grain of salt".
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Amazing and informative, 2008-11-28
I have not finished this book, but after reading the first 20 pages, I learned about the wars and other raids that the United States military were involved in.
For me, I've always questioned the use of our military and our negative look at other countries. This book explains a great deal about the gray areas we don't know about.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
The Best of Johnson's Trilogy!, 2008-09-27
In the Introduction to the book Mr. Johnson tells the reader the circumstances of when the term "Blowback" first appeared in a government document related to covert C.I.A. actions of 1953.
The author shares his critical view of the American empire and uses the U.S. military bases in Japan and Okinawa as examples.
He also examines the joint exercises that various U.S. military organizations perform with some nations known for brutal human rights violations.
On accountability he made this observation, "The Pentagon's most recent route around accountability is 'privatization' of it's training activities."
Another aspect of American imperialism is the actions of the International Monetary Fund that often leads to political instability.
On financing he discusses the enormous sums of money in the U.S defense budget to maintain access to Persian Gulf oil and why that's a priority.
"The American Empire has become skilled at developing self-fulfilling and self-serving prophecies in order to justify it's policies." -page 92.
No truer words have been written about the subject.
He offers up an accurate assessment of free trade, particularly with China. "The second aspect of human rights in China we must recognize is to ensure that poor working conditions and prison labor in China (and elsewhere) do not end up destroying the livelihood of American workers."
Chalmers Johnson clarified the financial as well as the military aspect of the American empire citing the positions of Adam Smith and John Hobson.
"Smith and Hobson both believed that finance capitalism produced the pathologies of the global economy they called mercantilism and imperialism."
He observes that capitalists are seldom happy with being capitalists and would prefer being monopolists, inside traders, or usurers.
After reading all three of Chalmers Johnson's trilogy books, I regard "Blowback, Second Edition" as the best.
If you want to understand how the American empire works and why blowback happens, this book is a "must read".
It covers the many aspects of American imperialism and in an easily understood fashion. Destined to be a foreign policy classic, if it isn't already!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
American Empire Triology, 2008-09-06
Chalmers Johnson in "Blowback" presciently and eerily predicts 9/11 or a similar event. Published in 2000 the analysis should be required reading for all interested in foreign policy and how the "American Empire" is perceived by those subject to it. An outstanding contribution to the literature.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Fascinating, 2008-06-15
Nutshell review - A fascinating look at the build up and consequence of American military power and presence across the globe. Interesting, well written, and very worth reading whether one agrees with the conclusions or not.
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