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America's Inadvertent Empire
A thought-provoking and timely analysis of American power, with unexpected conclusions about the most serious threat we face in coming decades
The United States finds itself at the center of a historically unparalleled empire, one that is wealth-generating and voluntary rather than imperialistic, say the authors of this compelling book. William E. Odom and Robert Dujarric examine America’s unprecedented power within the international arenas of politics, economics, demographics, education, science, and culture. They argue persuasively that the major threat to this unique empire is ineffective U.S. leadership, not a rising rival power center.
America cannot simply behave as an ordinary sovereign state, Odom and Dujarric contend. They describe the responsibilities that accompany staggering power advantages and explain that resorting to unilateralism makes sense only when it becomes necessary to overcome paralysis in multilateral organizations. The authors also offer insights into the importance of liberal international institutions as a source of power, why international cooperation pays, and why spreading democracy often inhibits the spread of constitutional order. If the United States uses its own power constructively, the authors conclude, the American empire will flourish for a long time.
The United States finds itself at the center of a historically unparalleled empire, one that is wealth-generating and voluntary rather than imperialistic, say the authors of this compelling book. William E. Odom and Robert Dujarric examine America’s unprecedented power within the international arenas of politics, economics, demographics, education, science, and culture. They argue persuasively that the major threat to this unique empire is ineffective U.S. leadership, not a rising rival power center.
America cannot simply behave as an ordinary sovereign state, Odom and Dujarric contend. They describe the responsibilities that accompany staggering power advantages and explain that resorting to unilateralism makes sense only when it becomes necessary to overcome paralysis in multilateral organizations. The authors also offer insights into the importance of liberal international institutions as a source of power, why international cooperation pays, and why spreading democracy often inhibits the spread of constitutional order. If the United States uses its own power constructively, the authors conclude, the American empire will flourish for a long time.
300 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
About the author
William E. Odom
15 books8 followersWilliam E. Odom was a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a professor (adjunct) at Yale University, and the author of The Collapse of the Soviet Military. General Odom’s former positions include director of the National Security Agency and assistant chief of staff for intelligence in the U.S. Army.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 1, 2021
America’s Inadvertent Empire provides a solid argument for a Liberal (in the European sense of the word) American-led order. General Odom presents a thorough, erudite analysis of the nature and origins of what he calls the “American empire.” The book includes copious notes and an extensive bibliography containing references to key publications about defense, economics and geopolitics.
Published in 2004, general Odom’s predictions have aged quite well, especially regarding the Second Iraqi War, which he virulently criticized.
His take on the developing world, and on China in particular, is quite gloomy. Although China has defied some of his predictions, it remains to be seen how well the Chinese will weather the dreaded middle-income gap.
Overall general Odom’s analysis provides a powerful framework for understanding the history and gauging future expectations for America and the world in the twenty-first century.
Published in 2004, general Odom’s predictions have aged quite well, especially regarding the Second Iraqi War, which he virulently criticized.
His take on the developing world, and on China in particular, is quite gloomy. Although China has defied some of his predictions, it remains to be seen how well the Chinese will weather the dreaded middle-income gap.
Overall general Odom’s analysis provides a powerful framework for understanding the history and gauging future expectations for America and the world in the twenty-first century.
October 22, 2024
Fairly succinct states the reasons that America has been able to construct and maintain hegemony by such an overwhelming margin. Authors conclusions largely parallel those in other works describing why the west as a whole has managed to build stable and wealthy societies for itself, and why the third world is essentially doomed to an impoverished status quo - examples include “why nations fail”
As a book that was written in the early 2000s, it’s possible to see that many of the authors predictions have broadly come to pass - since writing the American economy has doubled that of Europe, Russia has remained a dump, Japan has stagnated, and China appears to be entering a severe decline.
Importantly, this is fairly critical of America’s failings - the Iraq war, our sponsorship of more terrorism than anyone else, horrific high schools - and isn’t a propaganda fluff piece.
As a book that was written in the early 2000s, it’s possible to see that many of the authors predictions have broadly come to pass - since writing the American economy has doubled that of Europe, Russia has remained a dump, Japan has stagnated, and China appears to be entering a severe decline.
Importantly, this is fairly critical of America’s failings - the Iraq war, our sponsorship of more terrorism than anyone else, horrific high schools - and isn’t a propaganda fluff piece.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews