Globalistan: How the Globalized World is Dissolving Into Liquid War

by Pepe Escobar

Globalistan weaves three parallel and intersecting themes: globalization, energy wars and the Long War. It shows how globalization is not proceeding according to the myth of "everyone profits": instead, it is fragmenting the world into even more explosive inequality, into "stans" - some stans configured as fortresses, some stans at war with others. Globalistan argues that the world is being dissolved into Liquid War - a natural consequence of "liquid modernity" , a concept formulated by Polish sociologist Zygmunt Bauman. The book is 80% based on reportage - from China to Central Asia and Russia; before, during and after the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; in Iran and in the Middle East; in Western Europe, Western Africa and South America. It is also an Atlas - with maps - of the world in conflict.

Genres: Politics, History, 21st Century

366 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Luís Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

For someone who regularly follows Pepe's Escobar work, I would like to see him creating a new REVISED edition of this book.
In the name of credibility, certain absurdities, misinterpretations and even blatant lies he told in the chapter like Russia, China, Europe, or Sudan should be edited.
Escobar often positions himself as a stubborn critic of Collective West's imperialism. Unfortunately, in this dated book, he analyzed Russia, China, and Europe with the language, biases, viewpoints, beliefs, and prejudices of the typical Western imperialists he usually proposes to refute. It simply doesn't make sense.


(read in Beijing, China)

[Noah Skocilich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes what you would learn from reading Shock Doctrine for granted and takes the reader on a detailed global tour of the world today (well, as of 2006) to see how the patterns that Shock Doctrine makes clear are actually manifest in the world.

I feel greatly served in my understanding of global economics and politics by having read this book.

[Manila Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insights into the real and ugly world of war, tyranny and global supremacy - the kind of stuff no school or university is permitted to teach you.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Escobar contextualizes the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in terms of oil, terrorism, and shifting geopolitical balances, envisioning a future of which the two current wars of U.S. engagement multiply into dozens of conflicts.

[John Nettleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little dated (2006), but a thorough overview of the worldwide political, economic situation as of that time.