Stanley Hoffmann is Paul and Catherine Buttenwieser University Professor at Harvard. He also wrote Chaos and Violence. »

America Goes Backward

By Stanley Hoffmann

"Wrong assumptions, immoderate and confused ends, served by a mixture of counterproductive, inadequate, mismanaged, and, at times, scandalous means": Stanley Hoffmann's verdict on the US invasion of Iraq carries an uneasy echo of his view of the US failure in Vietnam.

Though it is not Vietnam, for Hoffmann the Iraq war is still a sign that America has gone in the wrong direction. In this book, he describes the many ways in which the Bush administration, particularly in its unilateralist determination to make war on Saddam Hussein, has undertaken a "wrecking operation" on post–World War II schemes of international cooperation, and he suggests a process by which democracies might reach agreement on when to collectively intervene in aid of nations suffering under oppressive regimes. Hoffmann goes on to analyze how the US risks being trapped in Iraq, and offers his ideas on the most effective strategies for both withdrawing US forces and helping the country achieve democracy and stability under multilateral supervision.

"Too often," he finds, "this administration has given, to many Americans and even more to foreigners, the impression that it is drunk with power...." If we are to combat terrorism effectively, we should strive not for an arrogant American empire but for "a return to reality, to good sense, and to morality."

Also see:

Fixed Ideas: America Since 9.11 By Joan Didion Preface by Frank Rich Joan Didion describes how, since September 11, 2001, there has been a determined effort by the administration to promote an imperial America—a "New Unilateralism"—and how, in many parts of America, there is now a "disconnect" between the government and citizens.

Fear and Loathing in George W. Bush's Washington By Elizabeth Drew Preface by Russell Baker Russell Baker in his preface writes: "In Washington an age of moral and philosophical sterility is deeply entrenched, and as Elizabeth Drew's reporting attests, the result is not pretty. "

Now They Tell Us By Michael Massing Preface by Orville Schell Michael Massing describes the American press coverage of the war in Iraq as "the unseen war," an ironic reference given the number of reporters in Iraq and in Doha, Qatar, the location of the Coalition Media Center with its $250,000 stage set.

Glory and Terror By Steven Weinberg Preface by Anthony Lewis Steven Weinberg, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist, writes that America today "has an unprecedented opportunity to begin to escape from the risk of nuclear annihilation." But, he warns, President Bush is not only letting this opportunity slip away, he is, in some respects, moving in the wrong direction.

The Secret Way To War By Mark Danner Preface by Frank Rich An award-winning investigative journalist evaluates the controversial American and British stratagem for the Iraq war.

Welcome to Doomsday By Bill Moyers Preface by Bill McKibben Welcome to Doomsday is an investigation into the coupling of ideology and theology, in particular the intrusion of religion into political life, in America today.

Bush's Fringe Government By Garry Wills Preface by James Carroll One of America's foremost historians looks at the state of American democracy and the influence of the Catholic Church.

Sign up for our free email newsletters for updates and special offers on NYRB books.