Tom Farer – Confronting Global Terrorism and American Neo-Conservatism: The Framework of a Liberal Grand Strategy

Abstract

This book brings together and subjects to critical scrutiny the core controversies connected to the so-called ‘War on Terror’: When is it legitimate and prudent to use force? Is torture ever justified? Do we need to suspend human rights in order to fight terrorism? Is multi-culturalism the answer to communal conflict? Is Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians illegal and immoral, an accelerator of terrorism, or legitimately defensive and largely irrelevant to the terrorism problem? Are terrorists responding to concrete U.S. policies or do they simply hate and wish to destroy Western societies? Liberal intellectuals and political leaders have been slow to articulate a grand strategy informed by liberal values for confronting these issues surrounding global terrorism. This book outlines the framework of a liberal strategy providing ideas and actions. It also gives clear and concise definitions of key terms in current foreign policy discussions, including liberalism, human rights, neo-conservatism, multilateralism and terrorism. This book exposes the costs of the neo-conservative alternative that has driven US foreign policy since 9/11.

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