The book Dying by the Sword: The Militarization of US Foreign Policy by Monica Duffy Toft and Sidita Kushi is a historical account of the American military interventions abroad from 1776 till today. Notably, the book highlights that since the end of the Cold War and especially post-9/11, the US military interventions abroad have increased. Unlike the past when use of force was considered as the last resort, the US pursues a security policy known as ‘whack-a-mole’ which is more reactionary than deliberate, lacking clear strategic goals (p. 5).
The book comprises seven chapters and is a prominent reading on understanding the American imperialism. In the initial two chapters, the authors discuss different era of American expansionism providing a captivating journey of diplomatic events leading to a shift in American foreign policy. The authors argue that America’s early expansionism was driven by the powerful ideology of “Manifest Destiny” as well as domestic interests in maintaining the corrosive institution of slavery (p. 37). In 19th century, the US devoted much of its military power to waging war against American Indians and expanding itself westward through military interventionism (p. 43). The US also exercised its power beyond the continent during the early period of expansionism with its involvement in Haitian Revolution and the Barbary Wars (p. 49). Läs presentationen