The philosopher of sea power : Alfred Thayer Mahan -- Kant's best hope : Woodrow Wilson -- Americans first : Charles Beard -- The syndicated oracle : Walter Lippmann -- The artist : George Kennan -- The scientist : Paul Nitze -- Metternich redux : Henry Kissinger -- The worldmaker : Paul Wolfowitz -- Barack Obama and the pragmatic renewal -- Conclusion.
Summary:
"Worldmaking follows a colorful cast of characters who built on each other's ideas to create the policies we have today. Woodrow Wilson's Universalism and moralism led Sigmund Freud to diagnose a messiah complex. Walter Lippmann was an internationally syndicated columnist who commanded the attention of leaders as diverse as Theodore Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and Charles de Gaulle. Paul Wolfowitz was the intellectual architect of the 2003 invasion of Iraq--an ardent admirer of Wilson's attempt to 'make the world safe for democracy.' Each was engaged in a process of worldmaking, formulating strategies that sought to deploy the nation's vast military and economic power--or indeed its retraction through a domestic reorientation--to 'make' a world in which America is best positioned to thrive. From the age of steam engines to the age of drones, Milne reveals patterns of aspirant worldmaking that have remained impervious to the passage of time. The result is a panoramic history of U.S. foreign policy driven by ideas and the lives and times of their creators"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.