Friday, September 10, 2010

The New American Exceptionalism by Donald Pease

This book examines the state fantasies that have been present in the United States since the close of the Cold War. How do we understand our role in the larger world? How have various presidents constructed their political policies in order to repress or highlight certain aspects of history. Pease's account is sophisticated and nimble and combines cultural phenomena (like the resurgence of The Patriot and talk radio callers) with historical events to create convincing arguments. I'm not in full agreement with all of his contentions, but it's a helpful and thoughtful account of the past forty years.

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