Between War and Peace : Lessons from Afghanistan to Iraq

Rating:
Summary: True Colours
Review: This is a fine example of a respected intellectual lining up in defense of a difficult-to-justify war and coming out quite convincing.

Of course, to come out quite convincing, Hanson has to resort to some classic and tired old tricks like attacking the protesters of the (then-upcoming Gulf War II), questioning the patriotism of people who dare to question authority, questioning Europe (they can't possibly understand us, he writes, even though we basically came from them), and other howlers.

There are some points here, and some moments where Hanson shows that he may be approaching sense. This is an educated, intelligent man. He has notable insights into immigration, and multi-cultural societies, with California (or Mexifornia) as an example of multi-cultural change. He's very well rounded, and he's not an outright conservative pundit or intellectual.

But too often, I found him repeating what I hear on cable TV, the same old lines, the same old tired arguments about the war on terror. He loves the anti-American argument. He thinks people 'don't get it', when they complain about the USA but meanwhile want to act and be like Americans. There are some points to be made here, but too often I found Hanson comfortably settling into the easy chair to wax on about American greatness and international cluelessness.

I like how he throws out lines like "Second, the Europeans also don't have a clue about America's world role--past, present, or future." Huh? I take this to mean that they a) actually don't know any history, or b) don't 'get' our role in history from the American point of view, meaning unconditional support for the world's superpower. It's funny, of course, considering we as a culture filtered down from Europe.
He settles into a veiled 'love it or leave it' attitude, with the classic, 'why do so many people flock to America?' I don't think they flock here because they don't like our policy in Iraq, I think they value the freedoms and opportunity available here. Hanson is either clueless, as is a President who can ask with a straight face, 'why do they hate us?' or he simply knows the answer but...

It's funny, and sad, really, that Hanson, and millions of others still don't seem to 'get it'--namely, that there may actually be a separation between the people, the culture, and values of a country (America) and then the actions of the government abroad and at home. I guess you can never get enough mileage out of pointing at people and saying 'anti-American'.

By the time you finish the book, if you can, you might wonder whether Hanson himself believes what he's writing, or if he's an outright cynic. I guess it doesn't really matter in the end, since if he's a good enough writer, then the effect will be the same. You may agree with much of what he writes, but on the war on terror, on Bush's pipe dream of bringing democracy to the Middle East, well, he's either buying it (with a wink and nudge), or he's honestly hopeful.

Rating:
Summary: Read It and Think
Review: To the naysayers of the work of VDH: why don't you actually debate his points instead of childish name-calling? Is it because you can't?

Rating:
Summary: Why purchase this book?
Review: Unless you would like previously published commentaries organized thematically in print format or would like to supplement Victor Davis Hanson's income, there is no pressing reason to purchase this book.

Of the 39 articles that comprise the work, 35 are from the National Review Online and can be read for free in their archives. You could even look at the Table of Contents provided by Amazon.com and then do a search for the related articles in National Review's archives.

Because the book is divided into fairly brief commentaries, there is also quite a bit of repetition. The Kuwaiti's expulsion of Palestinians is mentioned in three articles, East Coast intellectuals' fear of what Europe thinks of them is in several articles, and strangely enough, Martina Navratilova appears in two.

Whether you agree with Hanson or not (he takes issue with Noam Chomsky, NPR, Europesns, East Coast intellectuals, and the New York Review of Books among others), why pay for what is available directly from the source?