Bush in Babylon the recolonisation of Iraq

by Tariq Ali

Paper Book, 2003

Description

The invasion and occupation of Iraq by the United States and Britain - with retrospective sanction of this recolonisation by the United Nations - marks a turning point in world history and a renewal of the two-hundred-year war waged by the North against the South. Whatever the final outcome of this, the assault and capture of Iraq by the American Empire and its English adjutant will shape the politics of the twenty-first century. imperialist occupation as the only viable solution to bring about regime-change in corrupt and dictatorial states. The American Empire, like all its predecessors, acts primarily out of self interest. It is the political, economic and strategic needs of the United States that determine its foreign policy. old and new. Imperial interventions in the past created a layer of collaborators who could only be removed via a revolution; but the tragedy of Iraq is also self-inflicted, as the radical colonels, courageous communists and burnt-out Ba'athists failed to establish a stable and just democratic republic, thus enabling a return visit by imperialism. presents a cultural history and a heart-felt homage to the great poets of Iraq and the Arab world whose influence remained strong throughout their long periods of exile, and who are united in poetic resistance to the latest catastrophe.… (more)

Status

Available

Call number

956.70443

Publication

London Verso 2003

Media reviews

[Tariq Ali] cannot get beyond his initial insight that US motives were imperialist, and that Iraq is now an occupied country. From this, it appears to him to follow that all those collaborating with the occupation authority or participating in the governing council are “jackals” and
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“Vichyites” against whom we should support the distasteful crew of Saddamites and fundamentalists who appear to make up the “resistance”.
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While Ali’s book will tell you a lot about obscure factional manoeuverings among Communist and Ba’athist party leaders 40 years ago, there is literally no more than the above about the attitudes of the Iraqi people today. Those interested in helping the Iraqi people build an alternative to American imperialism, Ba’athist totalitarianism and religious fundamentalism will have to look elsewhere.
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User reviews

LibraryThing member Hiensch
Don't know whether I should laugh or cry. Even though I agree that the 2003 war and invasion into Iraq were a misguided policy and maybe morally wrong, this is an ridiculous book. I had not expected that after 1968 or 1989 people still would write such a book. I missed a quote of the
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Marx-Lenin-werke published in East Berlin, DDR!
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Language

Original publication date

2003

ISBN

1859845835 / 9781859845837
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