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BOOK REVIEW Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy by Noam Chomsky Metropolitan Books - April 2006
Reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty If I had been asked to review a book such as Noam Chomsky's Failed States eighteen months ago, or maybe even a year ago, my review would probably have been quite different from the one I write today. World events during the recent past -- and particularly the continuing war in Iraq -- have forced me to conduct a reassessment of much of my thinking about what's going on in the international arena. I can only claim that, before now, it seems that I was ignorant of some relevant facts or, very likely, I was deliberately fed misinformation by my own government regarding, for example, the justifications for knowingly and deliberately and, above all, preemptively attacking a sovereign country which had not attacked us first or even planned to do so. It seems to me now that any attempt to argue that the Iraq war was and is a defensive engagement is unwarranted. Chomsky's new book, of course, is far more that a treatise about the Iraq war. That specific conflict is merely one instance which pops up now and then while the author discusses the overall foreign policy of the United States and other nations. (To be exact, the word "policy" should be pluralized since I have seen no consistency in our foreign policy, which seems to fluctuate almost day to day depending on what our government defines as an important national "interest.") But, in general, I find it difficult to disagree with most of Professor Chomsky's criticism of American foreign policy, and in particular with our foreign policy vis-a-vis the Middle East. The concept of failed states which the author discusses -- and is indeed the title of his book -- is an interesting notion and is one which I cannot recall ever having heard about in the old days which I was a young student in political science. I was, of course, knowledgeable about governments which failed in one way or another, but I don't think any of us students at that time thought about it as a specific, definable "concept" with some sort of ontological existence all its own. So, what is a failed state? According to Chomsky, failed states are those "that do not protect their citizens from violence and perhaps even destruction, that regard themselves as beyond the reach of domestic or international law, and that suffer from a 'democratic deficit,' having democratic forms but with limited substance." Since I never argue with definitions per se (because I can either accept or reject any definition -- they are, after all, a matter of convention), I have no problem with what Chomsky provides as the criteria for his failed states, but I might question the utility of his definition in the light of modern international politics. What do I mean? Simply this: Using his criteria as I understand them, there is not a single government on this planet that I can conclusively identify as not being a failed state. If I understand Chomsky correctly (and I stand to be corrected!), he has far more faith in the institution of government that I do, especially in matters of domestic policy. Furthermore, I know of no government (or "State") on the face of the earth which places an international interest above its own national interest. The United States government, both in its domestic activities as well as its foreign policies, is justifiably criticized by Chomsky and, for the most part, I don't generally disagree with most of his points. But, I submit, the United States has no international monopoly regarding the failure of either its domestic or foreign policies. The subtitle of Chomsky's book is "The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy." I think that subtitle sums up the problem, not only with the government of the United States, but with virtually every other government in the world. The history of the twentieth century has certainly shown us that the greatest enemy of the people is the "State," specifically central or national governments which accumulate an excess of power which they then use to intimidate and persecute their own citizens and use against any foreign nation who, in their view, endangers their security or interests. I will agree with the author that the United States is guilty of many violations here, but I feel compelled to point out that it is not alone in the world when it comes to harming one's own citizens or taking aggressive action toward a foreign country. Again, the "State" and the ever-increasing growth of government power seems to be the major factor in play here. During the past hundred years especially, it is the "State" which has been responsible for more human deaths than any other institution. Dr. Rudy Rummel, an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Hawaii, has researched this phenomenon in detail. He states that "democide" (his term for "death by government") accounted for over 262,000,000 civilian and military deaths during the century past. Moreover, he is constantly modifying this figure -- unfortunately, it keeps going up -- as he continues his research. I do recommend this book to all readers who are concerned about the state of the world today. If we want to prevent more debacles such as America's unwarranted invasion of Iraq, if we are serious about defeating the forces of international terrorism, if we are genuinely committed to building a world where peace and justice are realities for all human beings, then, I think, Chomsky provides much food for thought. One might argue with the author's interpretation of the facts, but it will be difficult to argue with the facts themselves. His book is meticulously and comprehensively documented and his critique of America's current foreign policies and domestic shortcomings needs to be read and meditated upon. The United States may currently be the "big man" on the international campus, but we ought not be the "big bully" in the international school yard. 
Order at Amazon.com Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy, by Noam Chomsky Order at Powell's Books Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy, by Noam Chomsky |
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