"Blowback"

Paper Summary:

This paper shows how, in his book, "Blowback", Chalmers Johnson uses the term to attempt to show that the evil nature of American foreign policy has consistently resulted in unwelcome consequences. The paper shows the relevance of Johnson's book to the events of September 11th, even though it was written a year before the tragedy.

From the Paper:

"In writing about the attacks on the World Trade Center, Johnson says, "one man's terrorist is, of course, another man's freedom fighter, and what US officials denounce as unprovoked terrorist attacks on its innocent citizens are often meant as retaliation for previous American imperial actions." He attempts to justify the actions of the terrorists on 9-11 by saying that they were responding in the only way that they could against overwhelming US military superiority. "The United States deploys such overwhelming military force globally that for its militarized opponents only an "asymmetric strategy," in the jargon of the Pentagon, has any chance of success." He points out that the attacks were not against America, but against American foreign policy, a distinction that the victims of 9-11 are unlikely to see."

More papers on "Blowback":

• Analytical Essay # 4368 : "Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire"
• Book Review # 92090 : "Blowback"
• Analytical Essay # 22772 : "Blowback"

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