Empire or Republic?

"As the Empire expands and the Republic declines." This is the central argument of a revealing new book on America as a global power in the post-Cold War era. "Empire or Republic?" makes the necessary, but much overlooked, link between our nation's international policies and the domestic situation. The authors contend that the Reagan, Bush and Clinton administrations have all focused on global leadership to the detrminent of pressing social, economic and political problems at home. The continuing large-scale diversion of financial and human resources to promote US overseas interests will further undermine the possibilities for revitalizing the national economy.
In this compelling study, Petras and Morley offer a powerful critique of both Republican and Democratic policies over the past decade or more. Their analysis of the first year of the Clinton presidency indicates no sharp break with the past. Clinton gives priority to overseas goals while generating ill-conceived, exclusively "domestic" solutions to national problems. By situating urban blight, unemployment, poverty and other domestic ills within a global context, Petras and Morley take a much needed first rstep toward restructuring US policy so as to decrease the mounting socio-economic pressures that are straining the fabric of American society. "Empire of Republic?" is a provocative and original contribution to the debate surrounding America's position as an ascending or declining world power in the late twentieth century.