“Matt Yglesias is one of the smartest voices in the blogosphere. He knows a lot about politics, a lot about foreign policy, and, crucially, is unusually shrewd in understanding how they interact. Here’s hoping that his new book will introduce him to an even wider audience. Once you discover him, you’ll be hooked.” —E. J. Dionne, author of Souled Out: Reclaiming Faith and Politics After the Religious Right and Why Americans Hate Politics
July 22, 2008 - Republicans and Democrats are far apart on Iraq specifically and foreign policy in general—that’s the common wisdom. However, as Matt Yglesias is quick to point out, reality doesn’t agree. In fact, the Republicans and Democrats in office sound fairly similar. The real rift is between the actual Democratic rank and file and the misstepping, double-talking, milquetoasts that claim to represent them. In HEADS IN THE SAND: How the Republicans Screw Up Foreign Policy and Foreign Policy Screws up the Democrats (Wiley, April, 2008, ISBN: 978-0-470-08622-3, $25.95 / Cloth) Atlantic Monthly editor and top blogger Yglesias brings up the subject all the self-satisfied TV talking heads would rather ignore: the two main party candidates plan to run on the same tired strategies nobody like in 2004.
A candidate’s worldview matters more than specific policies, because you never know what challenges he or she will face. With his famously sharp mind (and tongue), Yglesias argues that most Republicans would meet that challenge with full ignorance, partisan vigor, and disastrous results. The Democrats are hoping that challenge will never come, and that voters won’t mind their avoidance of the issue.
The Iraq war will be the defining foreign policy event of our time, and the Democrats got it wrong in a number of different ways. HEAD IN THE SAND looks at each of those ways, classifying approaches like the Incompetence Dodge, Crypto-Pacifism, Agree and Avoid, and Seriousness for the Sake of Seriousness.
HEAD IN THE SAND though, portrays an understanding of history and a deeper feel for ideological development that the word “blogger” might imply. Yglesias locates Bush’s foreign policy within the history of his party, discarding the silly notion that Bush is an idealist, or a neocon, whatever that is. As he makes clear, Bush is a nationalist plain and simple, as a my-way-or-the-highway agenda takes precedence over any other supposed guiding ideology. He also takes on the myth that Democrats don’t have a useful foreign policy tradition and need a big new idea. In fact, they have a perfectly good tradition to work from. Liberal internationalism may not be exciting or perfect, but promoting global order through international law and stable institutions has brought about a lot more peace and prosperity than imperialism, isolationism, communism, or any other way of approaching the world.
As HEADS IN THE SAND makes clear, we as Americans can no longer support reckless policies from the Republicans, and should loudly shout down any Democrat who’s more interested in what seems politically safe than what makes the world safer.
About the Author
Matthew Yglesias is an Associate Editor at the Atlantic Monthly, where he also maintains one of the most popular blogs in all of politics for their website (matthewyglesias.theatlantic.com). His writing has also appeared in the American Prospect, Slate, the New Republic, and the New York Times.
| For more information, contact: Matt Smollon (201) 748 6339 msmollon@wiley.com |
Heads in the Sand: How the Republicans Screw Up Foreign Policy and Foreign Policy Screws Up the Democrats By Matthew Yglesias Wiley; April2008; $25.95 978-0-470-08622-3; Hardcover  |
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