It should be no surprise that the United States often takes the "convenient" and "short-term" solution to many problems; this is part of the American character. However, at times Kinzer seems to be on a pulpit, leading the reader by the nose at whom to laud and at whom to hiss. Since this is not written as a historical book, there is also an expectation that the reader will already have a semblance of the "basic facts" from at least Panama and Guatemala forward.
This is perhaps the largest weakness of the book. There are 14 different regime changes that are critically analyzed, yet some clearly fit his argument more than others. In fact, Grenada and Panama seem like different foreign policy goals than Afghanistan and Iraq. On the other hand, one of the strengths of the book is the manner in which Kinzer outlines the "propagandistic" manner in which these "necessary regime changes" were sold to the American public. Witness, for instance, the way Islam and many Arab countries were characterized after 9/11 (Kinzer 266-75).
Kinzer concludes...
Filled with the exuberance and self-confidence of youth, it developed a sense of unlimited possibility. Many Americans came to believe that since they had been so successful in building their country, they not only duplicate that success abroad but were called by Providence to do so. Responding to this call, and to their belief that they are entitled to a large share of the world's resources, they set out to overthrow foreign governments. Most of these adventures have brought them, and the nations whose histories they sought to change, far more pain than liberation" (Kinzer 321). Perhaps the current regime in Washington should remember that there are precedents for actions in one administration to negatively affect the next administration.
Source:
Kinzer, S. Overthrow: America's Century of Revime Change from Hawaii to Iraq. New York: Times Books, 2007.
