Blowback (Second Edition)
The Costs and Consequences of American Empire
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Narrated by:
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Tom Weiner
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By:
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Chalmers Johnson
About this listen
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Hybrid war, grey-zone warfare, unrestricted war: Today, traditional conflict - fought with guns, bombs, and drones - has become too expensive to wage, too unpopular at home, and too difficult to manage. In an age when America threatens Europe with sanctions, and when China spends billions buying influence abroad, the world is heading for a new era of permanent low-level conflict, often unnoticed, undeclared, and unending.
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Clear, concise, and thought provoking
- By Dad / Husband (who rarely reviews) on 03-08-22
By: Mark Galeotti
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Pakistan on the Brink
- The Future of America, Pakistan, and Afghanistan
- By: Ahmed Rashid
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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What are the possibilities—and hazards—facing America as it withdraws from Afghanistan and reviews its long engagement in Pakistan? Where is the Taliban now in both of these countries? What does the immediate future hold, and what are America’s choices going forward? These are some of the crucial questions that Ahmed Rashid—Pakistan’s preeminent journalist—takes on in this follow-up to his acclaimed Descent into Chaos.
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A Very Long NPR-like Interview and History Lesson
- By Harry Zimmer on 04-23-12
By: Ahmed Rashid
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Nemesis
- The Last Days of the American Republic
- By: Chalmers Johnson
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Drawing comparisons to empires past, Johnson explores in vivid detail the likely consequences of US dependence on a permanent war economy, and what it will mean when the globe's sole "hyperpower" is no longer capable of paying for the vaulting ambitions of its leaders - and becomes the greatest hyper-debtor of all time. In his stunning conclusion, Johnson suggests that the crisis of a financial breakdown could ultimately prove to be the only path to a renewed nation.
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The Book Bill O'Rielly Doesn't Want You To Read!
- By Joe on 04-04-07
By: Chalmers Johnson
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The Darker Nations
- A People's History of the Third World
- By: Vijay Prashad, Howard Zinn - editor
- Narrated by: Neil Shah
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Here, from a brilliant young writer, is a paradigm-shifting history of both a utopian concept and global movement - the idea of the Third World. The Darker Nations traces the intellectual origins and the political history of the 20th century attempt to knit together the world's impoverished countries in opposition to the United States and Soviet spheres of influence in the decades following World War II.
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So informative!
- By krishna chaitanya on 01-03-22
By: Vijay Prashad, and others
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The Hundred-Year Marathon
- China's Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower
- By: Michael Pillsbury
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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One of the US government's leading China experts reveals the hidden strategy fueling that country's rise - and how Americans have been seduced into helping China overtake us as the world's leading superpower.
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Fascinating perspective.
- By Rocky Mackintosh on 01-05-17
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Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945
- By: Tony Judt
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 43 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Almost a decade in the making, this much-anticipated grand history of postwar Europe from one of the world’s most esteemed historians and intellectuals is a singular achievement. Postwar is the first modern history that covers all of Europe, both east and west, drawing on research in six languages to sweep readers through 34 nations and 60 years of political and cultural change—all in one integrated, enthralling narrative.
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Great book, but not terrific listening
- By History on 10-18-11
By: Tony Judt
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Modern Times
- The World from the Twenties to the Nineties
- By: Paul Johnson
- Narrated by: Nadia May
- Length: 37 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Beginning with May 29, 1919, when photographs of the solar eclipse confirmed the truth of Einstein's theory of relativity, Johnson goes on to describe Freudianism, the establishment of the first Marxist state, the chaos of "Old Europe", the Arcadian 20s, and the new forces in China and Japan. Also discussed are Karl Marx, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Roosevelt, Gandhi, Castro, Kennedy, Nixon, the '29 crash, the Great Depression, Roosevelt's New Deal, and the massive conflict of World War II.
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The Anti-Howard Zinn
- By Pork C. Fish on 05-22-12
By: Paul Johnson
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All Measures Short of War
- The Contest for the Twenty-First Century and the Future of American Power
- By: Thomas J. Wright
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Russia and China are increasingly revisionist in their regions. The Middle East appears to be unraveling. And many Americans question why the United States ought to lead. What will great power competition look like in the decades ahead? What impact will geopolitics have on globalization? And what strategy should the United States pursue to succeed in an increasingly competitive world? In this book, Thomas Wright explains how major powers will compete fiercely even as they try to avoid war with each other.
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Globalist propaganda
- By Anthony Colosimo Jr on 07-10-21
By: Thomas J. Wright
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Nemesis
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Drawing comparisons to empires past, Johnson explores in vivid detail the likely consequences of US dependence on a permanent war economy, and what it will mean when the globe's sole "hyperpower" is no longer capable of paying for the vaulting ambitions of its leaders - and becomes the greatest hyper-debtor of all time. In his stunning conclusion, Johnson suggests that the crisis of a financial breakdown could ultimately prove to be the only path to a renewed nation.
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The Book Bill O'Rielly Doesn't Want You To Read!
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The Sorrows of Empire
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Recalling the classic warnings against militarism, from George Washington's farewell address to Dwight Eisenhower's denunciation of the military-industrial complex, Johnson explores the trend of militarism that is bankrupting the United States and creating conditions for a new century of virulent blowback.
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A must read.
- By Thomas on 02-07-15
By: Chalmers Johnson
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Dismantling the Empire
- America’s Last Best Hope
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The author of the best-selling Blowback Trilogy reflects on America's waning power in a masterful collection of essays. In his prophetic book Blowback, published before 9/11, Chalmers Johnson warned that our secret operations in Iraq and elsewhere around the globe would exact a price at home. Now, in a brilliant series of essays written over the last three years, Johnson measures that price and the resulting dangers America faces.
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Unimpressed
- By Logical Paradox on 08-19-14
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Blowback
- A Warning to Save Democracy from the Next Trump
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Donald Trump will be president again, whether he is on the ballot or not. That is because Trumpism is overtaking the Republican Party and will mount a vigorous comeback, potentially in the hands of a savvier successor. This prophecy will come true, according to Miles Taylor, if we do not learn the lessons of the recent past. With the 2024 election approaching, the formerly “Anonymous” official is back with bombshell revelations and a sobering national forecast. Taylor predicts what could happen inside “Trump 2.0,” the White House of a more competent and more formidable copycat.
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We will only have ourselves to blame if we sink into autocracy
- By MS on 07-23-23
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Empire of Illusion
- The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle
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We now live in two Americas. One - now the minority - functions in a print-based, literate world that can cope with complexity and can separate illusion from truth. The other - the majority - is retreating from a reality-based world into one of false certainty and magic. To this majority - which crosses social class lines, though the poor are overwhelmingly affected-presidential debate and political rhetoric is pitched at a sixth-grade level. In this "other America", serious film and theater, as well as newspapers and books, are being pushed to the margins of society.
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A superficial tirade
- By Diueine Monteiro on 04-24-18
By: Chris Hedges
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Blackshirts and Reds
- Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism
- By: Michael Parenti
- Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon
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Blackshirts and Reds explores some of the big issues of our time: fascism, capitalism, communism, revolution, democracy, and ecology. These terms are often bandied about but seldom explored in the original and exciting way that has become Michael Parenti's trademark. Parenti shows how "rational fascism" renders service to capitalism, how corporate power undermines democracy, and how revolutions are a mass empowerment against the forces of exploitative privilege.
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couldn't believe this was on audible
- By Amazon Customer on 02-24-22
By: Michael Parenti
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Nemesis
- The Last Days of the American Republic
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Drawing comparisons to empires past, Johnson explores in vivid detail the likely consequences of US dependence on a permanent war economy, and what it will mean when the globe's sole "hyperpower" is no longer capable of paying for the vaulting ambitions of its leaders - and becomes the greatest hyper-debtor of all time. In his stunning conclusion, Johnson suggests that the crisis of a financial breakdown could ultimately prove to be the only path to a renewed nation.
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The Book Bill O'Rielly Doesn't Want You To Read!
- By Joe on 04-04-07
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The Sorrows of Empire
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- By: Chalmers Johnson
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Recalling the classic warnings against militarism, from George Washington's farewell address to Dwight Eisenhower's denunciation of the military-industrial complex, Johnson explores the trend of militarism that is bankrupting the United States and creating conditions for a new century of virulent blowback.
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A must read.
- By Thomas on 02-07-15
By: Chalmers Johnson
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Dismantling the Empire
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The author of the best-selling Blowback Trilogy reflects on America's waning power in a masterful collection of essays. In his prophetic book Blowback, published before 9/11, Chalmers Johnson warned that our secret operations in Iraq and elsewhere around the globe would exact a price at home. Now, in a brilliant series of essays written over the last three years, Johnson measures that price and the resulting dangers America faces.
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Unimpressed
- By Logical Paradox on 08-19-14
By: Chalmers Johnson
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Blowback
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- By: Miles Taylor
- Narrated by: Miles Taylor
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
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Overall
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Donald Trump will be president again, whether he is on the ballot or not. That is because Trumpism is overtaking the Republican Party and will mount a vigorous comeback, potentially in the hands of a savvier successor. This prophecy will come true, according to Miles Taylor, if we do not learn the lessons of the recent past. With the 2024 election approaching, the formerly “Anonymous” official is back with bombshell revelations and a sobering national forecast. Taylor predicts what could happen inside “Trump 2.0,” the White House of a more competent and more formidable copycat.
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We will only have ourselves to blame if we sink into autocracy
- By MS on 07-23-23
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Empire of Illusion
- The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle
- By: Chris Hedges
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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We now live in two Americas. One - now the minority - functions in a print-based, literate world that can cope with complexity and can separate illusion from truth. The other - the majority - is retreating from a reality-based world into one of false certainty and magic. To this majority - which crosses social class lines, though the poor are overwhelmingly affected-presidential debate and political rhetoric is pitched at a sixth-grade level. In this "other America", serious film and theater, as well as newspapers and books, are being pushed to the margins of society.
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A superficial tirade
- By Diueine Monteiro on 04-24-18
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Blackshirts and Reds
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Blackshirts and Reds explores some of the big issues of our time: fascism, capitalism, communism, revolution, democracy, and ecology. These terms are often bandied about but seldom explored in the original and exciting way that has become Michael Parenti's trademark. Parenti shows how "rational fascism" renders service to capitalism, how corporate power undermines democracy, and how revolutions are a mass empowerment against the forces of exploitative privilege.
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couldn't believe this was on audible
- By Amazon Customer on 02-24-22
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What listeners say about Blowback (Second Edition)
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Blythe Freeman
- 04-21-22
sticky spit
the narration is hard for me to get past. there's a lot of dry mouth sounds that are very off putting other than that it was very informative and highly recommended
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- Cory Brickner
- 11-13-17
Terrorism is a symptom of foreign policy
If you ever thought that "they hate us for our freedom" you really should listen to what's in Blowback. From the CIA overthrow of the popularly elected Iranian president in 1953 until now, the government's policies and agencies purposefully interfere in the affairs of other countries, causing the loss of everything we supposedly hold so dear in our country, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We are just like every other empire that existed that will eventually fall due to corruption and the treatment of the people it subjugates unless "we the people" understand what our government is doing and put a stop to it. AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY
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2 people found this helpful
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- KKM
- 07-19-21
Almost seems like author is sntiamericsn
Eye opening narration but seem like authors almost anti American otherwise enjoyable for some after a strok that listens to books to get rid of constant sound of birds chirping
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- brad b.
- 12-27-21
Loved It.
Loved it. It seems the US used the same imperial methods to achieve it's objectives as Egland, Spain, Germany, France etc. All used brutal methods to crush dissent. The US apparently crushed dissent when it's economic interests or the interests of it's corporation were at stake. An interesting perspective on foreign policy.
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- J. Jason
- 10-15-11
IF HE IS RIGHT...
If Dr. Johnson is correct about what's going on behind the scenes of the body politic, we are all pawns and puppets (and stooges?) in a feeding frenzy of money and power by the rich and powerful.
It is at least unsettling. For me, being a cynic by nature, it's frightening.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Rob Fisher
- 10-28-21
Not as cutting as Chomsky but very good stuff
Very educational and a must read for American citizens, especially actual patriots. I think the time has finally come for Americans to start critically examining this country's role in world (as well as domestic) politics and social policies and holding our "leaders" and press accountable.
We are not and have never been as all knowing or altruistic as we have been taught. Learning the truths about who and what this country is and has been is the only way in which we can make it better.
We have the wonderful but daunting ability to truly become the nation and people that we've perpetually been told we have been and already are but certainly are not.
It is undoubtedly easy (and desirable) to believe that we are a fantastic nation, free and equal but the facts of our founding and history paint a very different picture.
However, we stand at a place in time which we can learn about our massive personal, social, and leadership shortcomings to paint a new picture. It is not an easy task but I think it's one that gives us a very real chance to (even if only in some small ways) to live up to the image of the people and nation we have already been told we embody.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Stryfe
- 02-14-19
Eye opening!
The pure information in this book is astounding. The cause and effect descriptions given make you want to pay even more attention to the world around you. Hearing some of the key players mentioned in world affairs and the decisio s they made back in the past makes me look at them with renewed interest as some of those figures are relevant today.
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- Hena
- 02-08-16
Reader is TERRIBLE / Book is good
The reader speeds through the book as if it's a competition of who finishes first. The last 15 minutes is the only point of the audio when the reader slows to a pace that is comprehensible. This is a heavy read .. Not a fiction book. Slow down so the listener can grasp the information!
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Overall
- Elton
- 11-19-07
This Book Has Not Been Updated Since 2000
It's important to warn you that there is nothing in this book written after 2000 other than one of the introductions. In other words it claims that North Korea hasn't detonated a nuclear weapon, the U.S. GNP is pushing $7 trillion dollars, heck the trade deficit with China is actually a surplus in favor of the U.S.
Other than that I found this to be a poor excuse for an informed debate. Anytime you have a theory that leads you to believe that the U.S. caused the Asian Financial Collapse of 1997 just so that 10,000 sailors can get half priced prostitutes in Thailand your critical thinking skills have gone astray.
Johnson pulls a couple of niftty little tricks in this one that are jaw dropping. His three main foci are China, Japan and the U.S. At least China and Japan get the briefest benefit of sympthy for being under the control of imperialism. The U.S. gets no such reprieve. The U.S. is evil from start to finish...even when it provides the support to strengthen other nations.
It's really hard to grasp the fundamental idea Johnson is trying to push because if he pays attention to what he's saying, no matter what a country does, there's going to be some type of resoponse. This is why you build military strength, make friends...even if that means lots of economic support...and you intimidate your enemies into not messing with you.
Johnson, while drawing on a great wealth of knowledge about Asia, seems to have a very selective memory. That's how China only meaningfully engaged Vietnam over the Spratly's in 1992. If you don't know the political situation around Japan, you would think the Japanese didn't like the U.S. Yes the US military personnel need to be better behaved, but neither Korea nor Japan are willing to take a chance with their national security and expel the US military. Korea already knows happens once the US sphere of influence runs to the east of the pennisula. See The Acheson Line.
Avoid this book at all costs. It's cheap Chomsky.
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21 people found this helpful