In this course, we will examine the internal criticism against the United States government by Noam Chomsky in Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance (the American Empire Project). Chomsky's much disputed arguments accusing the US for global domination through imperialism should cause much heated debate in our classroom. To what extent were wars in Afghanistan and Iraq a direct consequence of 9-11? How valid are Chomsky's arguments, and what sort of cultural values are reflected in his opinions and those of his critics?
We will focus on reading the text closely, while understanding his use of evidence and argument. We will study the evolution of US policy from the Cold War to the current so-called War on Terrorism, examining similarities and differences in the development and extent of continuity in US cultural values, stemming from various political philosophies.
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