The World Has Never Been Better and Why That Matters to Americans

An eye-opening look at the history of national security fear-mongering in America and how it distracts citizens from the issues that really matter

What most frightens the average American? Terrorism. North Korea. Iran. But what if none of these are probable or consequential threats to America? What if the world today is safer, freer, wealthier, healthier, and better educated than ever before? What if the real dangers to Americans are noncommunicable diseases, gun violence, drug overdoseseven hospital infections? In this compelling look at what they call the Threat‑Industrial Complex, Michael A. Cohen and Micah Zenko explain why politicians, policy analysts, academics, and journalists are misleading Americans about foreign threats and ignoring more serious national security challenges at home.

Cohen and Zenko argue that we should ignore Washingtons threat‑mongering and focus instead on furthering extraordinary global advances in human development and economic and political cooperation. At home, we should focus on that which actually harms us and undermines our quality of life: substandard schools and healthcare, inadequate infrastructure, gun violence, income inequality, and political paralysis.

Publisher: Yale University Press (March 26, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0300222556
ISBN-13: 978-0300222555