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A definitive analysis of the impacts of the Iraq antiwar movement
As the Bush administration prepared to wage war against Iraq, millions of people in the United States and around the world took to the streets to warn against the impending disaster. It was the largest wave of antiwar protest in history. This is the story of those dramatic events, told by distinguished peace scholar and activist David Cortright. This revealing account offers an insider view of the emergence of the movement and its political and communications strategies in attempting to prevent the attack. It reviews the arrogance of power as senior officials rejected public and expert opinion and rushed ahead with their ill-fated invasion. The book traces efforts by opponents of the war to end the worsening conflict and win Congressional approval for the withdrawal of troops. Cortright explores the role of the Iraq issue and the impact of antiwar networks in propelling Barack Obama to the White House, and the frustrations many activists felt in navigating the limitations of conventional politics. Readable, insightful and passionately argued, A Peaceful Superpower provides a definitive analysis of the impacts of the Iraq antiwar movement and a hopeful look at the power of civil society to shape the course of history.
"“Antiwar activists came up short in their efforts to avert the Gulf War of 2003. Even so, those efforts have much to teach. The place to begin learning is here, with David Cortright's concise but impressively comprehensive and insightful book.”"
— Andrew Bacevich
"“The enormous international protest against the US-UK criminal invasion of Iraq, even before the invasion was officially announced, was unprecedented. It did not stop the war, but had a major impact, examined in careful detail in this study by a leading participant-observer – a virtual handbook for activism and organizing that could not be more timely and needed.”"
— Noam Chomsky
"“David Cortright offers us a timeless gift in this book. A Peaceful Superpower has a relevancy for today precisely because it demonstrates that for powerful national leaders around the world war remains the political default option which in turn requires the diligent building of both a strong web of domestic anti-war mobilization and transnational response.”"
— John Paul Lederach
"“A brilliant analysis and richly documented narrative of the international mobilization against the catastrophic invasion and occupation of Iraq. David Cortright, a leading activist and scholar of peace movements since the Vietnam era, has written a book that anyone who wants to understand this inspiring history must read.”"
— Michael Kazin
"Cortright has written an insightful and interesting book—part history, part memoir, and part 'how-to.' It is a valuable contribution to the study of peace movements."
David Cortright was active in the GI movement and plaintiff in the lawsuit Cortright v. Resor to uphold soldier First Amendment rights. Cortright is the author or editor of more than 20 books including the 1975 classic Soldiers in Revolt and Peace: A History of Movements and Ideas. He is a professor of peace studies and director of policy studies and the Peace Accords Matrix at the University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies.