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Hegemony or Survival demonstrates how, for more than half a century the United States has been pursuing a grand imperial strategy with the aim of staking out the globe. Noam Chomsky investigates how we came to this perilous moment and why our rulers are willing to jeopardize the future of our species.

La estrategia imperialista de los Estados Unidos

The title refers to Chomsky's belief that the world has two mutually exclusive options: American global hegemony, or the survival of the human race. The premise is interesting, but gets bogged down in the academic intelligentsia style of writing--it's off putting and not conducive to casual reading for big picture understanding. Maybe if it weren't an audio book, one could read and skim without assault. Long parenthetical phrases and big words sag the story. This, from a linguistics professor/professional. The book was written in 2004 and the liberal, left leaning, academic author bashes Bush (W) right off and doesn't stop there. Seems like every body who ever drove the beltway is at fault. Multiple case studies are used to defend the points he's making; they get old after awhile. Liking a book of this type usually depends upon where you stand politically but I couldn't get past the writing style and tone. I'll not read another Chomsky book. ( )

Noam Chomsky, a well-known left-wing academic, writes here about globalization’s political impact as a main point of the U.S. foreign policy. Political economics is very sensitive subject, but Chomsky in this book attacks as he argues that U.S. foreign policy has been imperialist and heavy handed since World War I. He speaks of that in the invasion of Iraq, and elsewhere, the U.S. disregarded the U.N. as well as public opinion at home and abroad. Chomsky makes important points, but I feel he would have a larger and politically more diverse audience if he developed a more detailed andd less harsh sounding writing style, provided more background on some events he covers, particularly America’s political and military interventions. He is provocative, harsh and very negative about the U.S. even calling us a “terrorist state.” For me despite beliefs very different from my own this book helped me to gain more and a better insight into our country’s politics ( )