The Irony of American History

Short Review: This is an oddly relevant book considering it was written in 1952 and based on lectures given in 1949 and 1951. Niebuhr is talking about the constraints of American foreign policy. In particular he is talking about the rise of communism but many of the principals are still relevant in our modern world with the non-state terrorist actors and the relatively minor dictators like North Korea. Obama has trumpeted his love of Niebuhr and that may have turned off some foreign policy conservatives. But I think it is those conservatives that will most agree and get most out of Niebuhr. The basic thought is that the very strengths of a country are also ironically the root of its weaknesses. His prime example is that the US's view of itself as separate or called is the root of its hubris in worldwide actions. Niebuhr is dense, but this is one of his more readable books. It is brief and well worth the time, especially if you are a Christian looking for ways to understand the role of government.

Full review on my blog at http://bookwi.se/the-irony-of-american-history-by-reinhold-niebuhr/

One of the recurring themes in the histories of men and nations is the idea that we can do what no one else has done because of our better [morals, understanding of history, philosophy, intelligence etc.:] (chose one). It's an almost mathematically precise pattern that we seem doomed to repeat. The verbal approximation it is: idealism leads to hubris leads to vice leads to downfall. Rinse an repeat. Niebuhr incisively confronts this historical pattern as it existed in America and the world in the 1950's, and, since it's a pattern, his analysis remains just as relevant today as it was then.