Why America is Such a Hard Sell: Beyond Pride and PrejudiceRowman & Littlefield, 2007 - 285 pages History offers ample proof of AmericaOs pride and prejudice, a twin handicap that prevents effective communication with the rest of the world. Using literature, political science, philosophy, and humor, the book explores some of the reasons for AmericaOs current predicament. It ends, however, on a positive note, describing some heartening initiatives, and expressing confidence in the sustaining power of the American spirit. Dr. Pilon's analysis should prove useful to scholars and practitioners, indeed to anyone interested in improving the interaction between America and the world. |
Contents
An Overview | 1 |
Americas Mixed Legacy | 11 |
Why America Is Such a Hard Sell | 21 |
How Can You Tell? | 23 |
Its Them Not Us | 35 |
Consumerism Uber Alles | 47 |
Empire Lite and NotSoLite | 61 |
Watch out for the Entertainment | 73 |
No Place Like Home | 149 |
Biased against Intelligence | 155 |
Public Diplomacy the Hard Way | 163 |
Soft Power for Softies? | 165 |
Misreading Machiavelli | 173 |
Speakers in Chief Define the New World | 183 |
Presidential Highlights from the Three World Wars | 189 |
PostCold War Semantic Impasse | 197 |
The Nonstarter Solutions More Pride and Prejudice | 81 |
The Legacy of Pride | 87 |
History of a Paradox | 89 |
SelfExiled to SelfSufficiency | 95 |
Exceptionalist Nationalism | 105 |
Too Proud to Play Hardball at the UN | 113 |
Strategic Public Diplomacy For Dummies? | 123 |
The Price of Pride | 131 |
The Legacy of Prejudice | 139 |
Why Learn about Others? | 141 |
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Common terms and phrases
Adams Affairs Age of Innocence Agency American Dream American Exceptionalism anti-Americanism Arab audience Azar Nafisi better brands Bush Center century certainly civil critical cultural decades Defense defined democracy democratic diplomatic disinformation Dizard economic effective empire enemies engage fact foreign policy freedom Friedman George George Friedman global hard sell hate human idea Institute intelligence Iraq Iraqis Jane Austen Jefferson John Josef Joffe Kazakhstani Kishore Mahbubani Kohut least less Mahbubani marketing means military mind national security never Office ourselves peace political prejudice president Press pride Pride and Prejudice professor programs public diplomacy reason rhetoric seems sense soft power Soviet strategic communication strategic outreach Sun Tzu sure tactics Task Force terror terrorists Thomas Friedman tion tional truth U.S. Foreign U.S. Public Diplomacy United Nations University Washington Wilson words writes wrong York