Book Review: International Relations: Public War, Private Conscience: The Ethics of Political Violence
| Published date | 01 January 2012 |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1478-9302.2011.00251_7.x |
| Author | Eric M. Rovie |
| Date | 01 January 2012 |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
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of George W. Bush. So it is an important subject’ (p. ix).
cumbersomely necessary. A lack of conceptual clarity
Treating the importance of imperialism based solely on
detracts from the thrust of Roberto Ciccarelli’s essay,
the Cold War and the Bush presidency as independent
and many other contributors make sweeping claims
variables is erroneous since the two were in the first
with little or no supporting evidence (according to
place a product of imperialism. Second, although Call-
Marcello Maneri, for example, the wars on drugs,
inicos disputes the classical conception of imperialism
terrorism and so on have exempted military and
as ‘a special stage in the development of capitalism’
police personnel ‘from any accountability’ [p. 169,
(p. 3), his periodisation of imperialism does not suggest
emphasis added]). The articles by Didier Bigo on
any speciality. Indeed, while the logic of imperialism of
9/11 narratives and the ‘habitus’, Eric Heilmann on
domination and super profit is stable, its form and
CCTV, and Mariella Pandolfi and Laurence McFalls
operation are dynamic. Despite the outlined weak-
on the irresponsibility of global civil servants escape
nesses, this book is suitable for an academic audience
these criticisms, however, and are argued persuasively
rather than a general one.
and with composure. Luca Guzzetti’s article on the
US military–industrial complex and global conflict is
Alexander Boniface Makulilo
also well worth reading.
(University of Dar es Salaam)
This volume deserves merit as an international and
interdisciplinary achievement and its contributors bring
Conflict, Security and the Reshaping of Society:
a wide range of political, sociological and anthropo-
The Civilization of War by Alessandro Dal Lago
logical perspectives to bear on war and its effects on
and Salvatore Palidda (eds). Abingdon: Routledge,
civil society. However, while this diverse...
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