Review: Terror and Consent
| Author | Patrick Macklem |
| Published date | 01 December 2009 |
| DOI | 10.1177/002070200906400425 |
| Date | 01 December 2009 |
| Subject Matter | Review |
TERROR AND CONSENT
The Wars for the Twenty-First Century
Philip Bobbitt
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008. 672pp, US$35.00 cloth
ISBN 978-1-4000-4243-2
Terrorism mirrors the state it seeks to destroy. Mercenaries sought to
destabilize princedoms constituted by mercenary power. Anarchists
espoused a combination of universality and nationalism that mimicked the
ideological foundatio ns of the imperial states they plotted to overthrow.
Violent national liberation movements take aim at states organized around
national identities . Unlike the princely, impe rial, and nation-states of old,
contemporary states are striving to become market states. In the face of
transnational nuclear threats, economic globalization, and the
universalization of culture, market states ground their legitimacy in the
maximization of individual opportunity. They outsource governmental
functions, deregulate social and economic spheres of life, devise incentives
for individual choices that maximize wealth, devolve power to networked
| Reviews |
| 1166 | Autumn 2009 | International Journal |
sweeping yet pragmatic approach is only appropriate to her subject’s
complexity and breadth. Indeed, Marchak’s scholarly practicality is the source
of the book’s real strength. She sifts through and distils the major themes
and issues from debates about state sovereignty, global interventionism, and
international justice.
The result is a clear and well-written book that is a useful jumping-off
point for further research. Moreover, it undoubtedly meets the author’s stated
goal of appealing to a general audience. “The author,” notes Marchak in her
opening pages, “is not here acting as the all-knowing expert but is instead
inviting readers to share in a discussion of these issues” (xxiii). Specialists
may find little of interest here, but readers wishing to develop a broader
understanding of the subject will appreciate both the scope and accessibility
of
No Easy Fix
. Underlying Marchak’s scholarship is an evident commitment
to the people and problems she describes, which makes her work both an
engaging read and a valuable overview.
Mischa Evan Kaplan/University of Toronto
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