''Rogue Nation'' is a book by Clyde Prestowitz which criticizes

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

's foreign policies as "unilateralist."

Reviews

The book, written by the founder and President of the Economic Strategy Institute, is critical of the policies and practices of George Bush. The author examines many issues where the U.S. has disagreed with the rest of the world:

free trade agreement A free-trade agreement (FTA) or treaty is an agreement according to international law to form a free-trade area between the cooperating states. There are two types of trade agreements: bilateral and multilateral. Bilateral trade agreements occur ...

global warming In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

, the Israel-Palestine conflict, the treaty to eliminate

land mine A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...

s, the creation of an

International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals ...

, the

war on Iraq {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...

and more. The author argues neither for nor against particular policies, but rather against the manner in which those policies are implemented. He explores the historical roots of

unilateralism __NOTOC__ Unilateralism is any doctrine or agenda that supports one-sided action. Such action may be in disregard for other parties, or as an expression of a commitment toward a direction which other parties may find disagreeable. As a word, ''un ...

and shows how it shapes

American foreign policy The officially stated goals of the foreign policy of the United States of America, including all the bureaus and offices in the United States Department of State, as mentioned in the ''Foreign Policy Agenda'' of the Department of State, are ...

in many important areas: trade and economic policy, arms control, energy, environment, drug trafficking, & agriculture. He states that much of the international community regards the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

as a "rogue nation"—whether they are in fact or not. Prestowitz notes, "Nations are very much like individuals. More than desire for material gain or fear or love, they are driven by a craving for dignity and respect, by the need to be recognized as valid and just as valuable as the next person or country." He proposes that America's people and its leaders become better listeners. He interviewed an impressive number of foreign diplomats,

ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

s, and government officials, and he truthfully presents their views even when he does not concur. He provides historical context for various controversies. The book is described by several reviewers as informative and challenging.

Publisher's comments

Prestowitz, a former

Reagan Administration Ronald Reagan's tenure as the 40th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1981, and ended on January 20, 1989. Reagan, a Republican from California, took office following a landslide victory over D ...

trade official, is by no means anti-American. He insists that America's intentions are usually good, and that the world likes and admires Americans when they live up to their own ideals.''Publishers Weekly'', May 1, 2003, on ''Rogue Nation''
/ref> , Basic Books (2003)

References

2003 non-fiction books Books about George W. Bush Books about foreign relations of the United States Books about the 2003 invasion of Iraq War on Terror books American political books {{US-int-book-stub