Peace Out of Reach: Middle Eastern Travels and the Search for Reconciliation

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About Peace Out Of Reach: Middle Eastern Travels And The

Product Description In Peace Out of Reach, Stephen Eric Bronner offers an intriguing analysis and eyewitness account of the political and ideological conflicts plaguing the Middle East. Sharply critical of the United States' policies in Afghanistan and Iraq and concerned about our nation's declining credibility throughout the world, Bronner examines the unexplored possibilities and recurrent roadblocks in the struggle for peace. Whether visiting academics in Iran, refugees in Palestine, or the president of Syria, Bronner seeks to listen and learn. These experiences have shaped Bronner's understanding of how the political crises in the Middle East have dramatically influenced Western politics and culture. Peace Out of Reach also investigates the extraordinary controversies generated by the publication of blasphemous cartoons of the prophet Mohammed, the religious conservatism of Pope Benedict XVI, the character of contemporary anti-Semitism, and the connection between human rights and personal faith. Peace Out of Reach is both a study in foreign policy and a philosophical inquiry that raises profound ethical questions about the world and the United States' role in it. It links experience with erudition and objective analysis with strategic proposals for change. This book will undoubtedly resonate with all people seeking an alternative to the discredited policies of the past. It contributes mightily to the cultivation of a cosmopolitan and democratic politics. Review "Combines ethics with realism, and personal experience with political insight, in dealing with the crises of our time. As a human rights advocate, and someone who has seen the horror and tragedy of war first hand, I highly recommend it. This book is a great read."― Bianca Jagger, a member of the Executive Director's Leadership Council for Amnes "Fascinating. A well informed journey through the contours of U.S. foreign and military policy, the Middle East cauldron, the rapidly changing political situations across several countries in the region, and a variety of cultural and political representation of the contemporary crisis. This is a significant piece of work. A solid scholarly contribution to literature not only in the area of international relations but to theoretical understandings of political culture and political ideology in many settings."― Carl Boggs, author of Imperial Delusions: American Militarism and the Endless W "Bronner offers a much deeper analysis of the crises engulfing the Middle East than is available through conventional explanations. The author's recent extensive travels in the cradle of civilization, his astute observations, and his scholarly research have helped him write a unique and precious book. It provides new avenues of thought and innovative public policies for peace, regional development, and democracy."― Dr. Hooshang Amirahmadi, Founder and President of the American-Iranian Council, "Bronner combines brilliant writing, encyclopedic scholarship, and real-world engagement, a feat that transforms the ivory tower of academe into a kind of siege engine assaulting the ramparts of arrogant political power. Nowhere is his substantive analysis more vital than it is in the convoluted politics of the Middle East, and nowhere is this book's keen insight and incisive clarity more needed than it is among America's recent policymakers in Washington."― James E. Jennings, President, Conscience International, and Executive Director, "This book offers an insightful engagement with contemporary developments in the Middle East and beyond. It promises to enrich both the academic debate and the political discourse by presenting an analysis that reflects on norms, events, and more important, on the relationship between normative commitments and pragmatic considerations."― Michael Forman, author of Nationalism and the International Labor Movement: The "An impressive example of using the realist sensibility in pursuit of the democratic project. R