Listen to a sample
American Exception
- Author
- Aaron Good
- Narrator
- Arthur Morey
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Publish Date
- 6 September 2022
- Run Time
- 12 hours 49 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
American Exception seeks to explain the breakdown of US democracy, to understand the uncanny continuity of American foreign policy, the breakdown of the rule of law, and the extreme concentration of wealth and power into an overworld of the corporate rich.
To trace the evolution of the American state, Aaron Good takes a deep-politics approach. The term “deep state” was badly misappropriated during the Trump era. In the simplest sense, it here refers to all those institutions that collectively exercise undemocratic power over state and society. To trace how we arrived at this point, American Exception explores various deep state institutions and history-making interventions.
Key institutions involve the relationships between the overworld of the corporate rich, the underworld of organized crime, and the national security actors that mediate between them. History-making interventions include the toppling of foreign governments, the launching of aggressive wars, and the political assassinations of the 1960s.
In its long history before World War II, the United States had a deep political system, a system of governance in which decision-making and enforcement were carried out within—and outside of—public institutions. It was a system that always included some degree of secretive collusion and law-breaking. After World War II, US elites decided to pursue global dominance over the international capitalist system.
Setting aside the liberal rhetoric, this project was pursued in a manner that was by and large imperialistic rather than progressive. To administer this covert empire, US elites created a massive national security state characterized by unprecedented levels of secrecy and lawlessness. The “Global Communist Conspiracy” provided a pretext for exceptionism—an endless “exception” to the rule of law. What gradually emerged after World War II was a tripartite state system of governance. The open democratic state and the authoritarian security state were both increasingly dominated by an American deep state.
Aaron Good concludes by assessing the prospects for a revival of US democracy.
Critics Review
-
“A work that brilliantly illuminates the deep political forces that have animated the American empire throughout its volatile, troubled, and often violent history.”
Peter Kuznick, professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University
-
“He surveys facts, normally suppressed, about the increased role of criminality in political activity…An unparalleled synthesis of the emerging new critical perspective on American hegemony.”
Peter Dale Scott, author and professor emeritus, University of California-Berkley
-
“Bring[s] out lucid insights into the American Empire—and the reasons for its behavior. This work again reminds us of the pernicious impact of intelligence and security forces and their role in undermining our integrity as a country.”
Oliver Stone, author and Academy Award–winning director, producer, and screenwriter
-
“Excavating the hidden faces of power within the American state…A grim but necessary recounting of how financial and security interests shaped US foreign policy at every turn across the past half-century.”
Sean Yom, associate professor of political science, Temple University, and senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Aaron Good
- Narrator
- Arthur Morey
- Duration
- 12 hours 49 minutes
- Release Date
- 6 September 2022
- ISBN
- 9798212001014
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Genre
- Colonialism and imperialism, Politics and government, Corruption in politics, government and society, International relations, Political structures: democracy
Synopsis
American Exception seeks to explain the breakdown of US democracy, in particular to understand the uncanny continuity of American foreign policy, the breakdown of the rule of law, and the extreme concentration of wealth and power into an overworld of the corporate rich.To trace the evolution of the American state, Aaron Good takes a deep-politics approach. The term “deep state” was badly misappropriated during the Trump era. In the simplest sense, it here refers to all those institutions that collectively exercise undemocratic power over state and society. To trace how we arrived at this point, American Exception explores various deep state institutions and history-making interventions.Key institutions involve the relationships between the overworld of the corporate rich, the underworld of organized crime, and the national security actors that mediate between them. History-making interventions include the toppling of foreign governments, the launching of aggressive wars, and the political assassinations of the 1960s.In its long history before World War II, the United States had a deep political system, a system of governance in which decision-making and enforcement were carried out within—and outside of—public institutions. It was a system that always included some degree of secretive collusion and law-breaking. After World War II, US elites decided to pursue global dominance over the international capitalist system. Setting aside the liberal rhetoric, this project was pursued in a manner that was by and large imperialistic rather than progressive. To administer this covert empire, US elites created a massive national security state characterized by unprecedented levels of secrecy and lawlessness. The “Global Communist Conspiracy” provided a pretext for exceptionism—an endless “exception” to the rule of law. What gradually emerged after World War II was a tripartite state system of governance. The open democratic state and the authoritarian security state were both increasingly dominated by an American deep state.Aaron Good concludes by assessing the prospects for a revival of US democracy.
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.