Who Benefits from Global Violence and War

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Who Benefits from Global Violence and War Uncovering a Destructive System

Marc Pilisuk

With Jennifer Achord Rountree

Book Code: C9435

ISBN: 0-275-99435-X

ISBN-13: 978-0-275-99435-8

DOI:

336 pages

Praeger Security International General Interest-Cloth

Publication: 12/30/2007

List Price: $49.95 (UK Sterling Price: £27.95)

Availability: In Stock

Media Type: Hardcover

Also Available: Ebook

Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4

Subjects:

Series Title: Contemporary Psychology

Endorsement From Tom Hayden
author of Ending the War in Iraq [2006], long-time peace and justice advocate: One of the most comprehensive--and programmatic-- discussions of the sources and nature of global violence in years.
Endorsement From William A. Gamson
Professor of Sociology, Boston University: There are painful truths here for Americans about the role our government plays in perpetuating global violence--but some readers will be inspired to follow the author's advice on what can be done about it.
Endorsement From Stanley Krippner, PhD
Saybrook Graduate School Co-author of Haunted by Combat: Marc Pilisuk has cast his net over the threats to world peace and ecological balance, pulling in not only fish but monsters of the deep. After painting a picture gloomier than any canvas by Bosch or Goya, Pilisuk offers a glimmer of hope for a planet suffering from a life-threatening disease. Globalization can become an instrument for peace and justice. Non-Governmental Organizations can focus on issues and people who would otherwise fall through the cracks of institutional neglect. The sum total of citizens' actions can become a "second super power." Pilisuk suggests that "the Devil is in the system" that promulgates global violence. If so, his innovative, yet practical, suggestions provide a blueprint for exorcism. Indeed, no recent book presents today's pathologies so clearly nor provides potential remedies with such brilliant articulation
Endorsement From Milton Schwebel, Ph.D.
Emeritus Dean and Professor, Rutgers University
Emeritus Professor, Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology,Rutgers
Emeritus Dean, Graduate School of Education, Rutgers University
Founding Editor, Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology Former President, Psychologists for Social Responsibility: This is a rare book: It speaks the truth about the causes of war. Dr. Pilisuk cuts through the veil of theories that mystify and obscure rather than explain the causes. He exposes the hidden workings of the interdisciplinary phenomenon of war. This is a scholarly work, fully referenced and documented, yet accessible to the general public. Revealing "the devil in the system," the book is a forthright and hard-hitting critique of the power elites control of government, foreign policy and the media.
Endorsement From G. William Domhoff,
Research Professor in Psychology and Sociology, University of California, Santa Cruz
Author of Who Rules America ? Power Politics and Social Change: In this encyclopedic and yet highly focused analysis of the causes and consequences of violence and wars, Marc Pilisuk builds on the tradition established by his two great mentors, Kenneth Boulding and Antatol Rapoport and then adds in his own lifetime of insightful scholarship to create a masterful synthesis that makes sense out of the vast literature on violence and war-making. Despite the painful picture that he is forced to paint, he also draws on his experience as a social psychologist and anti-war activist to suggest ways to alter the processes leading to violence. This is a sober book that nonetheless leaves us with hope for future generations.

Description: Military, economic, and environmental violence in the era of globalization cause immense suffering and may ultimately threaten the existence of life as we know it, but author Pilisuk explains that the future can change if we understand and act upon the roots of violence. A professor emeritus of psychology and human and community development, Pilisuk explains how most violence is the product of a human-built social order in which some people and institutions control most of the resources, make the decisions that necessitate violence, and operate with minimal accountability. The common root of war, poverty, environmental destruction, and other forms of violence is spotlighted. Such violence, says Pilisuk, is a natural consequence of a system inordinately influenced by a relatively small, interconnected group of corporate, military, and government leaders with the power to instill fear, to increase their excessive fortunes, and to restrict information, particularly about their own clandestine dealings. This text includes scholarship hailing from across disciplines, combined with information from investigative journalism, and insights from nonprofit watchdog groups, all shedding light on centralized power and its effects. Pilisuk presents material including the range of tactics used to manipulate and destroy adversaries, the human capacity to kill as a challenge, and how media is used by powerful groups to manipulate fear and maintain their power. Here, readers find solid social science to support what whistleblowers and social critics are observing about a system that needs change.

Table of Contents:

Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Costs of Modern War
Chapter 2: Killing: War and the Minds of Men
Chapter 3: The Hidden Structure of Violence
Chapter 4: People, Farmland, Water, and Narcotics
Chapter 5: Networks of Power
Chapter 6: RealPolitik: Strategies and Tactics for Winning
Chapter 7: Disinformation
Chapter 8: Values and Habits that Maintain a Violent System

LC Card Number: 2007036174

LCC Class: HM554

Dewey Class: 303

PDF Catalogs:
Academic Library Spring 2008.pdf


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