Nathan J. Robinson

'One of the greatest, most radical public thinkers of our time. When the sun sets on the American empire, as it will, as it must, Noam Chomsky's work will survive' Arundhati RoyFrom one of the world’s most prominent thinkers comes an urgent warning of the threat that US power poses to humanity’s futureThe land of the free. The home of the brave. But what has America achieved in the aim of ‘spreading democracy’ — except wreak havoc across the globe and establish a reckless foreign policy that serves the interest of few and has endangered all too many? In this timely book, Noam Chomsky writing with Nathan J. Robinson, vividly traces America’s pursuit of global domination, offering an incisive critique of the self-serving myths that dominant elites in the United States continue to push. Offering penetrating accounts of Washington’s role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, they examine how interventions such as these have been justified with noble stories about humanitarian missions and benevolent intentions but are now driving us closer to wars with Russia and China. At once thorough and devastating, urgent and provocative, The Myth of American Idealism offers a highly readable entry to the conclusions Noam Chomsky has come to after a lifetime of thought and activism.'The west's most prominent critic of US imperialism . . . the closest thing in the English-speaking world to an intellectual superstar' Guardian

"For anyone wanting to find out more about the world we live in . . . there is one simple answer: read Noam Chomsky." --The New Statesman From one of the world's most prominent thinkers comes an urgent warning of the threat that U. S. power poses to humanity's future as well as a sharp indictment of both American foreign policy and the national myths that support it. The Myth of American Idealism offers a timely and comprehensive introduction to the incisive critiques of U. S. power that have made Noam Chomsky a "global phenomenon," one of the most widely known public intellectuals of all time. Surveying the history of U. S. military and economic activity around the world, Chomsky and his co-author Nathan J. Robinson vividly trace the way the American pursuit of global domination has wrought havoc in country after country - without, ironically, making Americans any safer. And they explore how dominant elites in the United States have pushed self-serving myths about this country's commitment to "spreading democracy," while pursuing a reckless foreign policy that served the interest of few and endangered all too many. Chomsky and Robinson range across the globe, offering penetrating accounts of Washington's relationship with the Global South, its role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -all justified with noble stories about humanitarian missions and the benevolent intentions of American policy makers. The same kinds of myths that have led to repeated disastrous wars, they argue, are now driving us closer to wars with Russia and China that imperil humanity's future. Examining nuclear proliferation and climate change, they show how U. S. policies are continuing to exacerbate global threats. For well over half a century, Noam Chomsky has committed himself to exposing governing ideologies and criticizing his country's unchecked use of military power. At once thorough and devastating, urgent and provocative, The Myth of American Idealism offers a highly readable entry to the conclusions he has come to after a lifetime of thought and activism.

The editor of Current Affairs artfully and efficiently debunks a series of common right-wing arguments. Are taxes theft? Is abortion murder? Does regulation destroy jobs? Is white privilege a lie? Conservative talking points are everywhere, and through well-funded media like Fox News, Breitbart, and YouTube's "Prager University," the right has an impressive record of packaging its views for a general audience. Clearly, the left needs to do a better job of fighting back. Luckily, Current Affairs editor Nathan J. Robinson has developed a reputation as a meticulous slayer of irrational and bigoted arguments. He has tangled with the likes of Ben Shapiro, Jordan Peterson, and Charles Murray, exposing their flimsy logic and distorted facts with forensic thoroughness and savage wit. In Responding to the Right, Robinson blasts right-wing nonsense with devastating intellectual weaponry, revealing how everyone from Ann Coulter to the National Review uses fear and lies to manipulate the public. He gives a detailed explanation of how conservative arguments work and why we need to resist them, then goes through twenty-five separate talking points, showing precisely why each one fails. This essential handbook is a stimulating source of issues to debate and a comprehensive challenge to dozens of dominant orthodoxies. It sets a new standard for leftist critique, and would be an invaluable addition to the arsenals of the millions of progressives fighting the political battles of our age.

In this sharp collection of essays from Current Affairs magazine, Nathan J. Robinson systematically demolishes the flimsy intellectual chicanery of contemporary critics of the left. Robinson shows the bankruptcy of conservative ideas and the value of a humane egalitarian alternative.

Bill Clinton has always had a congenial relationship with African Americans, even being labeled "the first black president." Yet Clinton's presidency inflicted devastating harm on many black communities, from which they have yet to recover. Was Clinton a friend to black America? Or did his progressive rhetoric mask a ruthless opportunism? Was Clinton's attitude toward his black supporters "politically pragmatic" or "callously indifferent"? Superpredator is an in-depth look at Bill Clinton's treatment of black lives from Little Rock to Rwanda. Forcefully argued and meticulously sourced, Superpredator will change our view of America's 42nd president. Working with the Current Affairs research team, Nathan J. Robinson has produced a powerful indictment of Clinton's record on race.