Description

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An argument against the myth of "American exceptionalism"

Endless Holocausts: Mass Death in the History of the United States Empire helps us to come to terms with what we have long suspected: the rise of the U.S. Empire has relied upon an almost unimaginable loss of life, from its inception during the European colonial period, to the present. And yet, in the face of a series of endless holocausts at home and abroad, the doctrine of American exceptionalism has plagued the globe for over a century.

However much the ruling class insists on U.S. superiority, we find ourselves in the midst of a sea change. Perpetual wars, deteriorating economic conditions, the resurgence of white supremacy, and the rise of the Far Right have led millions of people to abandon their illusions about this country. Never before have so many people rejected or questioned traditional platitudes about the United States.

In Endless Holocausts author David Michael Smith demolishes the myth of exceptionalism by demonstrating that manifold forms of mass death, far from being unfortunate exceptions to an otherwise benign historical record, have been indispensable in the rise of the wealthiest and most powerful imperium in the history of the world. At the same time, Smith points to an extraordinary history of resistance by Indigenous peoples, people of African descent, people in other nations brutalized by U.S. imperialism, workers, and democratic-minded people around the world determined to fight for common dignity and the sake of the greater good.

About the Author

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David Michael Smith has a doctorate in political science from the City University of New York Graduate Center, is a former professor of government and union president at College of the Mainland. He has also taught at the University of Houston-Downtown, York College, Brooklyn College, Stevens Institute of Technology, and other institutions. His writings have appeared in Peace Review, International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest, Journal for the Study of Peace and Conflict, Socialism and Democracy, Vanguard Dossier (Spain), Countercurrents (India), and other publications.