Weapons of Mass Destruction and US Foreign Policy: The by Michelle Bentley PDF

This publication examines using strategies – in particular ‘weapons of mass destruction’ (WMD) – in US overseas coverage discourse.

Current research of WMD definition has made headway into deciding upon the repercussions that the conceptual conflation of such various guns – in most cases understood as a connection with nuclear, organic and chemical guns – has for overseas defense. whereas the concept that assumes those guns are ‘equal’, the massive disparity among them, and their disparity from the normal guns from which they're supposedly unique, skill this procedure is obvious as unreflective of fact, inflicting miscalculations in protection coverage. no longer least, this has highlighted that the problem of WMD definition is a concern crisis the place this has direct implications for method.

In distinction, Weapons of Mass Destruction and US overseas Policy argues that this process doesn't effectively painting conceptual which means, quite the place it overlooks how political language is built. In demonstrating this, the publication offers a conceptual heritage of WMD detailing how this has been outlined and used for the reason that its emergence into political discourse c.1945. particularly, it argues that definition is an inherently strategic act; policymakers have intentionally incorporated (or excluded) convinced guns and threats from the class with the intention to form overseas coverage dialogues. As such, knowing the WMD suggestion isn't a look for a unmarried interpretation, yet an research that seeks to understand what the concept that capability at any given time, specifically the place this pertains to the political situations of its use. via making a choice on quite a few ways that WMD has been outlined, the ebook constructs a dynamic view of conceptual which means that recognises and, extra importantly explains, the inherent range in interpretation because the final result of epistemic and institutional context and the strategic reaction of policymakers.

This publication could be of a lot curiosity to scholars of guns of Mass Destruction, US international and defense coverage, defense experiences, political narratives and IR.