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Useful Enemies

When Waging Wars Is More Important Than Winning Them

David Keen author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Yale University Press

Published:15th Nov '14

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Useful Enemies cover

There are currently between twenty and thirty civil wars worldwide, while at a global level the Cold War has been succeeded by a "war on drugs" and a "war on terror" that continues to rage a decade after 9/11. Why is this, when we know how destructive war is in both human and economic terms? Why do the efforts of aid organizations and international diplomats founder so often?

In this important book David Keen investigates why conflicts are so prevalent and so intractable, even when one side has much greater military resources. Could it be that endemic disorder and a "state of emergency" are more useful than bringing conflict to a close? Keen asks who benefits from wars--whether economically, politically, or psychologically—and argues that in order to bring them successfully to an end we need to understand the complex vested interests on all sides.

'Engaging and readable ... David Keen's findings will be ever-more important as the UK and its allies try to do more with less' Adrian Johnson, RUSI Journal 'Keen has written an important book' Sibylle Scheipers, International Affairs 'An important perspective on the most troubling dimensions of recent local and regional wars' Publishers Weekly

ISBN: 9780300205435

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 472g

304 pages