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  • Clear and Present Safety

  • The World Has Never Been Better and Why That Matters to Americans
  • Written by: Michael A. Cohen, Micah Zenko
  • Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
  • Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (4 ratings)

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Clear and Present Safety

Written by: Michael A. Cohen, Micah Zenko
Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
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Publisher's Summary

An eye-opening look at the history of national security fear-mongering in America and how it distracts citizens from the issues that really matter

What most frightens the average American? Terrorism. North Korea. Iran. But what if none of these are probable or consequential threats to America? What if the world today is safer, freer, wealthier, healthier, and better-educated than ever before? What if the real dangers to Americans are noncommunicable diseases, gun violence, drug overdoses, and even hospital infections? 

In this compelling look at what they call the "Threat-Industrial Complex", Michael A. Cohen and Micah Zenko explain why politicians, policy analysts, academics, and journalists are misleading Americans about foreign threats and ignoring more serious national security challenges at home. Cohen and Zenko argue that we should ignore Washington's threat-mongering and focus instead on furthering extraordinary global advances in human development and economic and political cooperation. At home, we should focus on that which actually harms us and undermines our quality of life: substandard schools and health care, inadequate infrastructure, gun violence, income inequality, and political paralysis.

©2019 Michael A. Cohen and Micah Zenko (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

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Wouldn't it be nice...

This is a well researched take on what is wrong with the U.S. government's foreign policies and its effect on past and present society. As they write, if your biggest tool is a hammer, every problem begins to look like a nail. Backed by statistical research, the authors describe what effect fear mongering has had on internal/ foreign political policies and the growth/ expense of the American military. They also offer an alternate perspective, "what if?" America could reorganize their priorities. Unfortunately, the authors describe early in the book the very reason it isn't likely to change. Notably, fear inspired survival instinct trumps feel-good human interest. Even if American society were to rationalize toward positive productive progress, they are still affected by the lowest common denominator of the world; some bad global actors will still operate on fear and terror. The example in the book of George Dubs' response to 9/11 at the Flyer's game makes this obvious. Rather than announcing America's new global war on terror, he could have tried inspiring the public to not panic and over react to the event,,,, ....rrrrrrriight. If only.

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