Empire in Denial: The Politics of State-Building

Empire in Denial: The Politics of State-Building by Chandler, David. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780745324289.

David Chandler argues that state-building, as it is currently conceived, does not work. In the 1990s, interventionist policies challenged the rights of individual states to self-governance. Today, non-Western states are more likely to be feted by international institutions offering programmes of poverty-reduction, democratisation and good governance. States without the right of self-government will always lack legitimate authority. The international policy agenda focuses on bureaucratic mechanisms, which can only instutiutionalise divisions between the West and the non-West and are unable to overcome the social and political divisions of post-conflict states. Highlighting the dangers of current policy -- including the redefinition of sovereignty, and the subsquent erosion of ties linking power and accountability -- David Chandler offers a critical look at state-building that will be of interest to all students of international affairs. Praise for From Kosovo to Kabul and Beyond: A fine book. Edward S. Herman Anyone concerned with world events should read this book. Global Dialogue