Going to War with the Other: A Study of U.S. Foreign Policies of ...

The objective of this book is to use Edward Said's theory of Orientalism in order to increase our understanding of how and why the United States goes to war in the manner in which it has and does. I examined all cases of United States foreign policies of overt violence, bounded by and including, Vietnam (1964-1969) and Iraq (2003-2007). What this research showed was quite contrary to Orientalism’s expectations (as well as my own). While I cannot categorically deny the existence of any supportive evidence for Orientalism, there is clearly no extant pattern of such ideological discourse in any examined cases. The evidence uncovered in this book suggests a renewed caution when dealing with questions of Orientalism, and a more robust consideration of the empirical record.

Evan Renfro is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Northern Iowa. A former U.S. Air Force intelligence analyst, and now a Disabled Veteran, Dr. Renfro received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, and Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Before coming to Northern Iowa, Dr. Renfro was a Fleet Professor at the United States Naval War College in Pearl Harbor, HI, where he taught the seminar on Strategy and War. With a research agenda focused on the nexus of International security and culture, Dr. Renfro has published in such outlets as the International Journal of Cultural Studies; Marine Corps Gazette; Joint Force Quarterly; Cultural Studies; and Theory & Event. His recently published book is “Political Graffiti and Global Human Rights” (2023, Lexington). Evan also loves teaching and was awarded the University of Northern Iowa Outstanding Teaching Award.