The War at Home

The Domestic Costs of Bush’s Militarism

A look at the hidden cost of the Iraq war by the preeminent social scientist

“A brilliant and provocative theory of what’s driving the new imperialism—and no, it’s not the oil, stupid!” —Barbara Ehrenreich

The hardcover release of The War at Home helped turn the spotlight back to the home front, focusing attention on the domestic causes and consequences of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The subject of much attention upon its initial release, this sharp, incisive volume reveals the extent to which ordinary Americans, as well as Iraqis and Afghanis, are the victims of the Bush administration’s warmongering.

Frances Fox Piven, one of the country’s most celebrated political thinkers, explores the internal fallout of America’s most recent military conflicts. Her trenchant exploration puts America’s latest military involvement in historical context, revealing the way in which the current wars violate the lessons of history. While previous conflicts have led governments to compensate citizens for costly sacrifices in blood and money with progressive social programs at home, the Bush administration has rolled back democratic rights and slashed taxes for the rich, even reducing some veterans’ benefits.

With an analysis of the way in which war has propped up American rulers, The War at Home makes sense of the Bush administration’s military adventures abroad in the context of current domestic policy.

Praise

“The most thoroughgoing, detailed indictment of George W. Bush and his cronies that has appeared between two covers.”
—Peter Edelman, author of Searching for America’s Heart
“Frances Fox Piven has hit the nail on the head as usual.”
—Theodore J. Lowi, author of The End of Liberalism
“Good fuel for arguments with the Republican next door.”
Kirkus Reviews
“Superb and provocative.”
The Capital Times
“After all that has been written on the Iraq war, Frances Fox Piven supplies the missing piece of the puzzle.”
—Fred Block, author of The Vampire State
“Synthesizes a wide range of reportage and commentators.”
Publishers Weekly

Books by Frances Fox Piven

The Breaking of the American Social Compact

Frances Fox Piven, Richard A. Cloward

Who’s Afraid of Frances Fox Piven?
The Essential Writings of the Professor Glenn Beck Loves to Hate

Frances Fox Piven

Keeping Down the Black Vote
Race and the Demobilization of American Voters

Frances Fox Piven, Lorraine C. Minnite, Margaret Groarke

Goodreads Reviews