Nemesis

In the stunning conclusion to his bestselling Blowback trilogy, Chalmers Johnson exposes the overreach of the American empire and its dire consequences for the republic

In his prophetic book Blowback, Chalmers Johnson linked the CIA's clandestine activities abroad to disaster at home. In The Sorrows of Empire, he explored how the growth of American militarism and global garrisoning have jeopardized our stability. Now in Nemesis, Johnson reveals the ways in which imperial overstretch is undermining the republic itself, both economically and politically.

Delving into new areas—from plans to militarize outer space to Constitution-breaking presidential activities at home and the devastating corruption of a toothless Congress—Nemesis offers a striking description of the trap into which the ambitions of America's leaders have taken us. Drawing comparisons to empires past, Johnson explores in vivid detail the unintended consequences of our dependence on a permanent war economy.

What does it mean when a nation's main intelligence organization becomes the president's secret army? Or when the world's sole "hyperpower," no longer capable of paying for its leaders' vaulting ambitions, becomes the greatest hyper-debtor of all time? In his stunning conclusion, Johnson suggests that financial bankruptcy could herald the breakdown of constitutional government in America—a crisis that may ultimately prove to be the only path to a renewed nation.