An American Century | 1 of 4

From the Four Freedoms to the National Security State.

This is the first of four posts relating to the vision of ‘The American Century’ that animated the creation of the postwar world order. The first looks at the rousing of the US toward global responsibilities in the Second World War, culminating in the establishment of the National Security State. The second examines the postwar notion of America as ‘The Leader of the Free World.’ The third considers the notion of ‘Freedom on the March,’ evolving from a Cold War mission to rationale for twenty-first century ‘forever wars.’ The fourth frames our current challenges as the political economy of empire.