What a odd little book. I am not sure what to think about Gore Vidal of all people endorsing the conspiracy theory that Timothy McVeigh was framed for the Oklahoma City bombing, made a patsy for a government plot to consolidate the Clinton police state. Not that I don't find the theory completely plausible (I was raised on the fringes of the survivalist right, after all), but it seems like a very unusual place to encounter it.

A collection of essays, mostly about 9/11 and Timothy McVeigh, but more broadly about American foreign policy and the unceasing military adventurism around the world. And also the consequences of those actions. Vidal is not an America first (he lived his last years in Italy) or an apologist. If anything, even American liberals might find him too critical of how the US has engaged in military actions over the years. But he does show how quickly we pull the trigger, and his pages-long list of military adventures just since World War II is eye-opening, even if some of his examples are debatable.

Gore Vidal is one of those guys whose books I keep meaning to read but I just ended up with a couple of Vanity Fair articles. This is a collection of essays written after 9/11. I remember searching for this book for a while after I read "September 11, 2001", because he couldn't get them published in the States. So much for freedom of speech...

Gore Vidal has some incredible insights to offer, seemingly predicting the future from the early 2000s. He jumps around to a few different imperialism-related topics that all illustrated his point. Highly recommended. A great pairing with “What Uncle Sam Really Wants” by Chomsky.

Luv this dude.

Gore Vidal's writing is full of passion and wit, which makes for an entertaining read. The use of language and phrasing is captivating and inspirational. Unfortunately apart from this there is little educational value to it. Vidal's views come across as shallow, bordering on the conspiratorial. The absurdity of some of his arguments alongside his relentless polemical tirade against the US government has to effect that the book comes off more as propaganda than an honest reflection on US policy.

I was looking for Perpetual Peace by Immanuel Kant but ended up reading this - what feels to me like a really good insight into the movement that produced the tea party. Libertarianism is always so interesting to me because of the similar critiques of the US war machine and government corruption, but some of the solutions are like what? Horseshoe theory or something.

Anyway, this was written crazy and there were a few interesting moments that I wish Vidal spent more time writing about to make stronger connections that would have really strengthened the work. After reading, I’m left a bit confused lol.

Gore Vidal has read everything and met everyone, from Plato on.

So whatever he says its worth listening to, if only for the way in which he says it.

I respect Vidal. I largely agree with him on most things. But I don’t think this book does much to convince people to agree with him, unfortunately. It’s a bit tough to understand, it reads more like a rant with a lot of threads thrown out there and left unproven, and it takes controversial stances likely to alienate people. I’m no fan of the government, for instance, but I’m also left unconvinced that the people of Waco were somehow innocently minding their own business. If you want to throw water on the idea that Koresh was a pedophile you really need to show your evidence and work, and that’s just not really done here. I agree the “child diddler” is an easy vilifying charge in our day, but with the charge out there you can’t just really say “how convenient for the FBI” and leave it there. I’ll admit, Vidal’s work makes me want to read more on Waco and The OKC bomber, but what he actually presents really didn’t sway my mind in any way. I figured this would explore US interventionalism more, there are plenty of reasons to distrust and hate our government, but examining the OKC bomber’s motives just doesn’t seem the tact to take. Short interesting read, but one that leaves me unchanged.

Don't bother. Back when I was a conservative, (and thought Gore Vidal evil incarnate) over dinner a congressman from west Texas told me Gore Vidal was an excellent writer - of fiction. I read all of his fiction and historical fiction and he was a great writer.
But this is nothing but a sarcastic, 100 page rant. I didn't finish it. Too little time left to waste it on drivel like this.

"The American People are as devoted to the idea of sin and its punishment as they are to making money"

Gore Vidal has some absolute bangers in this book. It at times feels very current for the fact that it was written 20 years ago, with the notable exception of his takes on airplane travel.

This comes right on the heels of 9/11 and as someone whose first flight was in 2003, I can't sympathize with his panic over having to go through security or show an ID to get in a plane. But then again that could just be me being conditioned not to question it. I don't know any different.

He is bang on the money when it comes to why we, as the US, have become so hated in the last 70 or so years. We've taken on wars of attrition that will never be won to the detriment of ourselves and the world. Only two people win the war on drugs, the people who make drugs and the people who put drug addicts in jail.

"War is the no-win all-lose option"

Vidal confronts the events of September 11th and explores how the United States became so hated. Vidal not only explores what prompted the events of that day, but delves further by questioning the motivations behind domestic terrorist like Timothy McVay.