Author(s): ZIAUDDIN SARDAR AND MERRYL WYN DAVIES

Current Affairs

Ziauddin Sardar and Merryl Wyn Davies' "Why Do People Hate America?" explored the question that emerged from the infernal destruction of 9/11. It found answers in the ways that the US engages with the rest of the world: the hamburger syndrome of the lone hyperpower. "Will America Change?" updates the analysis to show how this led to the doctrine of pre-emptive response in Afghanistan and Iraq, and then turns its attention to the major question of today - the American way of disengagement. From Vietnam to the end of the Cold War to Iraq, the US has embraced militarism and used its power to make the world secure for American interests. The problem of America has become more acute, more invasive and more resented around the world. As America debates how to extract itself from the Iraq quagmire, will it seek real change or more of the same? In a year of decision, can America help to make the world a safer place?