Age Of Fear

The new "post-9/11 era" is an age of fear. International relations is now not just about power politics but also about fear politics. We live in a world where power is no longer an adequate guarantee against fear. The more powerful a nation is, the more fearful it becomes. This book examines how this transformation came about. It looks at three kinds of fear which define international politics today: fear of postmodern terrorism, fear of American unilateralism, and fear of the state apparatus empowered by the war on terror. The legitimacy of the war in Iraq and its implications for international security; and the impact of the war on terror on democracy and human rights are provocatively discussed.