Fascism, ethnic cleansing, and the ‘new militarism’ : assessing the recent historical sociology of Michael Mann
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy
Publication Date
2007
Volume
10
Issue
1
First Page
99
Last Page
113
Publisher
Routledge
Keywords
Bush administration, ethnic cleansing, militarism, fascism
Abstract
For over 30 years, Michael Mann has been engaged in a project of impressive span and erudition: a historical sociology of power from ancient civilizations to the modern era. This essay examines Mann's recent contributions to this enterprise, namely, two major books on fascism and ethnic cleansing, and a third text devoted to the putative ‘militarist’ security policy of the United States. The review's argument is that, for all Mann's learning, his historical sociology of fascism is over‐generalized and his concept of democracy (key to his discussion of ethnic cleansing) is too vague. Mann's polemic against the current Bush administration is also found wanting, principally for its moral evasions. The essay concludes with a reminder of the hard choices that responsible politicians, as distinct from academics free of political responsibility, are compelled to make.
DOI
10.1080/13698230601122503
Print ISSN
13698230
E-ISSN
17438772
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2007 Taylor & Francis
Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Baehr, P. (2007). Fascism, ethnic cleansing, and the ‘new militarism’: Assessing the recent historical sociology of Michael Mann. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 10(1), 99-113. doi: 10.1080/13698230601122503