Outsourced Empire, livre ebook

There has been a shift in the way that we understand the forces behind imperialism. In this book, Andrew Thomson re-evaluates the history of US imperialism, from the Cold War to today, by looking at the influence of paramilitary actors.Thomson reveals how these agents are central to US imperialism - from the Guatemalan coup to the Bay of Pigs, from Syrian rebel factions to the Soviet-Afghan War, bringing these narratives together to reveal the evolution of paramilitary insurgencies across the globe. Militias, mercenaries, and private companies (PMCs) have formed a central part of the strategies designed to influence political and economic conditions abroad, oriented towards the US’s Empire.  Drawing on declassified documents including US training manuals, CIA communiqués and the National Security Archive, Outsourced Empire reveals new evidence that helps us understand these institutions and their collective role in maintaining global order.List of Abbreviations and AcronymsIntroduction1. US Imperial Statecraft and Para-Institutional Forces2. Covert Regime Change in the Early Cold War: 'Power MovesInvolved in the Overthrow of an Unfriendly Government'3. Counterinsurgent Statecraft: Militias, Mercenaries and Contractors4. Reagan, Low-Intensity Conflict and the Expansion ofPara-Institutional Statecraft5. Continuity After the Cold War and the Consolidation ofPara-Institutional Complexes6. The War on Terror, Irregular Warfare and the GlobalProjection of ForceConclusionsNotesIndex