I had heard several references to Blowback from alternative media sources so it was time to check the book out. The book discusses the unintended consequences of US Foreign Policy. Chalmers Johnson studies Japanese affairs and the book concentrates on the Far East. The book touches on a lot of good information. For example, did you that in 1980 South Korea was under Martial Law? And that when residents in Kwangju protested, the South Korean military sent in troops that killed hundreds of people? To do that, the US military had to release the Korean 20th Division from its Combined Forces Command. In other words, the US directly supported the massacre of Korean civilians.

I wish I had been advising Johnson when he was writing the book. So many times he is on the way to making a strong point but then stops short, often switching to conjecture when he should crescendo with Freedom Of Information documents. Or he will suck the life out of a point by mixing weak examples along with strong ones. For example he talks about the total lack of Democracy for Japanese citizens on Okinawa Island, and the numerous rape cases the US Military has all but ignored, but then throws in a complaint about aircraft noise around Kadena AFB. Argh!

Until I write my book on the subject of US Foreign Policy, you should read this book to start thinking about the true effects of how your tax dollars are spent.