Booknotes

The Rockets' Red Glare

Richard J. Barnet discussed his book The Rockets' Red Glare: When America Goes to War, the Presidents and the People. The author examined th… read more

Richard J. Barnet discussed his book The Rockets' Red Glare: When America Goes to War, the Presidents and the People. The author examined the role of public opinion in presidential administrations from George Washington to Ronald Reagan. The premise of the book is that war is “the great test of democracy.” Mr. Barnet was concerned about the role of the public in foreign policy decisions, especially in the changing “post-Cold War” world. The author discussed differences between his theories and those of Walter Lippman, whose early writings warned of the constraints of public opinion on leaders' decision making. He also discussed the relationship between journalists, scholars, and politicians in “propagandizing” the public.

Barnet described the Institute for Policy Studies, which he co-founded in 1963. He talked about the lack of political dialogue by politicians and the public leading to passivity in responding to changes in the world. close

Report Video Issue

People in this video

Hosting Organization

Series

More information about

The Rockets' Red Glare

1,170 Views
Program ID:
11365-1
Category:
Booknotes
Format:
Booknotes
Location:
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
First Aired:
Mar 04, 1990 | 7:59pm EST | C-SPAN 1
Last Aired:
Jul 20, 2006 | 1:00am EDT | C-SPAN 3

Airing Details

  • Mar 04, 1990 | 7:59pm EST | C-SPAN 1
  • Mar 04, 1990 | 11:01pm EST | C-SPAN 1
  • Mar 05, 1990 | 2:45am EST | C-SPAN 2
  • Mar 05, 1990 | 6:21am EST | C-SPAN 1
  • Mar 05, 1990 | 9:55am EST | C-SPAN 2
  • Mar 11, 2006 | 6:01pm EST | C-SPAN 2
  • Jul 20, 2006 | 1:00am EDT | C-SPAN 3
Purchase a Download

The Rockets' Red Glare

  • MP3 audio - Standard
    Price:
    $0.99

User Created Clips from This Video