A World Ignited

A World Ignited is about the surge of anger that has swept the world in the last decade, its myriad causes, its toll in lives and human misery. The authors conclude this important and timely book in an upbeat manner with a look at the politics of hope and what can be done to halt, and even reverse, this cacophony of hate.

War. Torture. Humiliation. Exploitation. Fear. Futility. The daily news is bleak. And it's not reserved to just one corner of the globe. World wide we are bombarded with graphic, emotionally-laden examples of inhumanity. These challenges to peace and freedom have become so commonplace that public and government responses are sedate or self-righteous. Meanwhile in more malevolent countries, manipulative politicians and sadistic terrorists have become skilled at exploiting this state of affairs. And we ignore it at our own peril.

A World Ignited is about the surge of hatred that has swept the world in the last decade, its myriad causes, its toll in lives and human misery. This condition is amplified by modern communications technology, especially television and the Internet, and made more lethal by modern weaponry, including assault rifles and rocket launchers, and unprecedented tactics that strive for mass death and anguish. Anger is fed by economic disparities, religious and cultural wars that go back centuries, and deep-seated feelings of defeat and humiliation. The book takes aim at the Bush administration for its penchant for provocative and unilateral policies that have inspired unprecedented waves of anti-Americanism, but it also breaks new ground on both Bush's unsung role in combating worldwide anti-Semitism, and the role of the United States as the fount of hate on the Internet. The authors conclude this important and timely book in a positive manner with a look at the politics of hope and what can be done to halt, and even reverse, this cacophony of hate.

Chapter 1 1. Ancient Hatreds, Modern Wars
Chapter 2 2. That Light Sleeper: Anti-Semitism
Chapter 3 3. Religion and the Rise of Anger
Chapter 4 4. The Psychology of Anger
Chapter 5 5. Blood Diamonds: Economic Rights and World Anger
Chapter 6 6. Sadat and the "October 6th Victory": From Anger to Peace
Chapter 7 7. Hearts and Minds: Pre-emptive War and World Anger
Chapter 8 8. Megabytes of Hate
Chapter 9 9. The Politics of Hope
Chapter 10 Appendix A. Global Anti-Semitism
Chapter 11 Appendix B: Genocide and the 20th Century
Chapter 12 Appendix C: Truth Commissions — Varieties of Justice