Imperial Benevolence

This is a necessary and urgent read for anyone concerned about the United States&#39; endless wars. Investigating multiple genres of popular culture alongside contemporary U.S. foreign policy and political economy, <I>Imperial Benevolence&#160;</I>shows that American popular culture continuously suppresses awareness of U.S. imperialism while assuming American exceptionalism and innocence. This is despite the fact that it is rarely a product of the state. Expertly coordinated essays by prominent historians and media scholars address the ways that movies and television series such as&#160;<I>Zero Dark Thirty, The Avengers</I>, and even&#160;<I>The Walking Dead,&#160;</I>as well as video games such as&#160;<I>Call of Duty: Black Ops</I>, have largely presented the United States as a global force for good. Popular culture, with few exceptions, has depicted the U.S. as a reluctant hegemon fiercely defending human rights and protecting or expanding democracy from the barbarians determined to destroy it.<BR /> &#160;