• The Management of Savagery

  • How America's National Security State Fueled the Rise of Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Donald Trump
  • By: Max Blumenthal
  • Narrated by: David de Vries
  • Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (241 ratings)

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The Management of Savagery  By  cover art

The Management of Savagery

By: Max Blumenthal
Narrated by: David de Vries
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Publisher's summary

The rise of international jihad and Western ultra-nationalism

In The Management of Savagery, Max Blumenthal excavates the real story behind America's dealings with the world and shows how the extremist forces that now threaten peace across the globe are the inevitable flowering of America's imperial designs.

Washington's secret funding of the mujahedin provoked the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. With guns and money, the United States has ever since sustained the extremists, including Osama Bin Laden, who have become its enemies. The Pentagon has trained and armed jihadist elements in Afghanistan, Syria, and Libya; it has launched military interventions to change regimes in the Middle East. In doing so, it created fertile ground for the Islamic State and brought foreign conflicts home to American soil.

These failed wars abroad have made the United States more vulnerable to both terrorism as well as native ultra-nationalism. The Trump presidency is the inevitable consequence of neoconservative imperialism in the post-Cold War age. Trump's dealings in the Middle East are likely only to exacerbate the situation.

©2019 Max Blumenthal (P)2019 Tantor

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Middle management of savagery.

Max Blumenthal is one of our best fact based chroniclers of world events. This is clearly his best yet. However in this piece Max reveals his didactic side by extended criticisms of corporate media and bought politicians. He describes the rise of Al Qaeda Isis and Trump as blowback: the unintended consequences of the bad ideas of stupid people. A common refrain. An understandable conclusion if it happened once in a while. But as this book points out it happens all the time. I wonder if Blumenthal sees the consistent pattern that he so eloquently describes; Blowback is not a bug in the system. It is a feature. It is driven by profit seeking and the advance of deeply disturbing form of totalitarian capitalism capable of selling crack to its own citizens and funding both sides of a war.
Max if youre reading this, your readers are angry. We read your books because you are one of the few who report on the corruption of power and its consequences. However we already know our leaders and our institutions corrupt. We see the evidence everyday as our tax dollars engorge elites with ever increasing amounts of wealth and power. Furthering this insidious engine of death and misery all around the planet. We want to know who is behind that corruption and how to stop them. I’ll wait for your next book: The CEOs of Savagery.

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12 people found this helpful

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Well researched, informative, and intriguing.

Amazon's reveiw requirements have an arbitrary requirment of 15 words which I didn't want to use, but here we are.

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6 people found this helpful

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In One Word, Flawless

I do not write reviews of any sort. But I felt that I had to in this case. As a person who has lived in the Middle East for an extended period of time, I found the author’s work to be compelling, fair, and frighteningly accurate. The author methodically breaks down the complex issues of today’s Middle East into their basic elements before reconnecting those elements by exposing their perceived AND real connections within the larger picture. A phenomenal book for those who dare to challenge well-established political fallacies with open mind and deep research.

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Puts you in the US war machines latest mess

First as of the writing of this review Max Blumenthal was arrested in SWAT action by DC police on bogus charges for a suppose assault were he tried to get food to hold outs in the Venezuelan who were being starved out by a mob of right wing protesters and police 4 months ago. Blumenthal is also the editor for the Gray Zone which has been giving the deep state a lot grief. In this you get an on the ground view of this brutal war and the false narrative the US mainstream media paints. In this books you get the bloody warts and all view of event all to often caused by our Deep State.

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Expectations Exceeded

I was already expecting great work from Blumenthal, based on his journalism, and the book didn't break from his superb ability to dig up the most important of facts and provide an excellent history and narration of the Western Genesis of Muslim extremist terror. Able to clearly discern between Propaganda and flat out lies, there is so much here that would make the average American entirely rethink the last 40 years, the people that are in public office, and why we are spending so much money to continue to exacerbate a problem we created, instead of mending relations and assisting war torn countries to create allies instead of enemies. Highly recommended reading, and can't wait to see another book from Max.

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Good book, a lot to comprehend

It’s a thoroughly well documented story as stated in the title. I think I would have preferred reading the book. There are so many names and stories to keep track of while listening as the narrator speeds you through it. It took a while to get in sync with the narrator’s speed reading
Author did a great job but I was hoping he would have mentioned the mysterious murder of Seth Rich.

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Excellent. Should be required student reading.

Blumenthal, always an excellent journalist, continues his excellent work with Management Of Savagery. An insightful look at the underlying truth which motivates the Empire. Greed and nationalistic fervor.

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Brave truth teller!

Enlightening one to a very complex and purposefully distorted war narrative. Hard to follow middle eastern names but not insurmountable in the end.

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Great Book.

I liked the book. As Americans we don't learn recent history and so it appears we are ignorant of all foreign policies which affect us in the short and long run. This book goes into why it is the bi-partisan consensus Americans should be skeptical of and hold thier representative responsible.

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If you think the government has your

Best interests in mind, ask the American Indian how that worked out for them.... I don't remember who said that but this book helps prove the point.
Politicians are as crooked as a dog's hind leg. Those in powerful positions do awful things to people. You keep electing these lifetime politicians and it gets worse.
The scary part is that they put people they have in their pockets, into positions within agencies
that have the power to fabricate a completely false accusation about you or senario if you get in their way, or if you don't agree with them. I think the example of the FBI trying to get the guy (who ended up shooting up the gay bar) to "perform a controlled terror attack" is just the tip of the iceberg. It's pretty frightening. Not that I feel bad about that scumbag, but it's a basic example of how manipulation is present.
The book over all is pretty interesting.

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  • greyo
  • 01-05-20

Connects the Dots

Progressively builds a clear picture of the state of affairs regarding the War on Terror. Makes far more sense the MSM narrative sound bites and misinformation.

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  • Richard L.
  • 10-26-23

DISGUSTING.


Just why I DETEST THE WARMONGERING, greedy, psychopathic 'governments' of ALL WESTERN COUNTRIES AND THEIR NEVER-ENDING, PLUNDERING, MURDEROUS
& traitorous wars. I WISH they would all be dragged before a really effective COURT OF LAW and punished for all the innocent lives they have taken over 100's of years.

SHAME ON ALL: THE PERPETRATORS; THE MILITARY; THE PLANNERS; THE CLUELESS SO-CALLED LEADERS. MAY THEY ALL ROT IN HELL FOR WHAT THEY HAVE MADE THIS WORLD INTO: HELL ON EARTH. PLUS ALL THE POPULATIONS WHOSE APATHY, IGNORANCE AND ' WANT TO LEAD MY OWN LIFE' HAS FACILITATED THIS.

GOOD RIDDANCE TO YOU ALL.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 10-24-22

informative

informative good to listen list of Truth a hidden messages government colluding with terrorists.

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  • Bill Atkinson
  • 08-23-22

Eye opening

The USA trying to appear imperial but without insight into other cultures. A continuously failing project at enormous expense.

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  • kev K.............
  • 07-18-22

Brilliant

This was a fantastic book which merges history with contemporary international politics. Highly recommended. I’d put the author up there with the likes of Fisk and Pilger

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  • N. J. Thomas
  • 08-19-21

Brilliant journalism

excellent research jaw dropping information on subjects I thought I knew? who knew the Americans,British and Israeli's are the evil empire? me now

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  • J. Gree
  • 03-12-21

Dry Facts

My goodness a well researched book but presented in a very fact after fact dry way, not much to keep the reader engaged...

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  • Anthony
  • 07-25-20

must know information

Great research and information you will not hear in the News cycle .... This is why our world looks like it does today.

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  • matt r.
  • 08-25-22

Eye watering exposure on media and political power

Prepare to be shocked as time after time, well worn and known political and media talking points are held up to the light and seen as the hollow BS that they are.

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  • Red Skippy
  • 10-25-21

USA has no right to police the world

a detailed analysis of the crimes committed by the USA and its allies in the largely manufactured war on terror. illuminating antidote to a chorus of MSM war mongering

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  • William Marshall
  • 08-31-20

Max you're the best.

One can only listen with increasing amazement at Max's incredible memory and research capabilities into the neocene world of the neo-liberals that run America as they pervert all peaceful attempts to create a liveable environment for mankind with a constant stream of provocation and warlike invasions.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 06-10-20

One of the most important texts on US empire today

A must read for anyone who wishes to understand the true account on how US foreign policy and the US National Security State have shaped our world. Jam packed with well researched information and geniously put together, Max Blumenthal is an amazing journalist and writer. I can hardly wait to read his future works.

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  • Father Dave
  • 04-21-20

Absolutely excellent!

Well researched and comprehensive. Along with Seymour Hersch, Blumenthal is one of the greatest commentators on the US struggle for global hegemony and it’s tragic consequences

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  • Christopher Dobbie
  • 11-20-19

disturbing but essential reading

Matthew Blumenthal brings together horrifying facts about the exercising of power in the middle East.

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