This book explains why the US repeatedly chose military force over diplomacy after the Cold War, and why those decisions often backfired. It focuses on American wars in the Middle East and South Asia, showing how the US attacked weak states, but provoked resistance and instability. Drawing on examples of American intervention, the book provides an understanding of why the world's most powerful country kept fighting wars it couldn't win--and why it eventually began to change course. Jason Brownlee is a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin, where he writes and teaches about the comparative politics of the Global South and US foreign policy. His academic research and travels focus on the Muslim-majority countries of South Asia and West Asia (the Middle East). Jason Brownlee is a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin, where he writes and teaches about the comparative politics of the Global South and US foreign policy. His academic research and travels focus on the Muslim-majority countries of South Asia and West Asia (the Middle East).