A crença na excepcionalidade: a instrumentalização da identidade dos Estados Unidos e a construção da guerra ao terror

Abstract

The 2001 11th September attacks were narrated as a moment of deep change for the American society. Despite the spotlight to human and economic loss the narrative around the event also focused on the shock to consider that the United States territory was attacked and invaded for the first time since Pearl Harbor, on Hawaii, in 1941. President George Bush speeches guaranted the retaliation and aid of the people that were at mercy of terrorist in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq, because it was United States mission in the world ensure the freedom manteinance. There‟s much debate about September 11 as a unique moment, a time of broken international and domestic stability, which would justifiy the countless speeches about the change brought by the event. However, analyzing the speeches more profoundly, it is possible to observe continuity existing on this rethoric. Even if the event was characterized as unique, United States‟ actions were familiar to other moments of the country‟s history because of this particular identity constructed over its existence. This dissertation will analyze what constituted this identity and how it affects United States foreign policy, starting from the hypoteses that this identity was instrumentalized to win legitimacy for the War on Terror. For this analysis, the constructivist approach will be used with the objective of better understanding what constructs this identity and how it influences and affects the country‟s objectives. Therefore, the present research will be divided in three chapters. The first will be destined to better understand the constructivist approach arguments about the identity question and, on a second moment, which are the elements that constitute United States‟ identity. The second chapter will explore the concept of interests on the International Relations and on its second half it intends to comprehend how United States‟ identity constituted its interests.The third and last chapter will explain 2001 September 11th context. The actions taken by United States in the domestic and international field will be presented. Still in that chapter, President George W. Bush‟s speeches will be analyzed, as the country expressions of official interest, through a shared understanding, to reach an interest considered legitinate on that context. The research will explore this subjective identity‟s element inside the September 11th context to understand how it affected the War on Terror construction, contributing to a broader understanding of the event that marked the international scene on the beginning of 21st century.