Includes bibliographical references (pages 274-276) and index.

"In its march to becoming the world's first hyper power, the United States has been as dependent on its soft power - the allure of American lifestyles and culture - as it has been on the hard power of military might. In Weapons of Mass Distraction, Matthew Fraser examines the role of American pop cultural industries in international affairs." "Fraser focuses on the major areas of soft power - movies, television, pop music, and fast food - and traces the origins, history, and current influence of these on U.S. foreign policy. He describes how the American film, television, and music industries enjoy a ubiquitous global presence that has made them indispensable to the U.S. government, with has often gone so far as to fund them directly, including the White House-sponsored radio station in the Middle East launched with the hopes of winning over Muslim youths with American pop songs."--Jacket.

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