Defining our enemies, defining ourselves

From Germany in World War I to Germany and Japan in World War II, to the Taliban and Al-Qaida today, the faces of America’s enemies have shifted over time. But how we define our enemies defines our nation in turn. We assume to be what they are not. How has this pattern affected the way nations see themselves and each other?

Philip Gourevitch often writes on this subject. He describes the difference between fear and the enemy.