What do language and the act of translation have to do with the projection of imperial and military power? Vicente Rafael makes important connections and points to efforts to Americanize the English language in this nation's early years. He also discusses the politics of monolingualism, the notion of the melting pot, and the US military's use of interpreters in Iraq.

Mass protests over the handling of Bolivia's oil and natural gas resources have toppled two presidents since 2003. Gretchen Gordon recounts the role played by social movements in efforts to nationalize that nation's energy industry. And in his play Betrayed, George Packer investigates the plight of Iraqis who took jobs with the US occupiers.