| In Association With... |  |
|
|
|
| 
 enlarge | Author: Robert Kagan
Publisher: Knopf
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $11.43
You Save: $8.52 (43%)
New (36) from $11.43
Avg. Customer Rating:  24 reviews
Sales Rank: 1483
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 128
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.4 x 0.7
ISBN: 030726923X
Dewey Decimal Number: 327.1
EAN: 9780307269232
ASIN: 030726923X
Publication Date: April 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Has History Returned? July 17, 2008
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
Yes, history has returned according to Kagan. This is an even handed, concise discussion of the geopolitical struggle today between the democratic world (the west etc) and the autocratic world (China, Russia, etc). I am not a fan of Kagan and the neocons, however this is a book that is well worth the read from any political persuasion. Authors would be well advised to indeed give us more of these concise, yet thoughtful books.
American Power and Purpose July 17, 2008
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Kagan's Book represents an important addition to the academic literature on American grand strategy and the emerging contest between democracies and authoritarian states. What is most striking is how clearly Kagan illistrates that our present era has many parralells with past world orders. Whilst it may be startling to a generation reared on the end of history thesis, which Kagan plays off, this conflict would be readily apparent to statesman and political leaders in the 19th century. This sobering and at times painful account, painful because it implicitly sets out the missed opportuntites of the 1990s and leaves one wondering how things could have been different (see Donald and Frederick Kagan). What is most striking is that Kagan eloquently illuminates an essential truth, which is increasingly drowned out: Those who espouse an American grand strategy absent moral considerations and without regard to regime type dont seem to understand the country they live in, because America is a country dedicated to certain universal values that empowers and obliges us to intervene and act in regard to our ideology and beliefs since the founding of the Republic.
All in all a great read that eloquently sets out the preeminent challenge of our generation: The marriage of national interest and our deepest beliefs: spreading democracy- because the survival of democracy at home implicitly rests, as Kagan argues on the success of freedom abraod. A must read for those who believe unilateral American disarmament, detente, arms limitation agreements, diplomacy (without regard for cost or morality), and failure in Iraq is without broader and devastating consquences for American diplomacy.
What a strange time to doubt the justice of our regime and cause.
 The return of the military-industrial complex July 15, 2008
3 out of 11 found this review helpful
After reading the book/pamphlet, the military industrial complex must be preparing to walk laughing all the way to the back. They could not have written a better book to support their business.
First of all, take Russia. With a rapidly declining population and low life expectations due to perennial alcoholism and rising drug addiction, Russia will never be a serious threat. It is blessed with huge resources including the best agricultural land, but it does not have the population to take advantage of this bonanza.
As always, Russia will have to rely on foreign technical assistance to stay rich - remember Peter the Great. Russia's tough attitude will go away if America stops being arrogant and shows respect. It certainly does not require a military build-up. And Mr Kagan should know that demographics are a key element in predicting the future.
Second, take China and Asia. To be worried that China could threaten America is to ignore the drastic consequences of CLIMATE CHANGE in this part of the world. China is the most vulnerable to climate change. You can be sure that it will have no time for foreign adventures. China will have to spend all its resources in fighting climate change. India is in the same situation. Any reasonably well informed observer of China knows that China will be deeply impacted by climate change and therefore, it is surprising that Mr Kagan does not consider climate change in his forecast... Even more than Russia, China wants RESPECT, that's all...
So, Mr Kagan's book is quite irrelevant.
It should concentrate on the real issues. Of course, climate change is the critical issue. And America's refusal to take even minimum steps will turn into a disaster for the world. Mr. Thomas Friedman recommends a gas tax and he is very right, but America says no. The rest of the world wonders why they manage to drive in small cars while Americans cannot...
Another serious issue is the disastrous state of the US economy.When he wrote his book, this was already obvious. In 1945, all the gold of the world was in America. Today, America owes trillions to the Chinese, the Arabs, Russia etc... The real question is how America will reimburse all this debt?
American rockets and bombs are useless in solving these issues. Only sensible diplomacy and making the effort to be a team player are the true answers. If the world needs America, to-day America needs the world even more.
May be Mr. Kagan's next book...
Jean-Paul Delorme
Chateauneuf, France
July 16, 2008
Endgame for "war on terror" and now we have to look for the next Kaiser who will challenge the world peace! June 25, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
I found the central argument of this book very convincing. Forget your fears about the terrible Islamic threat to the modern world and start looking to the old 19th century power games that now repeat themselves between great states. Al Qaeda shot its bolt after all and its war is already a thing of the past. Kagan argues that the world is not divided by religion or race as Samuel Huntingdon's "clash of civilizations" theory suggests and the modern trouble with Islam/West seems to vindicate. Rather he argues the real division in modern geopolitics is between democracies and autocracies, with places like the USA, Europe and Japan on one side, and countries like China, Russia and Iran on the other. As he explicitly states in the book, "But in today's world, a nation's form of government, not its `civilization' or its geographic location, maybe the best predictor of its geopolitical alignment". For example, China and Japan may have a shared Asian culture, but one is a democracy and the other is an autocracy, therefore, Japan will have more in common with another democracy, even if it is not culturally similar, that it will with China. He argues that the autocracies are dangerous, not just because of their oppressive internal policies, but because they typically are experiencing rapid economic growth. This allows them to fund a more powerful and threatening military with which to threaten democracies. Kagan acknowledges that one autocracy can have friction with another autocracy: for example, Russia and China may distrust each other over their mutual ambitions in Siberia. Kagan's book supports my view that a great war between major powers is not a too distant possibility and that "Fourth Generation" warfare is as old as man and does not substitute or, even more, erase the old kind of warfare between massive conventional armies. Thus, the USAF leadership may have been right when it planned for new, extremely expensive stealth jets. Although accused for accute "next-waritis" by the current DoD head, may be proved in the future that it was perfectly right in its long view.
Concise, highly readable world view update June 18, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Not just for students of this genre; High school, college students and book clubs would enjoy and certainly benefit by reading Kagan's updated world view perspective. The world's democracies must comprehend the revival and enrichment of powerful autocracies particularly in Russia and China. Voters and policy makers in the US and the World's democracies would do well to consider his ideas for solution approaches.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
