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| The Post-American World |
| By: | Fareed Zakaria |
| Media: | Book |
| ISBN: | 039306235X |
| Average Rating: |  |
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Excellent Analysis of Post-U.S. State of Global Affairs
Zakaria describes what he calls the "third great power shift of the modern era," from the current American-dominated world to the "post-American world, one defined and directed from many places and by many people." This shift is due not so much to a decline in the U.S. as it is to "the rise of the rest," especially the emerging nations such as China, India, Brazil, Russia, and Mexico. However, the U.S. will continue to be the most important country in the world for the forseeable future and as such has a critical role to play in maintaining global security. "This new role is quite different from the traditional superpower role." Instead of wielding a "top-down hierarchy," the U.S. should be an "honest broker" in the conflicts that inevitably arise. The biggest obstacle for the U.S. is its "highly dysfunctional politics," which saddles a "can-do country" with a "do-nothing political process." The forces that bog us down - "money, special interests, a sensationalist media, and ideological attack groups" - are the very ones that Barack Obama campaigned to reform. Let's hope he succeeds.
Great and insightful book, with limits
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was an optimistic book that shows a level of understanding of world affairs that few seem to possess. It has a broad scope, covering a number of issues. Definitely worth the read.
My one criticism is the lack of discussion about the reality of climate change and the struggle for resources. This is likely to be the paradigm of the future, with the other issues discussed less of a concern than they are now. Never the less, it is worth it.
Interesting, but at times misdirected and contradictory.
I found many of Zakaria's lessons in this book to be very informative, interesting, and thought-provoking, and I would recommend this book, despite its shortcomings (which I will explain later). Zakaria draws on his unique experiences as an Indian immigrant to the U.S. to explain America's slipping world image and power in the context of other historic superpowers (most often, Great Britain). Part of the book discusses the rise of China, a separate part discusses the rise of India, and another discusses the U.S.- how it rose to be an economic and military superpower, and how it is losing the lead. He also explains how perceptions held by Americans about trends around the world are misinformed, and how wielding power with disregard to other countries is counterproductive.
My major complaint about the book is that at times it seems to run off course. Zakaria repeatedly explains a phenomenon and how it has negative implications on the U.S. outlook, and then almost as quickly points out that the U.S. is still the economic and military leader, and cites statistics to point out that that isn't likely to change. I wish that book followed a more consistent path, and concluded with a solid point. Overall though, the book covers a vast amount of information and I found it to be very interesting.
Good Read
A wide analytical view of our current world and possible future for America. I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in a broad international perspective.
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