Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower |
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Author:
Zbigniew Brzezinski
By Basic Books
Average Customer Rating:  
List Price: $26.95
Our Price: $1.50
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Product Description
From the most highly respected analyst of foreign policy writing today, a story of wasted opportunity and squandered prestige: a critique of the last three U.S. presidents' foreign policy. America's most distinguished commentator on foreign policy, former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, offers a reasoned but unsparing assessment of the last three presidential administrations' foreign policy. Though spanning less than two decades, these administrations cover a vitally important turning point in world history: the period in which the United States, having emerged from the Cold War with unprecedented power and prestige, managed to squander both in a remarkably short time. This is a tale of decline: from the competent but conventional thinking of the first Bush administration, to the well-intentioned self-indulgence of the Clinton administration, to the mortgaging of America's future by the "suicidal statecraft" of the second Bush administration. Brzezinski concludes with a chapter on how America can regain its lost prestige. This scholarly yet highly opinionated book is sure to be both controversial and influential.
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Like a history college course, 2009-01-07
I've only gotten halfway through. It's interesting, but not an easy read, but history was never my strong suit... Brzezinski has great insight,though.
Dubious thinking, 2008-12-25
One criticism I often make of US policy makers, is that they often overestimate the power of the US in world affairs. This book is an example of that.
What the writer is trying to do is rate the US presidents since the fall of communism. I find often his criticisms unfair. For example, Bush I for not demanding as a condition of peace that Saddam be removed after the Gulf War of 1991. If Saddam's generals at the peace tables after had even appeared to considered this choice, Saddam would have removed them immediately. Later it took an invasion by Bush II to get rid of Saddam.
The writer criticizes Bush I for not pushing Israel more to make peace for what the writer considers Israel own good. President Carter under whom the writer served tried that and that policy failed. Here he criticizes Sharon, an opposition leader at the time out of power for causing the Palestinian uprising yet we know this uprising was planed long before Sharon's visit.
Finally Bush I never had a second term, his presidency was cut midterm.
While reading what he said about Clinton, I was wondering what do you want of a leader? Surely domestic affairs are more important. Also I would have thought that Rwanda deserved more than just a passing mention. The US public got what Clinton promised little.
Bush II. Here I think the writer is playing politics here. Europe today is not alienated from the US. Russia and China are stronger now so they are more assertive. Japan is not quietly going it alone. Iraq is clearly a disputed issue. The writer's view is that Bush II was wrong to invade. This I am not sure but I can understand his view. Whether neoconservatism had much to do with the invasion is unlikely but the writer clearly has his ideological enemies to attack.
Last chapter with his report card.
My immediate thoughts looking at this report card is nothing is here on civil rights, democracy and world economics?
Bush I surely for his work in Russia on nuclear proliferation, deserves an A here. For peacekeeping how does Bush I rate an n.a. In peacekeeping, I would have thought that Panama and Mogadishu should count for something. Similarly I am wondering what did Clinton do in the Far East to deserve a B-? Peacekeeping he gets a B+ probably for Serbia but what about Rwanda and Haiti? The scale of what happened in Rwanda would in this category alone rate a F. He also give Clinton a B- for environment, why? Clinton signed the Kyoto but never did anything about it. Finally for Bush II he gives him a C+ in the Far East, less than Clinton. I do not see why? Bush has done more then Clinton in Japan, South Korea, India, and ASEAN. Probably about the same for China. The F for the Middle East, fits with the writer's theories. Nuclear proliferation a D although again surely Bush II deserves a higher score than Clinton here.
Figure 8, the chart of declining longevity. If the Byzantine Empire is marked to last till the 1400s when it was little more than a city-state why does Britain, Spain, Frances etc empires stop before 2000? I could argue the Ottoman Empire is a continuation of the Arabian Empire. Since the Arabian Empire starts with Mohammad, why not start the Spanish empire at say 900 when the Christian states in Northern Spain broke away from the Muslim South. By the same logic, the British Empire could start at 1066, when the Normans conquered it. Take out the Holy Roman Empire as it is a dubious addition. Then I add to the chart the Russian Empire starting from 1480. Then I could argue the Chinese Empire has continued since the Mongols conquest with a few regime changes. I will add a few more empires like the Khazars, Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Bulgarian. Now the conclusions from my chart looks different.
Short on Analysis, Long on Ideology, 2008-11-20
Candidly, I was hoping that Brzezinski would have dissected the flawed assumptions and misguided strategies of Global Leader III (Bush W). Such an analysis would have provided a nice framework for America to learn from her mistakes. Instead, Brzezinski appears to go on an anti-Bush tirade that is based solely on ideological differences of opinion. He repeatedly makes assumptions of cause-effect relationships that are highly questionable and in some cases, are factually incorrect. I give him 1-star because he does an OK job of itemizing the chronology of world events over the course of the last three presidents.
The final credibility was lost when I saw Brzezinksi's final report card for the presidents. He grades each of the presidents on 8 attributes of global leadership. But the lack of substantive explanation of the grades caused me to start losing faith in the book. More interestingly, Bush W. got the following grades from Brzezinski: 1-B, 3-C's, 2-D's, and 2-F's ... which according to Brzezinski, adds up to an overall final grade of an F. Huh?? The following 30 pages was something of an ideological rant that rapidly loses credibility if you're a reader interested in factual analysis.
Our Position Can Still Be Restored, 2008-11-11
After the fall of Communism, America was given a window of opportunity claims Zbig Brezezinski in his book Second Chance. The opportunity was for a grand leadership strategy allowing the United States to become the single supreme military superpower and use that position to increase trade, diplomacy and the spread of peace worldwide. Instead the first President Bush used his position to tighten bonds with the homocidal regime in Saudi Arabia, then Clinton made limited moves towards globalization and finally Bush junior arrogantly attacked the middle east outright. The opportunity was squandered but Zbig says that our position can still be restored with the right leadership. We have a second chance to influence the course of history towards a stable and less violent world. His plea is not one of imperialism but rather a rational and patient set of advances well within our capabilities.
Second Chance, 2008-10-28
This was a very good retrospective of the things that have happened. Zig provides the reader with lots of GREAT insight. The writing style negates my ability at least, to read it rapidly and comprehend the nuances of Zig's points. This makes it a book that makes you think for yourself. The last chapter of how to go forward I found fascinating in its practicality, comprehensiveness, and currency to the 2008 world situation. A great read for the layman trying to understand where we are as a nation and where we need to go in the future. Pray our new "leaders" read and heed.
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 327.73
EAN: 9780465002528
ISBN: 0465002528
Label: Basic Books
Manufacturer: Basic Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 240
Publication Date: 2007-03-05
Publisher: Basic Books
Studio: Basic Books |
