Product Description
“Zakaria . . . may have more intellectual range and insights than any other public thinker in the West.” —Boston Sunday Globe “This is not a book about the decline of America, but rather about the rise of everyone else.” So begins Fareed Zakaria’s blockbusting bestseller on the United States in the twenty-first century. How can Americans understand this rapidly changing international climate, and how might the nation continue to … More >>
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#1 by I. Arnaudov on January 25, 2010 - 9:08 pm
Too much beating around the bush to finally arrive at Mr. Fareed Zakaria’s central point: India, China and the rest – rising powers; United States not any longer. No great surprise, the author happens to be an Indian, explaining his unquestionable objectivity.
Consider the following: United States no longer has the tallest building, the longest bridge, and the biggest dam. I forgot to mention that only one of America’s shopping malls even made the top ten of the world’s largest shopping malls. That’s some “hard” evidence pointing to the decline of America in increasingly global world. And yes, Bollywood – the entertainment power house that helps Indians develop a new sense of national pride. Are you kidding me?! It’s a very, very sad story!
Rating: 1 / 5
#2 by techie on January 25, 2010 - 10:17 pm
Zakaria has written a nice book, based upon his somewhat limited perspective. For this oversight, I cannot rate the book higher than 4 stars. While he did provide some interesting insights, he failed to give a full picture of the forces in motion that will most certainly continue to destroy America as we know it.
Zakaria sees globalization as a huge improvement for all people throughout the globe. In this regard, it appears that he is thinking more of the people of Shri Lanka or Haiti, rather than more developed nations. Certainly, those in impoverished nations stand to benefit from this globalization trend. They have little to lose. But for much of the developed world such as America, Canada, Europe, Japan, and the UK, this trend promises to strengthen the 2-class trends we see today.
As globalization strengthens, so will the momentum towards one world government, as seen in Orwell’s 1984. This has already happened with the formation of the European Union. Forcing EU laws upon all participant nations is causing many societal and economic problems. In the USA, we are seeing the early stages of plans for the North American Union.
Can you not see how corporations have seized America? Can you not see how they control life and death? Look at gas prices, look at food prices. Understand that corporatization is a strategy that is consistent with globalization. Mega-corporations are partners with their respective national governing bodies.
While globalization might make goods and services more efficient, it will also operate under one power. You wont have a choice to leave if you don’t like how you are being governed because every nation will be run the same way. Without individuality and freedom, we all become slaves who will answer to the government.
Preserving each nation’s sovereignty is vital. Combining the world into one economic, political, and judicial system will be disastrous and it will surely enslave everyone but the wealthy elite.
In conclusion, as a stand alone the book is a nice read and offers a very optimistic look at the effects of globalization. But what it lacks is a full perspective. I would highly recommend as companions to this book, the following:
This no non-sense, data-backed look at America has already successfully predicted the current economic turmoil, with more to come
America’s Financial Apocalypse: How to Profit from the Next Great Depression (Condensed Edition)
Hard-hitting, straight-mouthed views from a man who isn’t that stupid afterall (despite being a former wrestler)
Don’t Start the Revolution Without Me!
All About the forces behind the New World Order, otherwise known as globalization
The True Story of the Bilderberg Group
If you read these books along with Zakaria’s, you will have a full perspective to determine whether the benefits of globalization are worth the risks.
Rating: 4 / 5
#3 by Archimedes Tritium on January 25, 2010 - 11:59 pm
Views like this book’s depend on materialistic assumptions. If leadership and influence do not revolve around how much stuff you make and buy (the world as a big strip mall), it falls apart.
China, Brazil, Russia, India are one-trick ponies. Cheap labor or energy reserves. No one looks to them for leadership; they produce no ideas and inspire nothing but consumption and criminality (Russia). Their cultures are based on systematically defective understandings of reality, such as Confucianism, Buddhism, or Hinduism, that will profoundly limit them.
China will revolve around the same oriental despotism they have practiced for thousands of years. The mindset created by their cultural assumptions prevents them from offering anything meaningful to the world but cheap labor (for a time). China can only think about and take care of China.
The success of the west is based on a specific set of beliefs: that the world can be understood and is worth understanding (leading to science), that humans were made in the spiritual image of God, thus have intrinsic worth (human rights), but voluntarily corupted themselves (requiring representative, decentralized government).
Non-western countries do not have a culture that supports such beliefs. Thus they can lead only to human-centered responses; despotism, cronyism, organized crime with a veneer of jingling cash registers until it fails.
Problems in the west similarly stem from the decline in Christian culture among the ruling elite, now most advanced in Europe. Watch how long cash registers can keep a “post-American” world happy.
I have lots of Chinese junk I bought that seemed important and worthwhile at the time but is just sitting there, representing wasted effort on my part and those who made it.
Turning to the “noble savage” of the third world for insight is a reflection of an inner desolation and confusion due to losing the way from the reality of the path of Christ.
Rating: 1 / 5
#4 by A. Myers on January 26, 2010 - 1:19 am
In writing as if American decline were a fait accompli, Zakaria engages more in wishful thinking than in principled analysis (of which he, ever eager for acclaim and influence, seems constitutionally incapable). So long as men exist who cherish freedom and individual rights and will defend them unto death, America will always lead the world, morally and politically, if not economically. What was true in 1776 holds true today: America, founded on the rights of a sovereign people to pursue their own happiness apart from State or Religion, is the last, best hope of earth. If Zakaria had a deeper respect for his adopted homeland, he would stop being the crusader boy for national self-deprecation and attempt a genuine contribution to political thought. Alas, from this Harvard Ph.D. we get only a hash of warmed-over Newsweek magazine articles.
Rating: 1 / 5
#5 by Catherine Tusa on January 26, 2010 - 3:18 am
The blame America first crowd has authored a book to accept the decline of America, which they have caused. This book outlines a rosy scenario that the decline of America and the rise of the rest are going to champion another natural age of progress and we should all look forward to when America is no longer a super power. This in a post 911 world…talks about not having safety and security as a priority. I just hope the U.N. can continue to stop the genocide in Africa and Muslim extremist from getting nukes and destroying the infidels-oh wait they don’t. This book illustrates what would happen if the left continue to get there way, as it would be a blueprint for a worst case scenario for the world. This book takes us down the lefts (aka the democrats) yellow brick road and tells us it will be great and all will be right in the world. Get this book if you vote for Obama then you can see his world view. Thanks Mr. Muslim for your next book write about how sharia law is going to save America.- utter nonsense
Rating: 1 / 5