Finding our way in the world

To really understand what is going on in the world today takes more

than listening to the nightly news. The library offers a large

variety of resources for keeping informed, including major U.S. and

international newspapers and magazines, special lectures and

programs, and an array of books delving into all aspects of foreign

policy, including historical background, major conflicts and critical

decisions influencing current world affairs.

Two recent books have been notable for revealing the internal

dynamics of the Bush administration in responding to the terrorist

attacks of 9/11 and in the planning for the invasion of Iraq. In

“Against All Enemies,” Richard Clarke, former national security

official, places himself at the center of efforts to persuade the

administration to take notice of the threat of Al Qaeda. Bob

Woodward’s “Plan of Attack,” the product of his extraordinary access

to administration officials, is an exhaustive account of the run-up

to the war on Iraq.

Both books were released amid considerable media attention and

both now sit high upon the New York Times nonfiction bestsellers

list. Their success and popularity underscore the continuing debate

on the direction of U.S. foreign policy with regard to terrorism,

national security and international cooperation. Below are several

other recent works on foreign policy that merit consideration by

readers interested in world affairs:

In “Surprise, Security, and the American Experience,” Yale

historian John Lewis Gaddis places the U.S. response to 9/11 in the

context of national security policy historically. Following the War

of 1812, three policies were invoked to help make the nation more

secure: preemption, unilateralism and hegemony. These principles were

first applied to events in the Western Hemisphere, expanded during

later conflicts and are evidently now the touchstones of current U.S.

foreign policy formulations, according to Gaddis.

Joseph Nye, dean of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government,

provides a careful analysis of the disadvantages of unilateralism in

“Soft Power: The Means To Success In World Politics.” He faults the

Bush administration’s over-reliance on “hard” military and economic

power and advocates greater use of “soft” power, which he defines as

“the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than

coercion.” The result will be greater success in securing voluntary

cooperation from foreign governments in the global fight against

terrorism.

Conversely, New York University professor and Oxford fellow Niall

Ferguson argues in “Colossus: The Price of America’s Empire” that the

projection of American power might actually be beneficial in many

parts of the world. As with the British a century ago, American

imperial rule could provide stability and even lead to greater

prosperity, if proper attention is given to long-term institutional

development. Where the American approach to empire falters, says

Ferguson, is in our preference for in-and-out military ventures with

little regard for the more difficult task of nation-building.

Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security advisor under Jimmy Carter,

examines the role of the U.S. on the world political stage in “The

Choice: Domination or Leadership.” Brzezinski is critical of the Bush

administration’s use of ad hoc coalitions instead of traditional

alliances, its support of preemptive military force and its

unwillingness to consider the root causes of terrorism and

instability. He contends that America must expand prosperity and

cooperation to largely Muslim southern Asia, or risk becoming a

garrison state built to withstand the global reach of terrorism.

For first-hand information from an expert in U.S. foreign policy,

make sure to attend this month’s special lecture by Nancy Soderberg,

former ambassador to the United Nations. Soderberg will be speaking

on “The Role of the United Nations in World Affairs” at the Newport

Beach Public Library Foundation’s Distinguished Speakers Lecture

Series at 7 p.m. Friday and again at 2 p.m. Saturday at the central

library.

DID YOU KNOW?

Tickets for this special event may be purchased online at

https://www.newportbeach

library.org, by calling (866) 301-2411 or by e-mailing:

[email protected]. Tickets will also be sold at the door Friday

evening if seating is still available.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Steven Short. All titles may be

reserved from home or office computers by accessing the catalog at

https://www.newportbeach

library.org. For further information about the library and its

branches, please call (949) 717-3800 ext. 2.