Book Review: The Post-American World
The Post-American World is a book authored by Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS. The book discusses the perceived end of the United States’ unipolar era in political, social and economic aspects in the world. He talks of the post-American world that will be characterised by a drop in America’s share of the “global pie”. The book gives an insight into prospective emergent powers that may replace the United States and the possible means by which they will attain this goal including the configuration of their powers. The gist of the book lies not in the concept on the fall of the U.S but in the rise of other nations of the world.
In the past decade, there has been a protracted intellectual debate on the long term viability of the U.S as a dominant power in scientific, political and economic circles. Fareed’s book does not concentrate on this aspect, rather it focuses on other nations of the world that seem to be coming up and in effect challenging the position of the U.S as the sole superpower. He makes this point poignantly clear in the first chapter of the book. His discussion on America only comes in the final chapters of the book (from p.282). It is here that Fareed takes interest into America’s position in the new world.
The Post-American World starts by noting the three major power shifts that have occurred in the world over the past five centuries. Fareed states these shifts as: the rise of the West through science, technology, capitalism and commerce that formed the modern world, the rise of the U.S at the end of the 19th century and her domination in global politics, economics, culture and science, and the rise of “the rest,” facilitated by globalization which has helped disperse power to other nations and created a global order in which power and authority lies with many people and places.
According to Fareed, the new global order has brought a lot of peace to the world. This is a perpective that many may be quick to criticize but Fareed justifies his statement through a number of arguments. One argument that he gives is that radical Islam is an overrated threat. He contends that in as much as the conflict between governments and terrorists continues to persist, it is the governments that have the upper hand. He gives an example of Al Qaeda. According to his, Al Qaeda was movement set to rally all Muslims to jihad, but it is not possible for them to achieve this goal as Islam has many factions which cannot be easily merged into one.
Fareed’s discussions on “The Ally” and “The Challenger” betray his profound interest in the great power politics. He recognizes that the involvement of China at the global stage is rearranging and reshaping the political and economic situation in the world. It is now Beijing’s turn to juggle the forces of nationalism and globalization just as the U.S has done over the years. Fareed describes its advancement strategy as one that involves a gradual expansion of economic ties combined with a calm and moderated progression in the enlargement of its sphere of influence. China seeks only to have friendship and greater weight and influence at the global stage while its positions itself as an alternative to the United States.
Fareed acknowledges that the United States was not prepared to handle China and as a way to deal with this emergent challenge, the political elite in America have focused on India which is seen as an alternate emerging power. The issue of resurgent nationalism also arises as the author discusses the role of China and India in world power. He believes that the management of this issue by China’s new generation is a great determinant of stability in the new global order. Furthermore, the rise of the rest is now a trendy argument that cannot be wished away.
In the chapter titled “American Purpose,” Fareed argues that be power shift that is ongoing may benefit the United States. He states that economic liberalization and democratization of nations associated with the power shifts will provide an opportunity for the U.S to continue playing its role as the key player in a robust and stable world. He does not however reveal what role this would be given that the emergent powers will also be jostling for positions of power in the new order. His case on the rise of the rest is so persuasive that it tends to imply an imminent decline of America. However, based on recent events particularly the financial crisis, it is still evident that the United States is still in command of global affairs. The trickle-down effect of the crisis shows that America plays a dominant role in the global economy.
Economically, Fareed believes that the rise of the rest benefits all nations including the United States. He argues that the more the number of rich countries, the larger the global economy which leads to greater production, consumption, investment, saving and loan facilities. He further states that were it not for the growth in world economy, the U.S economy would have suffered worse that it has. However, he cautions that global economic growth and its associated benefits do not have a direct relation to global politics as may be thought. According to him, politics and power are affected by relative influence and as China expands its influence in Asia, it diminishes the U.S influence already present there. The point here is that two countries cannot both simultaneously be dominant political powers; one has to give way to the other.
Fareed also points out some interesting broad points while discussing the apparent decline of some previously established economic powers. One such observation is that the common comparison between Britain's slow decline and the problems faced by the U.S at present is misleading. According to him, Britain's empire was a well-managed bluff that persisted for a long time. On the other hand, America's empire though ill-managed, is very real. His treatment of China and India reveals his bias towards power. Further, even as he tries to explain that the book is not about the decline of America, the inclination is quite apparent.
The Post-American World is a book full of enlightenment. Fareed makes a succinct and articulate account in his arguments and is able to give the reader an interesting and informative piece of literature. Though not perceptible, the author’s treatment of China and India reveals his bias towards the politics of power. He makes an effort to demystify the book’s title by explaining that it is not about the decline of America, but there still is an apparent inclination towards the notion. Fareed states that upon closer scrutiny, it can be noted that the comparative and competitive advantage held by the U.S over “the rest,” in economic, military, natural resource, technology, institutional and people strength that had accumulated over the past century is quite vast and it might take a while for the rest to close the gap. Overall, the book is meticulous, analytical and interpretative in a way that inclines readers to believe that truly “the rest” are on the rise; a rise that America will have cope with and even use to advance itself in the new global order.
Works Cited
Fareed, Zakaria. The Post-American World. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2008. Print.
