Ethical Realism: A Vision for America's Role in the World by Pantheon

	Title: Ethical Realism: A Vision for America's Role in the World Purchase Item Manufacturer: Pantheon List Price: $22.00 Our Price: $3.20
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Ethical Realism: A Vision for America's Role in the World by Pantheon Realism?
I just finished reading Ethical Realism. The authors of this book attempt to compare the problems faced by Presidents Truman and Eisenhower with the modern problems facing the Bush administration. The problem is it isn't that simple. I don't understand how the authors can compare the policy of containment developed for the Soviet threat (which by the way lead to military action) and the current threat of terrorism (which the authors say we are handling incorrectly with the war in Iraq). Regardless of who is President, the person in charge has to consider the national elements of power. These are Dimplomacy, Information, Military, and Economics (D.I.M.E.). These four varibles are how we influence other countries. Every country and every situation can have a different mix of these variables. To reach back in time and cherry pick a situation that worked and to try and apply it to a modern situation is simply madness. To make matters worse, the authors propose simply using Diplomacy to solve all our problems. Do the authors think we aren't doing that already? Also, to use the D.I.M.E. correctly, you must use all of the elements. To isolate a single element, Diplomacy, and broadcast to the world that you won't use Military, is to doom any efforts at Diplomacy with a hostile force. They will simply ignore you. Did sanctions and UN diplomacy work against Saddam? No, military force did. There are far too many logical fallacies in this book for it to be taken seriously. If you want to really learn about how America should use national elements of power, I suggest you read Angelo Codevilla.
Ethical Realism: A Vision for America's Role in the World by Pantheon A look at contemporary policies
Reviewed by Muhammed Hassanali Lieven and Hulsman provide a framework for crafting contemporary foreign policy. To buttress their framework they provide historical examples, discuss elements of contemporary American foreign policy, and provide some broad recommendations of what policy makers should focus on. Each of key elements has areas where additional consideration is needed. The authors look at Presidents Truman and Eisenhower's policies, extract over-riding principles and apply these principles to contemporary American foreign policy. The conditions during the Cold War are very different from those today. A key question here is that given the differences between the Cold War era and the contemporary one, how relevant are the underpinnings of Cold War foreign policy to our world today? The authors advocate formulating foreign policy on the following principles: Prudence, humility, study, responsibility, and patriotism. One issue is that the reader is left to define these principles; hence different readers are likely to derive different meanings and advocate differing policies. Another consideration is that the authors do not shed light on what to do if these principles contradict one another within a given policy. Yet another concern is that if one were to accept the Truman-Eisenhower era as a paradigm, then are the generalizations presented here a valid extraction of that paradigm? Perhaps the most contentious part of this book is the recommendations. Here one has to be mindful that there can be several manifestations of foreign policy that could all be derived from a common set of principles. A framework to determine the relative merits of each specific proposal would be useful, but is beyond the scope of this work. Lieven and Hulsman have different political perspectives and seem to have successfully presented an outline for American foreign policy. Truman and Eisenhower pursued similar foreign policies. Is our pluralistic society today sufficiently cohesive to agree on a common foreign policy? This book is unlikely to change anyone's political perspective. It does however ask what we ought to do and how we should go about doing it. While the authors feel this is lacking in contemporary times, upon further reflection, the book raises more questions than it answers. Armchair Interviews says: A thought provoking book if read between the lines
Ethical Realism: A Vision for America's Role in the World by Pantheon PTibbits review of Ethical Realism
I was very impressed with this book. It took a liberal and conservative expert and found those concepts they could agree on. They present a review of the foreign policies that succeded and those that failed since WWII. They then present a view of how we should proceed in the future and concepts we should keep in mind as we try to determine how to react to events that occur. Although I did not agree with everything they said, I found their reasoning sound and it gave me a lot to think about. I would reccomend this book to anyone who is interested in foreign policy, especially the candidated for president.
Ethical Realism: A Vision for America's Role in the World by Pantheon assumes you know your world history
and since i'm not an expert - found it difficult to follow until i got into the author's pattern. They take a position - anti administration - then offer an alternative - then try to give a historical reference to prove their point. Maybe it's intentional - to shake up the reader - but you're either already "for" or "against" US policy -and this book isn't going to change your mind. If you're "for" don't bother with it - it's too high brow and insulting to work for that purpose. But if you're looking for a conforting companion to bash the US thought process then you'll cheer while reading. Very provoking both ways in that it puts in black and white, what none of the mainstream media will.
Ethical Realism: A Vision for America's Role in the World by Pantheon Not particularly profound
Should we let facts get in the way of our daydreams? This is a question posed by Anatol Lieven and John Hulsman early in this book. And, of course, their answer is yes. Not surprisingly, I agree. Let's see if they are willing to do that themselves. Well, Iraq is a big mess right now. And the authors do say that some folks overrated our attempts to introduce democracy there. That's fair. They also say that in addition to criticism, we need effective counterproposals. That's fair as well. There's a good discussion of the Marshall Plan. I agree that this plan was both moral and realistic. And there is a discussion of the Bush administration record in reacting to the events of 9/11/2001. Is our security better now? Actually, not much. We have also increased our budget and undermined (via the Iraq war) our "ability to intervene or even threaten anywhere else." These are good points. What about "pre-emptive" war. As the authors explain, Harry Truman said that all such wars prevent is peace. But perhaps that quote is overrated. There may indeed be a time and place where pre-emptive wars make sense. On the other hand, I agree with the authors that its recent use has been of dubious merit at best. Could America become a garrison state? Could we lose our values? Yes. That is one of the threats we face. And the authors explain that there still are threats of direct attacks on the United States, and that our most important statecraft task is to reduce that risk. I think that is an exaggeration, as appeasement is a risk as well, and we need to be careful about engaging in it just to try to reduce the risk of an immediate attack. The authors want peace in the Levant. And they have some recommendations on a peace settlement. While a peace settlement such as the one they suggest might be fine if it were agreed to and implemented, I think they ought to take an opportunity right here to let facts get in the way of their daydreams. "Regional concert" in Iraq seems to me to have even more of the same problem. Yes, we may have a duty to make matters better, not worse. But I see no reason to think that this "concert" will help. Anyway, the book is okay, but not really special.
Ethical Realism: A Vision for America's Role in the World by Pantheon Product Description
America today faces a world more complicated than ever before, but both political parties have failed to envision a foreign policy that addresses our greatest threats. As a result, the United States risks lurching from crisis to crisis. In Ethical Realism, Anatol Lieven and John Hulsman, two distinguished policy experts from different political camps, have joined forces to write an impassioned manifesto that illuminates a new way forward. Rather than blindly asserting a mixture of American power and the transformative effects of democracy, Lieven and Hulsman call for a foreign policy that recognizes America’s real strengths and weaknesses, and those of other nations. They explain how the United States can successfully combine genuine morality with tough and practical common sense. To achieve these goals, Lieven and Hulsman emphasize the core principles of the American tradition of ethical realism, as set out by Reinhold Niebuhr, Hans Morgenthau, and George Kennan: prudence, patriotism, responsibility, humility, and a deep understanding of other nations. They show how this spirit informed the strategies of Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower in the early years of the Cold War and how these presidents were able to contain Soviet expansionism while rejecting the pressure for disastrous preventive wars a threat that has returned since 9/11. Drawing on this philosophy and these historical lessons, Lieven and Hulsman provide a set of concrete proposals for tackling the problems we face today, including the terrorist threat, Iran, Russia, the Middle East, and China. Their arguments are intended to establish American global power on a more limited but much firmer basis, with greater international support. Both morally stirring and deeply practical, this book shows us how to strengthen our national security, pursue our national interests, and restore American leadership in the world.