A cold peace

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Sydney Giffard

This absorbing book, written by an author who has lived in and studied Japan for many years, provides a fresh perspective on Japan's history, politics, and culture over the past hundred years. It traces Japan's phenomenal development into one of the world's great powers, portraying events in Japan - and its rapid industrialization - as shaped by Japanese decision-makers rather than as generally perceived by the outside world. Beginning in 1890, the year in which the country's first modern constitution came into being and the Imperial Diet was first convened, Giffard describes Japan's determination to gain an equal footing with the dominant nations of the West. He examines the complex interplay, through the century, of forces underlying economic development during peace and war, analyzing the conflicts and contradictions as well as the achievements. Recognizing the role of individuals in the development of modern Japan, Giffard provides insights into many important leaders - from those who directed comprehensive national transformation at the start of the century to those who inspired economic recovery after World War Two. He concludes by analyzing the demand for political reform in Japan, up to the spring of 1992, and its implications for Japan's future as a world power.

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Robert W. Tucker, David C. Hendrickson

"With communism in retreat following the sudden end of the cold war, America's brand of democracy appeared triumphant around the world. Yet, paradoxically, the United States was left floundering for a new global agenda. In this critical analysis of American foreign policy priorities, Robert W. Tucker and David C. Hendrickson argue that the Bush administration, in its attempts to address the challenges posed by the new global realities, has betrayed the fundamental ideals on which this country was founded." "Taking the gulf war as their starting point, Tucker and Hendrickson dissect President Bush's vision of a new world order, exposing its inconsistency with America's traditional diplomatic principles. They criticize Bush's all-out military assault on Iraq as a disproportionate and inhumane response to the crisis. By using force to resolve the gulf crisis when other means were available--for example, a policy of "punitive containment"--and then walking away from the ruin created by the war, Bush succumbed to an "imperial temptation" that has seduced and corrupted other great powers in the past." "Tucker and Hendrickson make a compelling argument that U.S. foreign policy should return to the guiding principles set forth by the Founding Fathers. They maintain that these principles offer a far better guide for dealing with the perils and opportunities facing America today than Bush's foreign policy agenda. They believe that the nation has developed an attitude toward the use of force that is both unnecessary and irresponsible, and they advocate a foreign policy for the coming generations that would protect America's vital interests while remaining faithful to the nation's traditional ideals." "The Imperial Temptation makes an important--and what is sure to be viewed as controversial--contribution to the national debate over the future of U.S. foreign policy and offers a revealing examination of the classic ideas underlying American diplomacy and their relation to the nation's historic purpose."--BOOK JACKET.

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Francis Rooney

"From the centuries-long prejudices against Catholics in America to the efforts of fascism, communism, and modern terrorist organizations to 'break the cross and spill the wine,' this book brings to life the Catholic Church's role in world history, particularly in the realm of diplomacy. Former U.S. abmassador to the Holy See Francis Rooney provides a comprehensive guide to the remarkable path the Vatican has navigated to the present day and a first-person account of what that path looks and feels like from an American diplomat whose experience lent him the ultimate insider's perspective. Part memoir, part historical lesson, The Global Vatican captures the braided nature of religious and political power and the complexities, battles, and future prospects for the relationship between the Holy See and the United States as both face challenges old and new." -- book jacket

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Olivier Roy

In this book, Olivier Roy, Europe's leading scholar of political Islam, argues that the consequences of the "war on terror" have artificially conflated conflicts in the Middle East in such a way that they appear to be the expression of a widespread "Muslim anger" against the West. But in reality, there are no us and them. Instead, the West faces an array of "reverse alliances" that operate according to their own logic and dynamics. The West supports General Musharraf in Pakistan, yet his military intelligence services are in league with the Taliban; in Iraq, the United States shores up a government that is closely linked to its archenemy, Iran; Iraqi Kurds, allies of the Americans, give sanctuary to the PKK, an adversary of a fellow NATO member, Turkey; while the Saudis support the Iraqi Sunnis who are, in turn, fighting Coalition forces. As if these issues were not complicated enough, the ever-worsening Shia-Sunni divide now threatens to disrupt any future strategic planning the West might attempt in the Middle East. Roy unravels the complexity of these conflicts in order to better understand the political discontent that sustains them. He also emphasizes that the war on terror should not be regarded merely as a geopolitical blunder committed by a fringe group of neoconservatives. It is instead a problematic outgrowth of our deeply rooted Western perceptions of the Middle East, including the belief that Islam, rather than politics, is the overarching factor in these conflicts, thus explaining the West's support for either would-be secular democrats or (more or less) benign dictators. Roy's conclusion argues that the West has no alternative but to engage in a dialogue with the political forces that truly matter—namely the Islamo-nationalists of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.