The Choice: Global Domination or Global LeadershipThe overwhelming reality of our time is this: In the opening years of the 21st century, the United States finds itself not only the most powerful nation on earth but the most powerful nation that has ever existed. Given the contradictory roles America plays in the world, we are fated to be the catalyst for either a new global community or for global chaos. If we don't lead, Zbigniew Brzezinski contends, rather than merely dominate by force, we could face worldwide hostility much like the regional hostility now confronting Israel. Brzezinski argues for a more complex and sophisticated view of our global role than much of our media and political leadership are willing to entertain. We are the world's policeman, but we have to be seen as a fair one. We are entitled to a higher level of security than other nations (because we assume greater risks), but we are also the proponent of essential freedoms. We are uniquely powerful, but our homeland is uniquely -and chronically-vulnerable. "Globalization" precludes immunity for even the most powerful. This is an impressively lucid assessment, informed by decades of experience on the front lines of foreign policy, of where we stand in the world and where we should go from here. |
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Common terms and phrases
Afghanistan alliance allies America’s global American hegemony American power anti-American appeal Arab Asia Asian become Brzezinski capability central century challenge China Chinese Cold War conflict cooperation counter-creed countries country’s cultural decades defense defined democracy democratic dilemmas doctrine dominant economic effective effort elite emerging engaged especially ethnic Eurasia Euroatlantic Europe Europe’s European Union eventually geopolitical Global Balkans global community global political global power global security global stability historical hostile ideology increasingly India intensified interests Iran Iraq Islamic Islamic fundamentalism Islamist Israel Israeli issue Japan Japanese Korea largely leadership major mass destruction Middle East military million missile Muslim nation-state national security NATO North Korea nuclear Pakistan Palestinians peace percent population potential president proliferation promote reality regional religious resentment role Russia Sankei Shimbun shared social society Soviet Union strategic superpower technological terrorism terrorist threat tion traditional Turkey U.S. foreign policy United vulnerability widespread world’s worldwide ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI
Popular passages
Page 38 - And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Page 38 - And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell : and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains •were not found.
Page 24 - If to obviate this consequence, it should be resolved to extend the prohibition to the raising of armies in time of peace, the United States would then exhibit the most extraordinary spectacle, which the world has yet seen — that of a nation incapacitated by its constitution to prepare for defence, before it was actually invaded.
Page 36 - We must take the battle to the enemy, disrupt his plans, and confront the worst threats before they emerge. In the world we have entered, the only path to safety is the path of action. And this nation will act..
Page 36 - States will: champion aspirations for human dignity; strengthen alliances to defeat global terrorism and work to prevent attacks against us and our friends; work with others to defuse regional conflicts; prevent our enemies from threatening us, our allies, and our friends, with weapons of mass destruction...
Page 39 - In zoco alone, 489 million people, 127 million passenger vehicles, 11.6 million maritime containers, 11.5 million trucks, 2.2 million railroad cars, 829,000 planes, and 211,000 vessels passed through US border inspection systems. And the majority of this traffic was concentrated in just a handful of ports and border crossings. One-third of all the trucks that enter the United States annually, for example, traverse just four international bridges between the province of Ontario and the states of Michigan...