Graham T. Allison

You know all those big mouths with big guns who are ready to invade and kill anyone and everyone who threatens the U.S.? You know them. We all know them. I suggest they read this book. Nothing is ever as easy or as simple as is vomited forth on FoxNews or in a Rambo-esque steroid- and testosterone-laden action movie. And while I'm openly criticizing, being able to have a beer with an individual should not be the qualifying factor that elects her or him president. There is a large amount of rich food for thought in this book. The problem begins with big guns. The problem finishes with cool-headed critical thinking.… (altro)

It's useful to check on countries that are successful in economic development and look at what they are doing right.

In this regard Singapore has had rocket ship performance going from a poor third world nation in 1965 to advanced industrial nation by the new millennium, so it is doubly interesting to hear Singapore's long time leader Lee Kuan Yew talk not only about Singapore, but also world development in general.

The inevitable focus is on China and the USA with this short book covering a lot of ground.

Basically he's a pragmatist who sees Western democracy as failing. As he says, "Westerners have abandoned an ethical basis for society believing that all problems (post WW2)are solvable by good government". He calls it, "The erosion of the moral underpinnings of a society and the diminution of personal responsibility" and he even goes further saying that, "Multiculturalism will destroy America." as society loses its identity and fractures.

It's not that he doesn't see benefits in multiculturalism. The US attracts top talent from around the world through an entrepreneurial culture, top universities and operating in the English language, but he suggests that multicultural projects must be carried out with great care such that new nationals become (in his case) Singaporeans first. To this end he limited Indian schools in Singapore since their Indian sentiment and cultural teaching inevitably undermined a primary loyalty to multi-ethnic but mono-cultural Singapore. It's a delicate balance and in the case of the US he sees the failure of the old core Anglo cultural values of respect for family, country, thrift, hard work, scholarship and learning in the face of a new confused liberal multi-ethnic, counter-cultural identity.

He says that government has to be clean, rational, efficient and predictable with the USA failing on all counts so he is seriously worried about 1) the dollar, and 2) America's presence in Asia.

The dollar could well lose its reserve status sooner rather than later unleashing inflationary instability and dislocating world trade and he sees constant US deficits weakening the country to such an extent that it can no longer provide a credible alliance with Japan and the Asean nations. He doesn't spell it out but this is really the Nº1 China-Japan question with the Chinese giving every sign that Japan has to kowtow to it and Japan showing no intention of doing so.

Japan also has fully developed nuclear and rocket technology with the potential to quickly produce hundreds of nuclear weapons, which it may well do without a credible US ally.… (altro)

A 'collected sayings' book, with the sources being pieced together interviews, public statements, essays, and so forth. Although the authors did conduct their own interviews, some of these answers are fluid composites of statements made over the past twenty years.

We see the usual stuff here, but some interesting new thoughts. He shares the cautious ambivalence on China's rise, noting that its sheer size make global ascendance extremely likely, but that it must change some 'cultural factors' including herd conformity, and that it would promptly collapse if it became a liberal democracy tomorrow. A democratic law-set and constitution do not a democratic government make.

With the United States, he doubts that it will fall into a precipitous decline, as it will invariably find a way to recover. He treads the narrow line on government programs, saying that they should be 'facilitators' and not solely 'charity cases'. Education, technical innovation, and integration-assimilation are America's strong points, although he shares his usual dictums on media micromanagement for some social issues. He also echoes the hilarious racism of the anti-immigration set, giving vague Murray-style platitudes about 'racial dilution'.

With the Middle East, he points the finger squarely at Saudi Arabia on the rise of Muslim extremism for its domestic policies, courting the United States, and missionary work of Wahhabis, which preach a tempting solution for the disaffected exploitation which Muslims feel has occurred over the past century. His interest, therefore, is developing democratic alternatives. As for Iran, he says this is where the West is likely to blunder and let Iran acquire nuclear weapons. Fear is, of course, the primary motivation for acquiring nuclear weapons, and Iran does so from fear of encirclement or destruction by the West. Once Iran does so, then the Saudis or Egyptians might get them out of fear for their own safety. A regional nuclear arms race would be disastrous for multiple reasons.

This book is not, perhaps, the end-all be-all of the man's life and thought, but it is a convenient summary for those without the time for larger books. Let -all- the facts themselves speak about the man's life and views.… (altro)