Post by kungfuzu on Feb 28, 2022 11:24:57 GMT -8
The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities is a book by John Mearsheimer which he developed from a series of lectures he gave at Yale. The book was published in 2016.
Mearheimer was interested in finding out why American foreign policy, after the fall of the Soviet Union, had experienced so many failures. To explain this, Dr. Mearsheimer posits that there are three basic isms which have preponderance in international relations. These are "liberalism," "realism," and "nationalism." Mearsheimer believes that after the fall of the USSR, the USA was such a hyper-power that it:
Mearsheimer believes this was an unrealistic goal as liberalism was the least powerful of the three fundamental "isms." Both realism and nationalism are much more powerful. While liberalism may be a good idea in particular countries, its untrammeled pursuit in international relations leads to illiberalism in the end.
The book is academic and Mearsheimer is punctilious in laying out his definitions for terms such as liberalism, nationalism, culture and society in order to make sure there is little chance for misunderstanding his work. As such, the book may not be for everyone. Nevertheless, there is so much wisdom and intelligent analysis in what I have so far read, that I can recommend it to anyone who wishes to understand why we are in the present situation. It is the first book I have encountered which fits into the reality that I have experienced over my almost 50 years of international experience. I am only surprised that it took so long for such an honest analysis to be published.
I will continue with comments as I move through the book.
Mearheimer was interested in finding out why American foreign policy, after the fall of the Soviet Union, had experienced so many failures. To explain this, Dr. Mearsheimer posits that there are three basic isms which have preponderance in international relations. These are "liberalism," "realism," and "nationalism." Mearsheimer believes that after the fall of the USSR, the USA was such a hyper-power that it:
"could adopt a profoundly liberal foreign policy, commonly referred to as "liberal hegemony." The aim of this ambitious strategy is to turn as many countries as possible into liberal democracies while also fostering an open international economy and building formidable international institutions. In essence, the United States has sought to remake the world in its own image."
Mearsheimer believes this was an unrealistic goal as liberalism was the least powerful of the three fundamental "isms." Both realism and nationalism are much more powerful. While liberalism may be a good idea in particular countries, its untrammeled pursuit in international relations leads to illiberalism in the end.
The book is academic and Mearsheimer is punctilious in laying out his definitions for terms such as liberalism, nationalism, culture and society in order to make sure there is little chance for misunderstanding his work. As such, the book may not be for everyone. Nevertheless, there is so much wisdom and intelligent analysis in what I have so far read, that I can recommend it to anyone who wishes to understand why we are in the present situation. It is the first book I have encountered which fits into the reality that I have experienced over my almost 50 years of international experience. I am only surprised that it took so long for such an honest analysis to be published.
I will continue with comments as I move through the book.
