To rehash what I've been doing here lately, I've presented 4 books of certain pedigree (meaning they belong to a list of books I have read) in order to establish a framework of the political world, as I see it through these books.
I wanted to establish the structures of the western dominated world, the world that the United States created and has done a fair amount of winning in, and I did that by suggesting "Present at the Creation" by Dean Acheson. Truman's Secretary of State who shaped the world after World War II.
As a score card I submitted a highly detailed work by Steven Pinker, "The Better Angels of Our Nature." Winning is what 70 years were all about. A terrific source for all the good going on in the world that can be charted. Generally speaking, this is a title I'm squeezing, like a square peg in a round hole, because it wasn't written for the purposes I'm using it for. In fact, its takes on a much broader time period. Like the whole of humanity time period.
My old interest, David Stockman appeared next to remind us all, that there are some serious flaws in our country. In our capitalism and winning. An absolutely essential modern educational need to read.
Pat Buchanan's "Death of the West" has a high slot in the list because his arguments and maladaptive views have climaxed with Trump. It one of the books in the cannon of Trump world.
If I could just step back a little bit with my next selection. James Baker III wrote his memoir as Secretary of State under George H.W. Bush in the mid 1990's and it is important as a testament to what really happened at the end of the cold war (winning again) and what promises were made by us to them(Russia).
Everything that is wrong with our relationship with Putin's Russia has to do with what happened after Bush and Baker left office. Understanding Putin's expressed motivation to restore to greatness, or rather undo the humiliation of Mother Russia, at the hands of the West after the cold war period starts with our side of the story. Start it here.
This is one of the oldest memoirs I have read, and the my understanding of what is covered colors much of how I view international politics to this day -- Putin hasn't forgotten. Look it, he's trying to win over on us, we aren't his ally we are his adversary.
This memoir is a terrific mile marker in the West's 70 year run on top of the world.
Taken all together, my selections should be relating how I am much a pro Western world structures kinda guy.
More than believing, I know that the world had been a blank slate after the big War and that thanks to patriots like Acheson and Baker, and so many more forgotten names and faces, the world was designed in our liking, and our dominance.
The world that Truman envisioned, and that Acheson started working on was the side that won the cold war, won the 20th century, and won the world. For seventy years a battle raged that we had been winning all along anyways, but now it seems the structures that gave us our strength are being undermined. I encourage the thought that before we go on destroying, that we might pause and appreciate where these structures came from.
That's what I'm trying to get across.
https://amzn.to/2DLoloi
No comments:
Post a Comment