28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thinking Outside the Box, May 30, 2006
This review is from: The Battle for Peace: A Frontline Vision of America's Power and Purpose (Hardcover)
The Battle for Peace is a short book with big print, but it's the content that counts. And General Zinni provides a compelling case for changes in our diplomacy, military, organizational structure, and decision-making, and actions.
The general tells us that most of our structures such as FBI and CIA and Homeland Security are based on a WW II model that worked well against belligerant states, but is ineffective against NGO's or non-governmental organizations. For this, Zinni says that we must restructure and share information rather than fight turf wars within our governmental agencies. He provides numerous examples of how this might succeed.
General Zinni also sees a different role for the military which is also based on a WW II model of battalions, squadrons and air wings built to fight conventional forces of nation states. He sees the military becoming more involved in attempting to understand the history, culture, geography, and "material traits" of societies who are our potential enemies--or allies. By doing this, the general contends, our military will win the battles for peace rather than have to win a battle of war.
Using his model he compares the actions of the Bush administration's policies and diplomacy. Without rancor, but lacking in subtlty, he is critical of the administration's policy, planning, lack of containment and stabilization, and doctored intelligence.
In reviewing this easy-to-understand primer of international relations and diplomacy, it was difficult not to make comparisons with other books I've read where "Americanist" authors ridiculed the third world as the "turd world," or the author who suggested that we "convert all the Muslims to Christianity," or the one who wants us delivered from evil. The scholarship between Zinni and these authors I have alluded to is breathtakingly wide. Next to his thinking, their pronouncements seem childish, even a bit zanny compared to Zinni. (Sorry.) And none of these authors can resort to name-calling or questioning the patriotism of a general who is highly decorated, achieved four stars in a rank-stingy service, and has more time in the "chow line" than all of them put together have in the military, which is zero.
General Zinni is crystal clear that his understanding for his potential or actual enemies is not an appeasement. "That is not to say that knowing is forgiving. I don't buy that fallacy. Understanding may bring revulsion, and contempt. Knowing evil doesn't make evil less evil. Sitting down at a table with insurgents doesn't gurarantee my sympathy for them or for their cause. Some of them perform acts that we can never accept. Some evil is absolute; it puts the evildoer beyond the pale. We absolutely can't deal with some people."
In order to survive and lead, we must revise our infrastructure, share information laterally, eliminate "stovepipe" or top-down structures, understand our allies and enemies, negotiate, assist, plan, listen, learn about other cultures, and attack instability whereever it appears. This, Zinni contends will benefit all Americans at home. He also believes that truth, justice, and the American way are good for Americans. But the American way is not the way for everybody. Some will not embrace a democratic form of government.
Too bad no one read this book before we jumped into Iraq. Maybe we would have learned something more profound than that our enemies hate us because they hate our freedoms.
Maybe it's time we start to think outside the box.
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51 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The US empire is a fact, but how to make it work, April 6, 2006
This review is from: The Battle for Peace: A Frontline Vision of America's Power and Purpose (Hardcover)
Zinni, whose credentials are impeccable, clearly describes how not conduct foreign policy. Taking his oath of service, even though he is retired, seriously, he does not come out and openly critisize the Bush administraion, even though the implications are there. This might irk some opponens of the present Bush doctrine, but it also gives the book credence, and does not alienate Bush supporters. Zinni does not call for anything radical anyway, he just calls for moderation, consideration and proper planning. In many ways the situation the US is in today is very similar to situation the UK found itself in the nineteenth century. The British Empire was not planned - suddenly the Brits found themselves involved in all corners of the world fighting enemies, protecting allies, spreading Christianity, internal policing and taking themselves whereever business opportunities took them. Their technological superiority very soon made them end up with colonies in places they had never dreamt of! A situation very similar to the one US finds itself in today in the post-cold war era. This is one of the first US books that I know of that actually acknowledge this fact, British historians have pointed out this long ago, and urges the administration to tread carefully: too many Iraqs and to much unilateralism will not help the situation, and it can quickly spiral out of control. If there is a weakness in the book it is that he does not clearly address the complex issue of big oil, neocons, and evangelicals, and their influence on the US foreign policy.
I was impressed by Zinni on Jon Stewart, how he refused to be goaded by Stewar and kept his integrity at all times.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Knowledgeable approach, December 31, 2006
This review is from: The Battle for Peace: A Frontline Vision of America's Power and Purpose (Hardcover)
Zinni (with Koltz) surprised me with this read. I had not expected him to be so open-minded and practical in his approach. Instead of pointing fingers (no more than 3 or 4 times) without offering solutions, here he IS offering solutions, and not half-hearted or vague ones, but well thought-out and capable ones.
In the beginning I was a little thrown off by some parts that seem to say "Hey look at me, I, Zinni, am great, I did this and that", but it does relay to the casual reader his credentials and knowledge on what he's writing.
His focus is more on global policy, with some changes (although not small) to some of the departmental structuring in the American government. Some topics he tackles are the "Stove Pipe Effect " (no cross-talk between intelligence agencies, leaving us blind-sided), moving away from the Cold War-Era military framework, and the ignorance to any REAL civic response to global crisis.
Worth reading, for anyone and everyone that believes America needs to adapt. Written without partisanship or superfluous chatter.
Even though Tom Clancy is a top-notch military historians, I found his forward to be completely unnecessary, why would he need that extra credibility? Should be apparent by his (Zinni's) roles and experience.
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