Customer Reviews

The Fourth Power: A Grand Strategy for the United States in the Twenty-First Century

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The United States and the world around us is changing. For half a century the world situation was framed as part of the super-power struggle between the Soviet Union bloc and the so called Free World. Even the smaller countries, Cuba, the little African states, Israel and the Middle East had overtones of the super-power struggle.

Then it all changed. And we are still formulating what we are going to do. There is a view that the country under George W. Bush is heading towards building an Empire. The United States has poweres economically, politically, and militarily. Mr. Hart argues that there is a fourth power - principle.

We are heading into a strange new world. The rise of non-governmental organizations like Al Qaeda present a new kind of threat. The rise of a united Europe, bigger with more people, more money than the United States - there is no one else in the world big enough to go to war with the US. The problems of AIDS throughout Africa and explosively growing in Asia present a future bleak for most of the world.

Mr. Hart suggests a strategy for the United States to follow based on building on American principles of participatory democracy. I wish I could hear more of this debate from the two people running for President rather than the opponent bashing that seems to occupy most of what I hear.

Gary Hart's "The Fourth Power" only whets my appetite for more from this giant of a political philosopher. This is the most important book on "grand strategy" for this country since George Kennan's work that led to the "containment policy," which served our nation's foreign policy and leadership in the world for a half-century. Since the fall of communism, as we then knew it, the U.S. has been adrift and devoid of a centering philosophy, subjecting us to the whims of individual presidents. This is dangerous, and Senator Hart's thinking should be employed to help us see the need for a unifying theme, based on our unique principles, and to guide us in adopting one as a democratic republic.

. I had always thought that Gary Hart was one of the more thoughtful Democrats on the scene and have always regretted the ritual gutting the press inflicted on him when he was otherwise well positioned to become the President in 1988. I understand from my fellow political junkies he is considering running for the 2008 election. I'm not sure whether this book is part of his campaign strategy--it seems all candidates write a book, or like Kennedy, have a book written for them, before running.
. Sen. Hart starts with a reasonably good idea, that American exceptionalism-America means something by virtue of its distinct democratic, tolerant and egalitarian values-should be the basis of American foreign policy. This is an idea that most Democrats and Republicans could agree upon. Unfortunately, the book quickly bogs down in platitudinous observations. By page 50, I found it increasingly difficult to read; one can only see the same repackaged idea so many times before looking for something else to read.
. Good try, Sen Hart. Please develop your idea further. It's worth discussing; it's just that this book didn't do it.

Gary Hart's proposals for America's "large purposes" for the 21st century should find support from both the left and the right. While he makes it abundantly clear that he does not support the current administration's actions, his proposals and and worldview can be satisfying to Democrats and Republicans, at least if they are not too close to the fringes. This is a book about ideas, not a compilation of proposed programs, so it can be argued that it is naive. Hart does provide some examples of how the ideas might be implemented in practice, but there is clearly much more work to be done. Since such work should be done on a bipartisan basis, I believe he was correct in keeping the book short (and even repetitive, as it was) and concentrating on grand strategy. In summary, I found the book inspiring during a time when there is so much partisan bickering. I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to see how we can move forward in America united, not divided.