Redefining Sovereignty: Will liberal democracies continue to determine their own laws and public policies or yield these rights to transnational entities in search of universal order and justice? [Hardcover]

Orrin C. Judd (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1575254506 | ISBN-13: 978-1575254500 | Publication Date: March 1, 2006

As every schoolchild learns (or used to, anyway), over two hundred years ago a most remarkable group of men got together and declared a revolution—that the American colonies were, by right, to be independent of England. In doing so, they drew up a long list of specific grievances, which few pay attention to any longer. But they based their claim of a right of independence on a set of principles so sweeping and universal that they continue to reverberate down the years.

The great promise of transnationalism is that all cultural distinctions will be leveled by the rules and bureaucracies of the elite. In effect, there would be no basis for any future conflict because conformity to a single set of ideas would be imposed. This would be a future of eternal peace, of perfect security, at the cost of only human freedom. Just as classical sovereignty asked only that we turn a blind eye to the question of how states were governed to obtain peace between them, so too do the transnationalists offer us peace if we all allow them to make all decisions for us, if we just submit to the Leviathan.

When you finish this book, you will hopefully be equipped to choose between these competing visions. At the very least you should be made aware that there is such a competition underway and that much rests on who prevails.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Editor Judd is the more prolific half of brothersjudd.com, a neoconservative blogsite as dedicated to providing up-to-the-minute political commentary as it is to skewering various works of the modern literary canon for being too socialistic (Dreiser), relativistic (Faulkner), or confusing (Joyce). In this book, Judd collects his own canon of opinionated experts on the topic of the future of national sovereignty. Aware that world political structures are evolving away from traditional Westphalian notions of the state, Judd fears "transnationalism," the possibility that citizens' rights will be infringed by international bureaucracy and their security achieved at the price of individual liberty. This timely issue will attract many readers. Those seeking robust debate will, however, be disappointed: Though some of this selection's contributors (such as Kofi Annan) defend the spirit of international cooperation, the majority of the 30 excerpts (including those from Ronald Reagan, Walter Russell Mead, and several National Review commentators) boisterously celebrate American exceptionalism while shouting down isolationism and multilateralism alike. An argument disguised as a debate, this book will likely resonate with Judd's many Internet followers. Brendan Driscoll
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"....For those who doubt that Sept. 11 marked the emergence of a new era, this book is indispensable." -- Peter Berkowitz, Prof. of Law, George Mason University

"Easily one of the finest texts available for the study of American Sovereignty...." -- Steven Martinovich, Editor of Enter Stage Right, enterstageright.com

"In a unipolar world, the principal threat to America comes....from a rival ideology transnationalism...." -- Mark Steyn, SteynOnline.com --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 527 pages
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575254506
• ISBN-13: 978-1575254500
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,634,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!, April 7, 2006

By 

Steven Martinovich (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Redefining Sovereignty: Will liberal democracies continue to determine their own laws and public policies or yield these rights to transnational entities in search of universal order and justice? (Hardcover)

I generally tend not to rave about books but Orrin Judd's overview of the debate over sovereignty in this post-9/11 world is among the best compilations on the subject I have ever read. . For those opposed to international bodies such as the UN taking precedence over national governments, Judd's collection is a potent collection of arguments that buttress that point of view. Yet isolationism isn't his intention given the admission that sovereignty can no longer be considered an absolute. Ultimately, it is a celebration of freedom and the dream of those who signed the Declaration of Independence that freedom be known worldwide. History will decide whether this new paradigm is the key to that future.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Name It and Know It, December 13, 2007

By 

Edward Jacobs "Global Observer" (St. Croix, former Danish West Indies) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Redefining Sovereignty: Will liberal democracies continue to determine their own laws and public policies or yield these rights to transnational entities in search of universal order and justice? (Hardcover)

I wonder what the Editor and the contributing authors think of my listing of the thirteen elements of a strongly sovereign nation-state, found at my blog Globalities, found at http://globalities.blogspot.com

I propose that we need to amend the United States Constitution to permit regional territorial secession (of individual States or accumulations of
States) from the United States and its successor - in whole or in part - entities(s), once the USA gives to others enough of its sovereignty to warrant secession.

We need to work out the details, but we need to explicitly reject from now forward President Lincoln's principle of forced continued union of the States, as the United States corrodes into an cog in a this-worldly global economic/governmental wheel.

The sovereignty of nations - like the strong family putting its imprint on the family's kids - is an essential bulwark against the false security of the leading-to-one-word-government process.

Check out my listing of the elements of sovereignty if you like. The explicit, numbered listing can help in perception, analysis, and action.

Best regards and Merry Chrismas,

Ned Jacobs

7 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Right Wing Twaddle, July 16, 2006

By 

C. G. Horner (london, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Redefining Sovereignty: Will liberal democracies continue to determine their own laws and public policies or yield these rights to transnational entities in search of universal order and justice? (Hardcover)

Tired, recycled 'libertarian' nonsense, masquerading as serious analysis. When will these guys grow up and join the real world?