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Book Review – The Post-American World of Fareed Zakaria

In our troubled world, it’s tempting to see America surrounded by enemies out to destroy us. Everywhere we look, we can see signs of waning American influence. Often, and especially in a time of economic turmoil, our mounting problems can seem insurmountable. But sometimes simply looking at the world through a different lens can help us gain some perspective. And if that lens is held by one of the most perceptive observers on today’s world scene, it might even help all of us take a deep breath and relax.

In post american world, best-selling author Fareed Zakaria takes a look at America’s place in the world and explains why we have reason to be optimistic. Zakaria, who was born in India, came to this country as a clumsy and naive eighteen-year-old in the depths of the recession of the early 1980s. What he found then, and what he still sees around us today It is a vibrant and expansive country, open to new ideas and eager to show the world what it has to offer. What has changed in the world today, he explains, is not the United States: rather, it is simply the rest of the world, racing to catch up with us. And while this new era, in which American ideas and aspirations have inspired the world to follow us into the future, may pose unique challenges, they don’t have to be as frightening as naysayers and naysayers make them out to be. In his opinion, the key to understanding our changing world is realizing that America is not really falling behind; rather, it is the rest of the world that is rising. And if we are tempted to respond by retreating, retreating to Fortress America, secure in our belief in our own superiority, then we are playing a game that has failed other civilizations in the past, and we would probably relinquish our leadership for the future.

Among the cautionary tales the author cites from history is the example of China, another great country that once stood on the cusp of greatness. Nearly a century before Columbus, in the early 15th century, a series of expeditions with several hundred ships, each larger than a Spanish galleon, carrying thousands of men, set out from China. They sailed up the eastern shores, down the coast of Southeast Asia, and out into the Indian Ocean, awed as they encountered the majesty and power of Chinese civilization, and returned with treasures including precious stones, exotic plants, and animals. By mid-century, however, all this came to a halt: a new emperor had come to power, one who regarded these excursions as unnecessary and expensive extravagances of little use to China. Before the end of the next century, construction of similar ships was prohibited on pain of death, and vast tracts of forests were burned to make future similar undertakings impossible. And so China, convinced of its own superiority, firmly withdrew from outside contact to retreat within itself…and before long, the rest of the world had surpassed the stagnant Chinese culture in all manner of achievements. It has taken them six centuries of fighting to come close to the pinnacle again; and now, having learned the lesson of history, they seem determined not to repeat the mistake.

Today, though we are beset by dangers on many sides, Zakaria reminds us that we often fail to appreciate how lucky we are to live in an age of plenty and an age of discovery and adventure. Now that the United States has led the way, the rest of the world is racing to catch up. But, he cautions, we must not treat their efforts with suspicion or disdain, but rather embrace the future envisioned by our own ideals, for it is those very ideals that have long inspired the world.

Foremost among our many resources are the American culture and people. Both are full of resilience and optimism. The American spirit of innovation stems from the openness of our culture and our acceptance of the unusual and the heretical, as well as the welcome we have shown to the best and brightest from around the world. And despite the imperfections of our much-derided education system, the author demonstrates that most of our problems stem from disparities within our own country: there is, the author points out, greater disparity between students in our typical class schools. average and those of the inner-city poor schools that are among our best and the best in the rest of the world. And while we bemoan our own lagging test scores, others are coming to the US to learn our techniques. And what impresses them most are the things we take for granted: the willingness of our students to challenge teachers; his courage to speak up in class; and their ability to be creative in applying what is taught to their daily lives. While the rest of the world can beat us at teaching their students to take standardized tests, our system seems to excel at producing people who can be innovative, willing to challenge convention. Our culture seems drawn to heretics and weirdos; And since our schools don’t weed this out of our students as well as some countries do, these same weirdos help keep our culture fresh.

Comparing us to the British Empire at its height, Zakaria points out that Britain, though blessed with talented statesmen, was saddled with a dysfunctional economic and cultural system that stifled the creative impulses of British society. In many ways, America’s challenge is the opposite: We have a vibrant and dynamic culture that remains the envy of the world, but saddled with a political system that often seems more intent on gaining temporary partisan advantage than moving forward. to the country. And when our culture benefits from the influx of immigrants, who bring energy, ambition, and new ideas along with them, we often mistake the challenges they also bring for danger, instead of seeing them for what they are and always have been: an invaluable asset. worth. source of renewal.

Insightful and well written, full of a global perspective often lacking in today’s commentators, The post American world offers hope and perspective. It is not written in the lofty tones of academics, but with a precision born of deep thought and understanding. Those interested in understanding America’s place in the world—past, present, and future—would do well to read it carefully. After all, the world needs an America that embodies the free spirit and sense of adventure we’ve always taken for granted. That is, the author concludes, the real role of this country in the world and the reason why most people around the world still look upon the United States with good will. It would be a shame if, through misguided attempts to delay the future, we were to throw away the America we have… and force the world to go in search of a new one.