Comments on: The Post-Imperial Moment

By: Sam J.

Sam J. — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 13:28:03 +0000

I forgot to add all Kaplan's books are great. If we're talking about the guy that wrote The Coming Anarchy.

By: Sam J.

Sam J. — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 13:25:16 +0000

This was predicted quite a while ago. There was a series of books by James Dale Davidson and Sir William Rees-Mogg. They are based on the idea of Meapolitics. Namely that power and politics are based on the Technology of defense and offense. Mao, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." An example; gunpowder brought about the rise of large states due to cost of cannon. It also destroyed castles which collapsed smaller states. It lowered the power of defense. Followed by "the Right of Kings". The main idea being until the technology supported it "the Right of Kings" was just so much nonsense. The authors claim the microprocessor is decreasing the power of offense which decreases the power of large States. During the World Wars you needed a large population with lots of guns to prevail. Now a small group armed with advanced weapons can attack at will hitting their targets every time. From this they concluded the welfare state and the USA was doomed. The books are also investment books. They did not do so well on this because they were just too soon. Who knew the US could stay afloat in such dire circumstances. They're well worth reading. I'm like probably most of the people here, a book worm, and these are some of the best books I've read ever on BIG ideas with far reaching ideas. The books are old so most only cost a penny plus shipping. Blood in the Streets: Investment Profits in a World Gone Mad (1987) The Great Reckoning: How the World Will Change in the Depression of the 1990's (1994) The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age (1999) Another good book The Squeeze by James Dale Davidson (1980) that is good. From a long time ago talking about how we got into this shape.

By: Scipio Americanus

Scipio Americanus — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 19:09:32 +0000

Thanks, Isegoria. I had forgotten the Kagan confusion that comes up as well. The Kagans could properly be described as Neoconservative, but Robert D. Kaplan is an outspoken member of the Realist school in foreign policy and international relations, akin to what most people perceive as Realpolitik. He is definitely in favor of US military involvement overseas, but because realists believe that hegemony is a zero-sum affair and that the periods of transition between hegemonies tend to produce incredibly violent and destructive wars. Realists differ from the Neoconservatives on many core issues, though, so should not be confused for them.

By: Isegoria

Isegoria — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 19:01:57 +0000

Victoria Nuland's husband is Robert Kagan. And Robert S. Kaplan is a business professor.

By: Scipio Americanus

Scipio Americanus — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 18:54:08 +0000

Bob, there are two Robert Kaplans that are easy to mix up. If I remember correctly, you're thinking of the other one. (This is Robert D. Kaplan).

By: Bob Sykes

Bob Sykes — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 18:39:44 +0000

Kaplan’s chutzpah is stunning. He and his wife (the infamous Amb. Nuland) had a very large hand in the destabilization of the Ukraine, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. They and the other neocons have pushed to world to the edge of world war.