In our turbulent world, it is tempting to see America surrounded by enemies trying to destroy us. Everywhere we look, we can see signs of diminishing American influence. Often times, and especially in times of economic turmoil, our growing problems can seem insurmountable. But sometimes just looking at the world through a different lens can help us gain some perspective. And if one of today’s most insightful observers on the world stage holds up that lens, it might even help us breathe deeply 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, not in the United States: rather, it is simply the rest of the world, racing to catch up with us. And while this new era, where 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 scary as pessimists and naysayers believe they are. In his view, the key to understanding our changing world is realizing that America is not lagging behind; rather, it is the rest of the world that is increasing. And if we are tempted to respond by retreating, retreating to Fortress America, confident of our belief in our own superiority, then we are playing a game that has failed other civilizations in the past, and we would likely relinquish our leadership for the future.
Among the cautionary tales the author cites from history is the example of China, another great country that was once at the peak of greatness. Almost a century before Columbus, in the early 15th century, a series of expeditions set out from China, with several hundred ships, each larger than a Spanish galleon, carrying thousands of men. They sailed along the eastern shores, down the coast of Southeast Asia and into the Indian Ocean, impressing that 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 of this came to a halt: a new emperor had come to power, one who viewed these excursions as unnecessary and costly extravagances of little use to China. Before the end of the next century, the building of similar ships was prohibited under pain of death, and vast tracts of forests were burned to make similar ventures impossible in the future. And so China, convinced of its own superiority, firmly withdrew from outside contact to retreat within itself … and in no time, the rest of the world had surpassed the stagnant Chinese culture in all manner of achievements. It has taken them six centuries to fight to get back to the top; and now, having learned the lesson of history, they seem determined not to repeat the mistake.
Today, although dangers lurk on many sides, Zakaria reminds us that we often do not realize how lucky we are to live in an age of abundance and an age of discovery and adventure. Now that America has led the way, the rest of the world is racing to catch up. But, he warns, we should not treat their efforts with suspicion or disdain, but rather embrace the future imagined by our own ideals, because it is those same ideals that have long inspired the world.
Chief among our many resources is 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 unconventional and heretical, as well as the welcome we’ve shown the best and the brightest from around the world. And despite the imperfections of our much-ridiculed educational system, the author shows that most of our problems stem from disparities within our own country: there is, the author points out, a greater disparity among students in our typical schools from middle class and those in the poverty-stricken inner-city schools among our best and the best in the rest of the world. And while we lament our own lagging test scores, others are coming to the United States to learn our techniques. And what impresses them most are the things we take for granted: the willingness of our students to challenge teachers; their courage to speak in class; and their ability to be creative in applying what they are taught in their daily lives. While the rest of the world can beat us in teaching its students to take standardized tests, our system seems to excel at producing people who can be innovative, willing to defy convention. Our culture seems drawn to heretics and weirdos; And since our schools don’t eliminate this from 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 burdened 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 is burdened with a political system that often seems more intent on gaining a temporary partisan edge than on. move the country forward. And where our culture benefits from the influx of immigrants, who bring energy, ambition, and new ideas along with them, we often mistake the challenges they bring as danger as well, rather than seeing them for what they are and have always been: a invaluable source of renewal.
Insightful and well-written, packed with 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 thought and deep 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 that we have always taken for granted. That is, the author concludes, the real role of this country in the world, and the reason why most people on Earth still look to the United States with goodwill. It would be a shame if, through misguided attempts to hold back the future, we were to squander the America we have … and force the world to search for a new one.