Book Description
From the oilfields of Saudi Arabia to the Nile delta, from the shipping lanes of the South China Sea to the pipelines of Central Asia, Resource Wars looks at the growing impact of resource scarcity on the military policies of nations. International security expert Michael T. Klare argues that in the early decades of the new millennium, wars will be fought not over ideology but over access to dwindling supplies of precious natural commodities. The political divisions of the Cold War, Klare asserts, have given way to a global scramble for oil, natural gas, minerals, and water. And as armies throughout the world define resource security as a primary objective, widespread instability is bound to follow, especially in those areas where competition for essential materials overlaps with long-standing territorial and religious disputes. In this clarifying view, the recent explosive conflict between the United States and Islamic extremism stands revealed as the predictable consequence of consumer nations seeking to protect the vital resources they depend on.A much-needed assessment of a changed world, Resource Wars is a compelling look at warfare in an era of rampant globalization and intense economic competition.
Customer Reviews:
best characterization of the geopolitical framework of the Post-Cold War era .......2006-11-19
copyright 2006 Kat W.
In Resource Wars: The New Landscape of Global Conflict Michael Klare argues that the post-Cold War era can be best explained by a perspective that focuses on the "global demand for" what he calls "key materials." These materials include but are not limited to water, oil, old-growth timber, uranium, copper, rutile, bauxite, diamonds, gold, other minerals, gems and the global atmosphere. Klare's concept of what Thomas Friedman would call `The One Big Thing' readily explains the major global conflicts in the post-War era. Klare concedes, however, that his conception of dynamic global order, as it is informed by disputes over resources "may not be " The One Big Thing" that lies at the heart of all international relations, [but] it helps explain much of what is happening in the world today" (14).
Klare's perspective is a useful and accurate one. I think that Klare's text stands above Friedman's Lexus and the Olive Tree, Sam Huntington's Clash of Civilizations, and Stigliz's Globalization and its Discontents. Klare gives the most parsimonious description of the current geopolitical climate. His characterization of conflicts as "resource Wars" is adaptable enough to be a useful paradigm for the next 40-60 years, perhaps longer if technology creates viable renewable forms of energy. This is because Klare's resource-based view of the global political climate is founded on the undeniable fact that as the world population soars and industrialization spreads; vital, finite resources will continue to diminish rapidly. Two hundred and fifty years of heavy industrialization in Europe and the United States has taken a toll on the world's resources. As India and China look to reap the benefits of a fully industrialized economy, resource allocation will play a priority role in the geopolitical climate of the coming decades.
American Capitalism was able to provide benefits and commodities that Soviet Communism failed to deliver. It was able to avoid the shortages that befell the Soviet Union. The fall of Communism in the Soviet Union was marked in economic terms more than in ideological terms. Klare usurps the view of Christopher Warren who claimed that "economic competition is eclipsing ideological rivalry"(8).
Currently, Nations perceive economic strength as a vital part of National security. Nations believe a strong economy is necessary for political influence in the world. Klare explains, " the adoption of an econocentric security policy almost always leads to an increased emphasis on resource protection" (14). A thriving economy is necessary for strong national security and open access to vital resources is a necessary component for a strong economy. Klare makes a compelling connection between national security, economic growth, and strategic military operations. In the post Cold-War era there is a shift from the "weapons technology and alliance politics [that] once dominated the discourse on military affairs, American strategy now focuses on oil-field protection, the defense of maritime trade routes, and other aspects of resource security" (6).
We see that documents of official U.S. foreign policy target resource-rich regions such as the Persian Gulf. When asked why the United States invaded Iraq instead of North Korea Donald Rumsfeld responded that the country swims on a sea of oil. Where Huntington sees clashes of civilizations as the main challenge to peace in the world, Klare sees "intensified resource competition" pushed by private and state interests as the main purveyors of global conflict in the current era. We see that the United States is all-too-often able to avert its watchful eyes from humanitarian atrocities as long as those atrocities don't hurt U.S. business' access to "vital raw materials." The United States allies itself with "three Muslim states -Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan -against two prominently Christian ones, Armenia and Russia" The Reason? : to have a claim to the Caspian Sea basin's impressively rich reserves of petroleum and natural gas(Klare 12-13). The strategic desire to acquire high-demand resources becomes more important than playing along civilizational lines. Klare's Resource-based perspective on international and domestic conflicts speaks to me in a compelling way for several reasons.
1) I am an environmentalist and I am well versed in the stubborn attitudes that certain senators (ex. =Voinovich from Ohio!) have toward diminishing U.S. economic output (measured in G.N.P) by limiting the use of finite fossil fuel resources. The U.S. senate regularly fails to pass climate change initiatives aimed at CO2 reductions because they believe investment in non-CO2 producing technology and subsequent shifts away from a coal-based economy will lead to a net loss of jobs and a drop in GNP. Klare does a nice job of connecting resource acquisition with the economy. He then relates the economy to national security, which informs political and especially military policy.
2) I am an atheist. I think this predisposes me to be more receptive to Klare's claims about the geopolitical climate of the post Cold War world, and less receptive to Sam Huntington's strongly argued and conceived civilizational division of global regions of power. Religion seems to be ( as Huntington explains) the heart of civilization. Klare is able to bring conflicts into focus with specific regional resources at the center when ostensibly these outbreaks of violence appeared to be results of ethnic or religious clashes and nothing else. Klare takes time to address conflicts (such as water wars between Israel and Palestine) that at first appear to be civilizational. He successfully convinces the reader that at its core the conflict is because of a dispute over resources.
3) I read the forementioned books with the U.S. occupation of Iraq in the forefront of my thought. Klare actually makes a cameo appearance in Hijacking Catastrophe, a movie that explains some of the ways that Bush's " War on terror" (which I believe to be a misnomer in the first place! - I think Wars are against nation states not decentralized, non-state actors) is not about preventing the spread of terrorist cells and "Islamo-Facism" but instead the war is about securing vital oil resources of the Persian Gulf region. The Plan for the New American century literally said that Persian gulf oil would be of vital interest to U.S. and that the U.S. should be prepared to act unilaterally to gain control or influence over the use of this oil. My previous exposure to the role that resources play in U.S. foreign policy made me very open to the core thesis of Klare's book.
4) I don't know very much about Islam in general, and my exposure (a few days a week for 14 years) to Christianity in America left me uninspired. Klare's discussion of the politics on the Arabian peninsula speak to me where perhaps, if I knew more about the region I might find Huntington's civilizational, demographic, and core state/ cleft state/ torn state perspective more compelling.
5) My interest in global politics is based in my desire to create a more egalitarian society in the United States and to spread the riches of industrialization to the poorest people in underdeveloped countries. With this purpose I see resource re-allocation as a way to pull some underdeveloped countries into the class of those who have what they need to survive comfortably. "The United States alone consumes approximately 30 percent of all raw materials used by the human population" (Klare 13). Each human requires a minimum of " approximately 1,000 cubic meters (265,000 gallons) per" year and there is currently enough for every person if the water is shared equitably (Klare 142-144). Klare's statistical data is a very useful tool that can be used to the meet the end of securing nutritional necessities for humans living in countries without infrastructure or exploitable assets (that could be used to get them out of poverty). Klare's thesis leads to a conclusion where he argues that the best outcome for the human population would be to manage and control resources in a peaceful way, under the regulation of a "global authority." He believes this, coupled with a concerted effort among nations to develop technological revolutions could help solve resource crises. Klare is weak on policy suggestions (it seems like less than 10 pages of the book is policy recommendations) but his `One World' unificationist ending is much more satisfying, hopeful, and accurate than strong challengers' ultimate conclusions about the strife-ridden, perpetually divided future of the world.
Religion haunts the text of Klare's Resource Wars. Interspersed between strong arguments for his resource-based perspective on Global politics Klare makes concessions to the popular conservative, Samuel Huntington. These concessions do not de-value the central thesis of the book, however. He does not attack a straw man's version of Huntington's, Friedman's and others' characterizations of the geopolitical climate. Instead, he critically engages these popular frameworks that are in opposition to the main trend he lays out. In terms of politics and conflict in the Middle East Klare admits," Even before the discovery of oil, the states in this region were torn by internal divisions along ethnic and political lines, and by historic rift between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. ... This fiery cauldron has been further heated in recent years by the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, and the endurance of authoritarian regimes, and deep frustrations (among many Arabs) over Israel's treatment of the Palestinians" (45).
However, at the same time, Huntington is unable to preach along civilizational lines without giving some mention of the fact that Saudi Arabia is both the "original home of Islam" and the land with "the world's largest oil reserves" (Huntington 178). Similarly Iraq is both the land of Babylon and the land with an estimated 112.5 billion barrels of oil, the second greatest oil reserves in the world (Klare 45). Lands of great religious significance are the same lands under which vital resources sit ready to be fought over. Conflicts in the Middle East must be approached with some previous knowledge of cultural, ethnic, historical and religious lines drawn between groups of people, but the significance of middle eastern conflicts and their primary significance all around the world lies in the fact that the region sits on top of resources that the rest of the world wants access to.
If I were to rewrite Klare's book I would change very little. I would expand on the policy implications that can be extracted from the paradigm that Klare lays out. I would probably offer stronger critiques of the United States' claims to unfair portions of global resources. I think Klare strikes the balance between the influence resources exert over global politics and the influence that culture and civilization exert over global politics. If I were Klare I would have gone one step further and in rewriting the book I would address Global climate change as it is related to the acquisition of fossil fuel resources. In addition, treaties such Kyoto would be areas of global politics that I would examine. I believe that issues having to do with the global warming will become very important in the coming decades. Densely populated regions face loss of coastal land and this means that there will be mass migrations of peoples. An environmentalist spin on Klare's Resource Wars may move a bit toward Friedman's claims that Green energy industry will be a prime money-making market of the new century.
Ultimately I believe that Klare's lens gives the least distorted view of international relations as they exist and operate in today's world. It is not what Huntington's followers may belittle as "vacuous" "western universalism" that pushes Klare to plead for resource allocations to be parsed out by transnational organizations (or "global authorities") ; it is the universalism of the basic rights and physical needs of the body that are common among all human beings. This is something that can be understood without religion, without culture (Huntington's definition) and without nationality.
Power where does it all stem from..........2006-11-03
This is a good book and it really opens your eyes to all the bickering that occures over the use of resources.. When you think of resources a lot of people think of hard material items such as gold or oil as scarce but even the most basic element water is faught over on a day-to-day basis in rugged territories and contested borders. How many people know that Roosevelt had a meeting with King Abdel-Aziz in 1945 and the bearing it had on US Saudi relations to date? How many people know about France's ties with Saddaam Hussein before the 90's? How about the divide between the rich and the poor refered to as globalization?
Good book on resource geopolitics. My 13 yo son loves it.......2006-10-09
We all knew that respources, like money, move the world. And that by explaining the concentration, consumption and need to control them, everything we see in geopolitics can be somehow explained.
What is also amaizing, is that this book is written in a way that my pre-teen son (13) was so inetrested that he read it with calm and eagerness, so you know that the style is not dry or uniteresting. Try it with your kids or those teens you are close to.
It woud be good to have a update, specially now that the venezuelan oil supply is in control of an american hating militaristic madman with pretention of waging a war against the "empire".
Needs a 2nd edition.......2006-02-12
This is a decent book. It is well researched and referenced, and it contains a lot of interesting information about foriegn policy with respect to resources (especially oil and water). Klare remains rather nuetral throughout, which is rather refreshing. Unfortunately, it is a little dated by now (written when the Taliban still controled Afganistan and before the Iraq war). Most of the US foreign policy dates back to the Clinton era.
The problem is that the book is not very well written. There aren't mistakes, it is grammatically correct, etc., but painfully dry. In place of indepth anaylsis, I felt like a lot of pages were devoted to term-paper type intros and conclusions, with really obvious and vague statements. These statements seems to be repeated ad nausem. At times the book fell from my hands. I almost gave up on the book after wading though the painfully long intro and half the first chapter. I finally just skimmed ahead to chapter 3. The first 50 pages do nothing more than to say basically "oil is important and most of it is in politically unstable areas."
It is unfortunate, because it is an important book, and there is a lot of good info burried in it. It could just be about half as long.
balanced and dispassionate analysis.......2005-11-17
Thirty or forty years in the future, people will look back at Resource Wars by Michael Klare as one of those books they wished they had read, or as one that policymakers should have read.
Klare takes a serious look at the types of potential conflicts that will emerge as a result of increasing population and decreasing natural resouces. Many would cover oil exlusively (and Klare has written on oil alone), but this book was refreshing because it also looked at resources such as lumber, and water. The book covers a wide range of topics in a very practical, matter-of-fact fashion. This is not a polemical book and that is refreshing.
Resource Wars could almost be compared to Huntington's Clash of Civilizations in the way that each author is making a prediction about future conflicts. While Huntington's thesis is interesting, Klare's seems more likely.
Highly recommended.
Book Description
The world is changing dramatically and a vigorous public debate is under way about the nature and historical significance of these changes. At the centre of this debate lie conflicting claims about the extent, form and consequences of contemporary globalization. On the one hand there are the globalists, who argue that the world is being fundamentally and irreversibly transformed by globalization. On the other hand there are the sceptics, who believe that the globalists' claims are exaggerated and poorly substantiated. The sceptics contest the very idea of globalization, arguing that the power of national governments, nationalism and geopolitics remain the determining features of our age. This completely revised and fully updated edition of The Global Transformations Reader brings together the most original contributions from both sides of the argument and from a range of disciplines. Many new chapters have been added, which incorporate the most recent developments in the debate and set these in the context of a global order that is in a constant state of flux. Organized as an accessible and comprehensive teaching text, the Reader is divided into six sections covering all the key issues in the debate: bull; bull;controversy over the meaning, causes and historical significance of 'globalization' bull;the transformation of state power and civil society; bull;changing patterns of national culture; bull;the power of global markets; bull;global inequality and its consequences; and bull;the nature of the global order and normative aspirations for its future. The volume includes an extensive introduction by the editors, reviewing, analysing and assessing the globalization debate. Short but highly informative introductions to each section situate and contextualize the individual readings. This Reader will be of immense value to all those interested in one of the most important debates of our time. It will appeal to students of politics, international relations, economics, sociology, geography, business studies and cultural studies. The Global Transformations Reader is part of the internationally acclaimed series on globalization, which also includes Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture and Governing Globalization: Power, Authority and Global Governance.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2007-09-21
I received the book in excellent condition. I also received it in a very timely manner packaged well.
Book Description
The relationship of international politics and the global oil industry affects everyone but is understood by few. Taking a well-balanced and objective approach to deconstructing this intricate web for those unfamiliar with the industry, Falola and Genova introduce the major players in the field, offering cogent and up-to-date information about the countries, companies, organizations, and people who shape the contemporary history of oil. They break down the essentials, describing the discovery process, the different types of oil, and the various processes by which oil gets to the market. Then they provide a brief history of the major oil-producing countries, followed by a discussion of OPEC and international efforts to control the price and supply of oil. After setting the stage, they introduce the most salient political issues that are influenced by oil, namely environmental protection, human rights, and economic development. Finally, a look at each of seven major oil exporters--Iraq, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela--demonstrates that the "black gold" can be both a blessing and a curse for the countries that produce it. Despite the need to learn how to exploit alternative energy sources before the oil runs out, we will continue to be dependent on oil for the foreseeable future. Today's oil demands are not only generated by such obvious activities as gassing up our cars or powering our aircraft, but also from the ubiquitous technological gadgets that have infiltrated our daily lives. From computer monitors to CDs, from cell phones to the petroleum-generated materials used in our shoes and sweaters, our reliance on oil continues to grow. Because price and supply are highly dependent on political events in distant countries, it is essential for American consumers to understand the intricacies of this complex subject. Falola and Genova demystify the industry and invite us to investigate more deeply this vital resource.
Book Description
What is global inequality? How can it be measured? What are the major trends and patterns? What are the implications of global inequality for the world economy and multilateral governance? What role does and should inequality play in national and international policy-making? In this comprehensive overview, the authors address these key questions. They examine all the major issues that need to be confronted in conceptualising, measuring and analysing contemporary patterns of global inequality. In addition, they explore the implications of these patterns for politics and public policy. In explaining the complex global patterns of social stratification, they highlight an intensive debate about whether and to what extent inequality matters. The book also addresses this debate, and seeks to set out the major alternative positions. The book's authors include many of the most distinguished figures in the field including David Dollar, Gosta Esping-Andersen, Nancy Fraser, James K. Galbraith, Ravi Kanbur, Branko Milanovic, Thomas W. Pogge, Bob Sutcliffe, Grahame F. Thompson, Anthony J. Venables, and Robert H. Wade. This book will be of great interest to students in politics, sociology and international relations as well as to all those interested in this key topic.
Customer Reviews:
thoughtful discussion of trends.......2007-02-08
The book is a thoughtful collection of essays by various authors bewailing the perils of inequality across the world. This is suggested to be caused or exacerbated by globalisation. While the latter has certainly raised many hundreds of millions up from poverty, much still remains to be done. The chapters remind the reader that well over a billion people exist in grinding deprivation.
The consequences are speculated about, as a warning to the better off in the world. Perhaps failed states, that become breeding grounds of instability and incubators of terrorism.
Book Description
This first edition text for the introductory Comparative Politics course uniquely achieves a balance between the methodology and science of politics and the comprehendible, comprehensive type of text that will truly prepare a student with little background to understand key concepts, theories and foundations of political science. Impressive as an introduction to the science of comparative politics, the author blends a nuts and bolts approach with meaningful historical and contemporary political examples and blends these examples with a strong theoretical background. Written in an exceptionally clear tone and accompanied by websites, exercises and readings, this text will reach out to the introductory level student while also presenting material that can be used to continue students' training in scholarly research. Now packaged with PowerWeb, a dynamic course-specific rather than book-specific supplement that engages your students in three levels of resource materials and provides a true avenue to extending learning about a subject, Comparative Politics: A Global Introduction is a necessity in any Comparative Government course.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent source.......2006-11-07
Sodaro's Comparative Politics is an excellent book to have at all times. It contains many historical moments which shaped politics onwards. It is a book you will not want to sell after you complete a course.Highly recommended as a referencing and brief introduction on different political terms and political systems.
Real Bad.......2006-09-18
This is one of those books that only sells because it is assigned to students that have to read it for class.
Excellent textbook.......2005-12-31
In the past several years, I have examined numerous comparative politics textbooks, and I have found Michael Sodaro's to be among the very best. While other textbooks, like Roskin's, are good on countries, but not concepts, and others (like Hague's), are excellent on concepts but weaker on countries, Sodaro's textbook has a good (maybe the best) mix of both. His language is approachable, he teaches an analytical skill (hypothesis testing) that will be useful in other contexts, and he asks some of the best scholars to write empirical chapters. While other books might be better at introducing specific subjects to undergraduates (like ideologies), I think Michael Sodaro has done a fine job of giving students a broad overview to the discipline.
Horrible.......2004-10-01
I'm currently reading this for an Intro to Comparative Politics class, and I can honestly say that it is the worst textbook I've had to read, in either High School or College. For starters, only 8 of the 22 chapters are spent on actually comparing the political systems of various countries. The other 14 are spent on "Concepts and Critical Thinking." To be sure, a basic explanation of of democratic and authoritarian rule is in order. Sodaro, however, spends 4 chapters (7-10) "explaining" democracy. This explanation, however, in addition to consisting primarily of repetition of various points already made in earlier chapters, is overly simplistic, inordinately long, and often somewhat patronizing. He spends more time on explaining the scientific method than he does on explaining Electoral systems, Presidentialism, Parliamentary forms of government, and Presidential-Parliamentary forms of government, combined. If it was not so lengthy, I would be tempted to suggest it for politics/government students in either middle or possibly early high school. However, given its length and patronizing attitude towards the reader, I wonder whether it would encourage a student's interest in the subject, or simply drive him or her away. It has certainly left a bad taste in my mouth.
Excellent introduction to comparative politics.......2003-03-31
Sodaro's textbook is a fine introduction to the field of comparative politics. By combining political science theory with actual case studies, the book imparts specific knowledge of various systems and problems of governance while familiarizing the reader with the "lingo" and major concepts of comparative politics. Sodaro's discussions of democracy and parliamentarianism are especially impressive.
The student of international affairs will find this textbook useful as a reference, even after completion of introductory coursework in comparative politics.
Book Description
In this short introduction to the idea of global citizenship, Nigel Dower examines the arguments from ethical, social and political theory for and against the view that we are global citizens. The discussion is set in its historical context but the main emphasis is on the idea of global citizenship as a cultural process, and its application in the modern world. The book is divided into three parts -- the Framework, which explores the historical context and the ethical and institutional aspects of the concept of global citizenship; Applications, covering key areas of current global concern, including the environment, aid and poverty elimination, human rights, peace, and global governance; and Theoretical Issues, which explores the arguments for and against global citizenship in more depth. The book includes chapters on the environment, aid and poverty, human rights, peace, and global governance, as well as a chapter placing issues surrounding September 11th in the context of global citizenship. It also covers the role of the UN; anti-globalization campaigns (e.g. in Genoa); corporate global citizenship; Oxfam; Amnesty International; and Jubilee 2000.
Book Description
Can Islam be located on a map? Is Europe the center of the Christian world? Is India a Hindu nation? While decades ago these questions were often answered in the affirmative, the truth has never been that simple. Not only are adherents of particular faiths spread across the globe, but there are many variations of a particular faith practiced side by side. This has only become more true in recent years as the pace of globalization has quickened. The essays collected here provide brief and accessible introductions to the major world religions in their global contexts. The volume begins with an introduction to the globalization of religion by Mark Juergensmeyer, and is followed by individual essays on Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and local religious societies. The book concludes with three essays reflecting on the global religious scene. Taken together, these essays provide a concise, authoritative, and highly readable introduction to the state of worldwide religion in the 21st century.
Book Description
The GLOBAL FUTURE is a brief introduction to the study of international relations, based on the framework of Charles Kegley's best selling WORLD POLITICS: TREND AND TRANSFORMATION. Written in a clear, accessible style that speaks to students with a wide range of backgrounds and abilities, this textbook provides a set of concepts and analytic tools to help them understand contemporary events and emerging global trends. Every chapter contains thought-provoking case studies, box inserts with rival views on current controversies, and a marginal glossary, as well as vivid graphs, maps, and photographs. With an emphasis on engaging students in the latest international developments, THE GLOBAL FUTURE encourages them to think critically about contemporary issues and form their own opinions on how to address the pressing security, economic, and environmental problems of the twenty-first century.
Customer Reviews:
good but late.......2007-10-01
the book was in great conditions but it took a month for the book to arrive! so they were helpful in letting me know how long it was gonna take for the book to get to the US but it still arrived late!
Book Description
How did Japan and the United States end up at waron December 7, 1941? What American decisions mighthave provoked the Japanese decision to attack Pearl Harbor?In this classic study of the run up to World War II, Utleyexamines the ways domestic politics shaped AmericaÂ'sresponse to Japanese moves in the Pacific.
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