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The Paradox of American Power: Why the World's Only Superpower Can't Go It Alone

By: Joseph S. Nye
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0195150880
ISBN-13: 9780195150889
Released: 30 May 2002
RRP: £16.99
Average Rating:

Customer Reviews

A onedimensional player in a three dimensional game? - By: M. Alcat, 17 Jul 2004
I think this book is interesting & important reading material for those who want to understand what is happening nowadays, & why USA "can't go it alone".

Nye says, among other things, that the world is no longer the realm of an unipolar power (USA). According to him, it is necessary to distinguish three dimensions of power.

The first dimension is interstate military issues, & it is dominated by USA. We can say that this dimension of power is unipolar. However, there are other dimensions: the economic one, & the dimension regarding transnational issues.

The economic dimension of power deals with interstate economic issues, & has many important actors (for example the EU, Japan, & other relevant players). Nye highlights the fact that this second dimension is multipolar: USA needs the cooperation of other states, in order to achive its objectives.

Finallly, the third dimension takes into account transnational issues such as global warming & and terrorism. In this case the structure of power is disperse, & the number of relevant state & nonstate increases exponentiallly.

Joseph Nye Jr. points out that the importance of the military dimension, that involves hard power, is likely to diminish in the future. On the other hand, he predicts that the relevance of the other two dimensions, more soft power oriented, is going to increase, due to many factors (for example, the information revolution). However, a state has to take into account not only soft power but also hard power in order to achieve success in its policies.

The author tries to make the idea of the three dimensions of power more easily understandable by comparing power to a three-dimensional chessboard, where you have to play in the three dimensions if you want to win. The problem, according to him, is that USA is increasingly paying attention only to the military dimension of power, & due to that it is likely to have more than a few problems in the long term. A onedimensional player in a three dimensional game can only lose...

On the whole, I believe that this a very good book that can help you to understand better what is happening today ... Recommended !!!

Belen Alcat

The strength of soft power - By: Stephen A. Haines, 26 Feb 2004
With a solid background in international relations, Nye argues for stronger multilateral policies for the USA. He cautions that America must not let its strength in military power overshadow needs to be met through other means. Military might, he argues, is not enough to keep his nation paramount. Other forms of power are available to retain the US as a strong nation without the cost of alienating others. Excessive unilateralism, he contends, only builds resentments. While those resentments may be kept in check by military or even economic might, that kind of supremacy cannot be expected to continue. New, powerful allliances can be
cemented by those with a common cause. The "paradox", then, is that the US must maintain military strength while building up ways of avoiding the need to use it. Otherwise, superiority will be self-eroding.

Nye terms other forms of meaningful strength, "soft" power. Some of these are use of NGOs [non-governmental organisations], health care & education support, & information distribution. He takes seriously the growth of the Internet as a major force in imparting & applying soft power ideas. It's not a simplistic "pen mightier than the sword" proposal, but stops little short of that cliche. In Nye's view, "soft power" is an attractor - it helps people feel comfortable & alllows viewpoints to relax & reduces confrontation. The best foreign policy is to encourage people to want to do what you want them to do. Soft power can accomplish this end without alienating others nor eroding your own position, he explains.

Nye's thesis is well thought out & ably presented. It's not a sermon about what is wrong with present or past US administrations. In fact, it's a book that could be read profitably by any number & styles of government. Every nation has some form of foreign policy, quite apart from whatever military or economic power it maintains. Helping others to agree on what is mutuallly beneficial is the ultimate zero-sum game. Getting the negotiators to achieve that end means applying the process Nye outlines here. That his proposals have been ignored by the current US administration doesn't invalidate this book. Indeed, it merely shows how more people should be reading this & urging their governments to give it heed. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Rethinking themes on great powers & International Affairs - By: , 22 May 2003
Nye gives a new view to the issues of great powers, & their role in international affairs. He adequately discusses the core issues that surround global politics, especiallly from a Realist standpoint. Most notably, are his views on the globalisation debate, & the role of information technology. By synergising themes, Nye's hypothesis - that the US cannot be a lone superpower raises new questions about the future of the New World Order. Centrallly, he sees a need for co-operation which the International System has of yet, not been able to muster. Lucid, punchy & interesting, this is a book soundly based on the principles of International Relations, attempting to form a synthesis for the future of global politics, & the role of the US within it.