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Beyond War: Reimagining American Influence In A New Middle East (2013)

by David Rohde(Favorite Author)

3.44 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0670026441 (ISBN13: 9780670026449)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Viking Adult

review 1: There is a lot of wisdom in these pages. Focusing on non-military aspects of American foreign affairs, it provides a unique view of failed policies. Too much reliance on huge wasteful American contractors. A weakened and downsized State Dept. and USAID that can't handle its task of handling huge sums of foreign development funds. The author provides glimpses into some key personalities in the foreign development field but also guides the reader succinctly to understanding broader trends.
review 2: Short and easy to read book detailing the last decade of US involvement in the Middle East. The first half should be familiar to anyone who has read anything at all about the debacle that has been US foreign policy and the revamped "Rumsfeld" military. The over-relia... morence on military might, the neglect of soft power, the internal bureaucratic snafus and the corruption and incompetence of independent contractors is all laid out just to refresh our memories. In the second half, you see a glimmer of hope and possible plan of action. Building upon the ideas of the late Richard Holbrooke, Rohde details how the US can make a difference and be a positive influence. However, his call for small government led projects focused on attainable goals which make a difference and are led by people committed to success and not just profit will have to go against the entrenched bureaucracy and special interests of private contractors. And at that point he is far too optimistic. less

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