Alternatives : the United States Confronts the World / / Immanuel Wallerstein

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910967158303321
• Autore: Wallerstein Immanuel Maurice <1930-2019, >
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Boulder, Colo., : Paradigm Publishers, 2004; London : , : Routledge, , 2004
• ISBN: 1317263944; 1315636077; 1612054072
• Edizione: [1st edition.]
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (182 pages)
• Collana: Fernand Braudel Center series
• Disciplina: 327.73
• Soggetti: World politics - 21st century - Forecasting; United States Foreign relations 1989-; United States Politics and government 1989-
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: First published 2004 by Paradigm Publishers.
• Nota di contenuto: To the reader -- Part I -- Part II -- Part III -- Index -- About the author.
• Sommario/riassunto: Immanuel Wallerstein draws on a lifetime of study of long-term historical change to shed light in his newest book on the consequences of the recent, significant turn in U.S. foreign and economic policies. Alternatives shows how the U.S. has been in decline since the 1970s and how these longer trends dovetail with current Bush administration policies, which he describes as an attempt to reverse the decline in ways that are disastrous to the future of the country and the world. The book's middle section is a log of insightful commentaries written between 2001 and 2004 detailing how the Bush administration has broken the pattern of foreign policies set by six presidents from Richard Nixon to Bill Clinton. Wallerstein suggests that a threshold has been crossed that will make it difficult for future presidents to practice the kind of 'soft' multilateralism in foreign policy they have used in the past and maintain effective alliances. He also shows, surprisingly, why 'globalization' already is dead, especially in terms of the United States' ability to dominate economically in the manner that it has since WWII. ; He calls for a major revision of U.S. policies, and not an attempt merely to return to the pre-Bush foreign policy. In conclusion, Wallerstein's visionary book speaks to the challenges the U.S. must face if it is to play a meaningful and progressive role in the world-system.