The Power of Crisis | Robert Wright & Ian Bremmer | The Wright Show

The Power of Crisis | Robert Wright & Ian Bremmer |

 The Wright Show

6,583 viewsMay 18, 2022

162

Nonzero

0:00 Ian's brand new book, The Power of Crisis 4:27 Did NATO expansion lead to the invasion of Ukraine? 18:23 Ian: We shouldn’t have left Russia behind after the Cold War 26:04 How much trouble is caused by America’s lack of perspective-taking? 31:37 The critical problems Ian wants the world to focus on 42:00 Does the “democracy vs. autocracy” framing do more harm than good? 50:37 The rival technological visions of the US and China (and Elon Musk) 56:26 Could our current crises be the seeds of future flourishing?

Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and 

Ian Bremmer (Eurasia Group, Us Vs. Them, The Power of Crisis). Recorded May 17, 2022.

Comments on BhTV: http://bloggingheads.tv/videos/64172

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56 Comments

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JoeCitizensBlues

JoeCitizensBlues

1 month ago

Love Robert's sense of humor.

Aaron McNally

Aaron McNally

2 months ago

This is fantastic!

4

Aaron McNally

Aaron McNally

2 months ago

I love these guys!

3

Doug Devine

Doug Devine

2 months ago

An incisive rich conversation, way to nail content guys, edify the public and avoid and adhominem attacks or label mudslinging. , indeed Putin asked Nato back in 2001/02 to enter NATO, our American hubris mocked his request. Its a great failure in my view, geopolitical myopia not to align with Russias interests rather than treating Russia equipped with a highly educated populace into a western alliance.

2

ermiasd

ermiasd

2 months ago

Amazingly good talk

3

Jason

Jason

1 month ago (edited)

Another possible explanation for the failure to integrate Russia into the West is that the Cold War only ended on one side. We take for granted that the US "won" the Cold War, but the Cold War was not only a state-to-state rivalry, it was (like WWII) a "war of religion" and a total war at that. The US outlasted the USSR, but I think we should consider a new historical paradigm around how we interpret the Cold War. We may eventually speak historically of the collapse of the USSR and the USA, even if the USA (as a Cold War superpower) lasted a few more decades. We should also consider that China represents the Third World, not the First and Second World ruled by the USA and USSR. The USA has no clue how to deal with the Third World, because the USA can only think in terms of "integration" e.g. for Russia. But the Third World will never be "integrated" in that manner, the Third World a.k.a. the Global South is in the midst of its own history-making. Russia has declined as a First World threat to the US, except militarily, but Russia has common cause with the Third World, and possibly with China. The US can try to discredit these worlds as totalitarian or authoritarian, as it has done to Russia and China, but the politics of "integration" will never be real because we are all children of different histories. Many countries around the world see Putin's war as a regional matter and they distrust the US on principle.

mgriff0309

mgriff0309

2 months ago

Oh man, this should be great. Two guys I like a lot although I heavily lean Bremmer on Ukraine/Russia

7

Isa Genesi

Isa Genesi

2 months ago

Very interesting conversation thank you!

4

Mayor McCheese

Mayor McCheese

2 months ago

Imagine if we treated Japan in 1946 the same way we treated Russia in 1990.

5

smill437

smill437

2 months ago

The USA nuked Japan twice.  Kind of oversimplifying to draw a line at ‘46, obviously.

1

Mayor McCheese

Mayor McCheese

2 months ago

 @smill437  l was referring to the rebuilding phase of Japan in the 50s. America spent the 90s effectively sneering at the Soviet Union's failure and doing nothing useful to help.

OleWetDog

OleWetDog

2 months ago

 @Mayor McCheese  I guess the question is what could we have done and would they have been receptive.  Anne Applebaum has an article about that early 90s time period that suggests Russia was even then sounding the old imperialist whistle.

Daniel Carlson

Daniel Carlson

2 months ago

Imagine if Japan never went to war and their country imploded from an internal crisis and we treated them with kid gloves. If you want to make a hypothetical comparison. Pro-Putin folks really like to draw asinine historical analogies that don't make sense in order to justify his every gripe.

2

Kathlean Keesler

Kathlean Keesler

2 months ago

Interesting- thank you.

1

smill437

smill437

2 months ago

Domestic support for joining NATO in Ukraine was extremely mixed pre-invasion.  Also, there was a Civil War going on for 7+ years thatsat firmly in the way of Ukraine ever joining NATO anyway. In other words, the pre-invasiin status quo was that Ukraine could not, and would not be joining NATO any time soon, regardless what anybody wants to say about expansion as an issue contributing to the decision to invade.  The status quo was favorable to Russia.  Better trade situation.  Better diplomatic situation.  It was a better everything situation.  They were awarded an Olympics in Sochi a short while ago.  

    Post invasion, Finland and Sweden want to join NATO, and domestic support for Ukrainians to join NATO is now higher than ever.  And we now can view Sweden and Finland as having very good reason to want to join... especially since their self determination has been threatened when Putin threatened them over getting any ideas about wanting to join, just 2 months after Russia turned a proxy war in one of their neighbor nations into cold blooded war of aggression.  

I'd love to hear how NATO is the unreasonable actor here. How about the CSTO Bob?  Do you have any criticisms of it? Its mutual defense charter? Love to hear it.

5

Natus Vincere

Natus Vincere

2 months ago

"Domestic support for joining NATO in Ukraine was extremely mixed pre-invasion. "

Pursuing NATO membership is in the Ukrainian constitution itself.

3

smill437

smill437

2 months ago

 @Natus Vincere  regardless.  This was a red herring.  

Did you see the news today?  Lavrov says Sweden and Finland joining NATO makes “no big difference”.  Direct quote.

The truth is, there is something distinctly insulting about Ukrainian independence that pisses off Russian ethnonationalists (like Putin), because the land of Ukraine is a Rus/Slav origin story for the Russian empire.  This is a land that was always going to be attacked, or win its independence from Russia through conflict.  It is the price to pay so to speak.     “Unite the Rus” Russians, think Ukraine doesn’t deserve to be a country, and isn’t a country.  That is 100% the reality of the problem and I don’t think Bob yet appreciates that, even though Nikita Petrov mentioned it being described exactly as this by a former Ukrainian ambassador, in their episode together. (Nikita is not in line with this thinking thankfully).

1

M Mq

M Mq

2 months ago

 @smill437  It is exceptionally hard to launch a large-scale invasion of Russia via Finland or Sweden due to climate/terrain issues. It is exceptionally easy to do it via Ukraine and Belarus. This has been explored in detail by war strategists from both Russia and Western countries . That is why these 2 are incomparable cases.

smill437

smill437

2 months ago

 @M Mq  Kind of agreeing with me by proxy.  It isn't NATO expansion, per se (Bob's hobby horse)... You're just saying Ukraine is uniquely situated geography that Russia won't cede control over.  

We might disagree here, but I contend that Ukraine neutrality isn't enough.  Neutrality is what Russia basically guaranteed via the proxy war, and latent mixed support within Ukraine for joining NATO... which doesn't matter because Russia A) got Crimea, B) was fighting alongside separatists using Russian SF, C) Ukraine can't join NATO while the country was in conflict.  

The pre-Feb-2022 status quo served Russia very well.  All he's done is encourage more NATO expansion, and he has kicked a hornets nest by openly invading Ukraine.  More sanctions.  More war expenditure.  LESS security for his country.  What a dunce.

Zac Cooper

Zac Cooper

2 months ago

So, glad to see Ian back on the Wright show! He's become one of my most trusted sources of information on global events. Where's Moose?!

2

Johnny Watkins

Johnny Watkins

2 months ago

Yeah but with the greatest respect, Ukraine wasn’t in nato and wasn’t even looking at nato before Russia annexed Crimea. Even after that Putin’s problem by his own admission was that nato refused to rule out Ukraine joining. Not that joining was actually immanent. 

Now you might say he didn’t want more countries in nato on or around his border but surly the obvious out come was that the rest of the country’s with in striking distance would seek nato protection in the face of obvious Russian belligerence? I mean if arresting nato expansion was his primary goal then giving every country on his door step a reason to join nato seems counter productive to that end?

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dialectical divination

dialectical divination

2 months ago

I don't know why people keep saying that Ukraine wasn't even looking at NATO before Russia annexed Crimea. According to the archived NATO website:

"NATO-Ukraine relations date back to 1991, when Ukraine joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council in 1991 (later renamed the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council), immediately upon achieving independence with the break-up of the Soviet Union. A few years later, in 1994, Ukraine became the first of the Commonwealth of Independent States to join the Partnership for Peace (PfP) a major programme of practical security and defence cooperation between NATO and individual Partner countries.

"The formal basis for NATO-Ukraine relations is provided by the 1997 NATO-Ukraine Charter on a Distinctive Partnership. The Charter identified areas for consultation and cooperation and established the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC) to take work forward.

"Steps were taken to deepen and broaden the NATO-Ukraine relationship in November 2002 with the adoption of the NATO-Ukraine Action Plan.

"The launch of the Intensified Dialogue in April 2005 marks a milestone in NATO-Ukraine relations. It is a clear signal that NATO Allies support Ukraine's integration aspirations. However, it does not guarantee an invitation to join such an invitation would be based on Ukraine's performance in implementing key reform goals. NATO and individual Allies are committed to providing assistance and advice, but the pace of progress remains in Ukraine's hands." https://web.archive.org/web/20070411113805/http://www.nato.int/issues/nato-ukraine/topic.html#evolution

2

Johnny Watkins

Johnny Watkins

2 months ago (edited)

 @dialectical divination  thank you for the correction but I still maintain NATO wasn’t particularly wanted in Ukraine before Crimea, and membership wasn’t immanent at the time of the Russian invasion. see the bit at the end of your post? Progress remains in the Ukraine’s hands? Well the Ukraine made very little of that progress in the intervening time from 2005. People keep saying it because despite the nato moves you have kindly drawn attention too and thank you again for that, up until the Crimea their hadn’t been a lot of public or political enthusiasm for joining NATO. I mean Ukraine government says can we join, nato says sure but we need you too “implement key reform goals” in-other words sort out the corruption and Ukraine leaves it there. And as your post points out NATO didn’t guarantee membership even if Ukraine did meet the requested key reform goals.

dialectical divination

dialectical divination

2 months ago

 @Johnny Watkins  I agree that public opinion in Ukraine seemed deeply divided about the NATO question until around 2014 when the scales seemed to tip more in favor of joining, although some polls I have read seemed to indicated a continued back and forth between public support for and against joining NATO even after 2014. However, with the exception of Yanukovych, most of the political leaders since 1991 seemed interested in at least drawing closer to NATO, if not outright joining.  In 2014  Poroshenko made it a priority for Ukraine to join NATO (this is after the timeline in my fist post) and in 2018 Ukraine was listed officially as an aspiring member of NATO (again this is after the timeline in my first post). None of this justifies invading a sovereign country of course. It's just to point out that Ukraine has been quite closely aligned with NATO for decades before the annexation of Crimea, and Ukrainian politicians seemed to have supported NATO alliances (if not outright membership) fairly consistently for decades. And while it's true that NATO didn't guarantee membership, they certainly consistently offered deeper connections, assistance and alliances, rather than any hesitation or doubts.  If I were a Ukrainian politician I would have interpreted NATO actions as being more in favor  of Ukraine joining, rather than less in favor.

1

Johnny Watkins

Johnny Watkins

2 months ago (edited)

 @dialectical divination  I can’t argue with any of that great points well made, I guess the point I’m trying to make is a lot of commentators have made much of the cause of this war being NATO provocation antagonising the Russians into it. And I don’t totally disagree with that point of view. But, it also must be acknowledged that Russia’s own actions over the years has also been driving these countries in NATO’s direction. Maybe these places wouldn’t have felt the need for the NATO umbrella if Russian aggression wasn’t such a credible threat? I’d like to end with the point that a sovereign nation has the right form an alliance with whom ever they wish with out the permission of their neighbours. Now I realise that right rarely survives contact with reality (just ask Cuba) but it is still in fact their right

2

dialectical divination

dialectical divination

2 months ago

 @Johnny Watkins  Yes, I absolutely agree that (a) sovereign nations do / should  have the right to form alliances with whichever nation(s) they want and (b) there are many causes for the Russian invasion, certainly not just NATO. Also just wanted to say thanks for a civil exchange on this topic! It's nice to have a thoughtful exchange of views on social media

1

mark jabbour

mark jabbour

2 months ago

Hey Bob, have you watched Lex Fridman's podcast w/Oliver Stone? Regarding Putin's motivation and  all things concerning your concerns? Bremmer, like Haidt and the other "thought leaders" are a huge part of the problem. You remain maybe the only VoR. Because, well, never mind. ;-)

IM BORAD

IM BORAD

2 months ago

One point  If you want to have the right to punish other countries (like Russia) for invasions, war crimes and build consensus around sanctions in the international arena more than just with allies or( vassal states as i love putting it) . You need to make yourself accountable be it for your own invasions or war crimes. Like the first thing the US could do is join the International Criminal Court.  It's not enough saying "yes we wrong" but now focus on Russia, Like I didn't see one sanction imposed on the US for all the invasions done in the last 20 years far worse, and far less justifiable than the Russian one, nor any serviceman or US political figure was brought to the ICC. Same goes to the Freedom of navigation that the US is pressuring China on while not being part of the Sea treaty as it would make it accountable. A similar argument goes for the tech standards competition with China if you try to use the strategy of containment to their semis,  Ai, and capability to create competing standards around the world. Then you mast be prepared to expect the same  or similar containment strategy originating from them due time. Providing the argument "well we are democracies, while you aren't" doesn't stand a chance as an argument in power competition nor ultimately the international arena as it's highly ideological and ideology is very customizable and different from State to state.  Also the analogy about the US winning over the Soviet Union because of democracy is also wrong. As the Soviet Union ultimately failed not because of democracy but economic isolation, poor management and isolation while the US succeeded at that time because of the incentive and economic investment it brought at that time to the economies that mattered.

1

Jason

Jason

1 month ago

The ICC is a kangaroo court that represents the global security regime. The main function of the ICC is to oversee the human rights regime especially by holding African states responsible for "human rights" violations.  But really, human rights is just the ideology that fronts the global security regime. The West (and China) are in a new Scramble for Africa and the ICC is one of the colonial institutions used to penetrate into African politics and economics. The Trump Administration via John Bolton called out the ICC as a kangaroo court.

sebastian577

sebastian577

2 months ago

This isn't a conversation, this is an increasingly unhinged Bob shouting his pro-Russian views at Ian.

3

explrr22

explrr22

2 months ago

It's a little wacky. 

I'm now about 32 minutes in and it seems like Bob's now beginning to discuss ideas from Ian's book... 

We'll see how long this lasts!😄

2

G P

G P

2 months ago

 @explrr22  yeah it is just Ian trying to be polite to Bob ranting

1

Dan Secrest

Dan Secrest

2 months ago

ProRussian views??  Bob insists Russia should obey international law when the US doesn't.  Why should any country agree to play by a set of rules that are not recognized and enforced?

1

explrr22

explrr22

2 months ago (edited)

 @Dan Secrest  yeah pro-Russian isn't at all accurate.  Still every conversation he has these days seems to be more than a third insistently pressing his complaints on topic.

I think it's a POV worthy of more consideration... Yet still!

1

explrr22

explrr22

1 month ago

 @Dan Secrest  reflecting further...

I think what we have with Bob, is an intense heartfelt distress at a dominant biased pro-west perspective and its dangers. 

That sometimes leads to overcompensating that drifts into its own bias. 

Watching his weekly talks with Mickey Kaus yesterday, he pretty much admitted that it has become a problem, as he reflected back on his analysis of a war incident from the week before. 

To his GREAT credit he's aware that the bias is distorting his judgement to some degree. These days... It's really rather exceptional to witness someone with strong emotions around a POV do that!

...I think, as an audience, it's best not relying on discourse participants to self acknowledge bias in their assessments. Because, public acknowledgment seems super rare.

Dan Secrest

Dan Secrest

1 month ago

 @explrr22  Well said!  Thank you for keeping a cool head, something I try to do but am not always successful.

1

explrr22

explrr22

1 month ago

 @Dan Secrest  Thank you for responding so thoughtfully and generously. 

It's been a heartening exchange that I've learned from. 

It's sometimes reduced to online media being toxic, and IRL being healthy. 

So far, this week, that's flipped for me!

Hooray to you, for being part of that!!

It started with your corrective challenge, and I hope, this inspired me to improve.

Probably expressed too rarely...  I'm grateful.

Grimjack13

Grimjack13

2 months ago

No Mickey, No Like

2

Borgeso Thomaso

Borgeso Thomaso

2 months ago

This was a Bob Marley song, right?

1

benn thirteen

benn thirteen

2 months ago

Such a shortsighted view, You are ignoring Russia history, there is no way Russia given its geopolitical sphere and history would fully integrate with west, such a shortsighted journalism.

2

The Power of Crisis by Ian Bremmer - Audiobook | Scribd - Book Reviews

The Power of Crisis by Ian Bremmer - Audiobook | Scribd

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The Power of Crisis: How Three Threats – and Our Response – Will Change the World

Written by Ian Bremmer

Narrated by Willis Sparks

3.5/5 (6 ratings)
7 hours

Included in your membership!
at no additional cost

Description
New York Times Bestseller

Renowned political scientist Ian Bremmer draws lessons from global challenges of the past 100 years—including the pandemic—to show how we can respond to three great crises unfolding over the next decade.

In this revelatory, unnerving, and ultimately hopeful book, Bremmer details how domestic and international conflicts leave us unprepared for a trio of looming crises—

1. global health emergencies, 
2. transformative climate change, and 
3. the AI revolution. 

Today, Americans cannot reach consensus on any significant political issue, and US and Chinese leaders behave as if they’re locked in a new Cold War. We are squandering opportunities to meet the challenges that will soon confront us all.

In coming years, humanity will face viruses deadlier and more infectious than Covid. Intensifying climate change will put tens of millions of refugees in flight and require us to reimagine how we live our daily lives. 

Most dangerous of all, new technologies will reshape the geopolitical order, disrupting our livelihoods and destabilizing our societies faster than we can grasp and address their implications.

The good news? Some farsighted political leaders, business decision-makers, and individual citizens are already collaborating to tackle all these crises. The question that should keep us awake is whether they will work well and quickly enough to limit the fallout—and, 

most importantly, whether we can use these crises to innovate our way toward a better world.

Drawing on strategies both time-honored and cutting-edge, 

from the Marshall Plan to the Green New Deal, 

The Power of Crisis provides a roadmap for surviving—even thriving in—the 21st century. Bremmer shows governments, corporations, and every concerned citizen how we can use these coming crises to create the worldwide prosperity and opportunity that 20th-century globalism promised but failed to deliver.

Politics
American GovernmentAll categories


====

The Power of Crisis: How Three Threats – and Our Response – Will Change the World Hardcover – May 17, 2022
by Ian Bremmer (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars 125 ratings
Editors' pick
Best Books of 2022 So Far

Renowned political scientist Ian Bremmer draws lessons from global challenges of the past 100 years—including the pandemic—to show how we can respond to three great crises unfolding over the next decade.


In this revelatory, unnerving, and ultimately hopeful book, Bremmer details how domestic and international conflicts leave us unprepared for a trio of looming crises—global health emergencies, transformative climate change, and the AI revolution. Today, Americans cannot reach consensus on any significant political issue, and US and Chinese leaders behave as if they’re locked in a new Cold War. We are squandering opportunities to meet the challenges that will soon confront us all.


In coming years, humanity will face viruses deadlier and more infectious than Covid. Intensifying climate change will put tens of millions of refugees in flight and require us to reimagine how we live our daily lives. Most dangerous of all, new technologies will reshape the geopolitical order, disrupting our livelihoods and destabilizing our societies faster than we can grasp and address their implications.


The good news? Some farsighted political leaders, business decision-makers, and individual citizens are already collaborating to tackle all these crises. The question that should keep us awake is whether they will work well and quickly enough to limit the fallout—and, most importantly, whether we can use these crises to innovate our way toward a better world.


Drawing on strategies both time-honored and cutting-edge, from the Marshall Plan to the Green New Deal, The Power of Crisisprovides a roadmap for surviving—even thriving in—the 21st century. Bremmer shows governments, corporations, and every concerned citizen how we can use these coming crises to create the worldwide prosperity and opportunity that 20th-century globalism promised but failed to deliver.
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Editorial Reviews
Review

“Bremmer’s account is notable for its clear prose and concision…The author’s entirely reasonable solutions involve government action, self-sacrifice, and tolerance of opposing opinions, all of which are in short supply at the moment. An expert analysis.”—Kirkus


“Ian Bremmer’s great talent is in helping us understand, in the most human terms, what must be done to protect the only world we have, and how we might do it. He takes on tomorrow’s questions from unexpected angles and provides us with food for thought to nourish us for many years to come. Essential reading for an anxious planet.” —Van Jones, CNN Host and Dream Corps Founder


“If you waver between perplexed and panicked about the state of the world, my go-to guru on geopolitics is here with a dose of insight and a dash of hope. Ian Bremmer always challenges me to think deeper and broader, and in this eye-opening read he illuminates the possible paths forward on public health, politics, climate, and technology.” —Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife


“We live in an era of cascading international crises. The Power of Crisis, Ian Bremmer’s provocative and hopeful new book, reveals how and why these global emergencies have opened windows of opportunity that we dare not waste.”—Jane Fraser, CEO, Citi


“As always Ian Bremmer gives us a lucid and courageous analysis of the dramatic challenges our world is facing. He presents a set of proposals that world leaders should seriously consider.” —António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations


“We are living in revolutionary times. Politics, geopolitics, technology, globalization are upending the established order. If you are wondering how to make sense of it all, read this excellent book. Ian Bremmer is always intelligent and perceptive and once again, he delivers!” —Fareed Zakaria, Author of Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World

About the Author
Ian Bremmer is president and founder of Eurasia Group, the world’s leading global research and consulting firm, and GZERO Media, a company dedicated to providing intelligent and engaging coverage of international affairs. Ian is also a frequent guest on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, the BBC, Bloomberg, and many other television stations around the world. Ian has published ten books, including the New York Times bestseller Us vs. Them: The Failure of Globalism which examines the rise of populism across the world. He also serves as the foreign affairs columnist and editor at large for Time magazine. He currently teaches at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and previously was a professor at New York University.

Product details
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster (May 17, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages

Ian Bremmer
Ian Bremmer is the president and founder of Eurasia Group, the leading global political risk research and consulting firm.


In 1998, Bremmer established Eurasia Group with just $25,000. At present, the company is the leading global political risk research and consulting firm, with offices in New York, Washington, and London, as well as a network of experts and resources in 90 countries. Eurasia Group provides analysis and expertise about how political developments and national security dynamics move markets and shape investment environments across the globe.


Bremmer created Wall Street's first global political risk index (GPRI). He is the founding chairman of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Geopolitical Risk and is an active public speaker. He has authored several books including the national bestsellers Every Nation for Itself: Winners and Losers in a G-Zero World and The End of the Free Market: Who Wins the War Between States and Corporations? Bremmer is a contributor to the Financial Times A-List and Reuters.com. He has written hundreds of articles for publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Newsweek, Harvard Business Review, and Foreign Affairs. He appears regularly on CNBC, Fox News Channel, Bloomberg Television, National Public Radio, the BBC, and other networks.


Bremmer earned a PhD in political science from Stanford University in 1994 and was the youngest-ever national fellow at the Hoover Institution. He is a global research professor at New York University and has held faculty positions at Columbia University, the EastWest Institute, and the World Policy Institute. In 2007, Bremmer was named a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. His analysis focuses on global macro political trends and emerging markets, which he defines as "those countries where politics matter at least as much as economics for market outcomes."

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Amazon Customer reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars
Top reviews from the United States

C
TOP 50 REVIEWER
5.0 out of 5 stars 

Three (really four) major issues that we need to prepare for now
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2022

This book is divided into four main chapters, followed by a Conclusion and an Addendum, for a total of about 207 pages, not including Acknowledgments.

In the Introduction, Bremmer uses a story about a 1985 conversation betweeen Reagan and Gorbachev to illustrate a point: that when facing a potential global crisis, the world CAN work together to create a better future. In this particular example Reagan had asked Gorbachev if the USSR would assist America in fighting an alien invasion if it ever happened(really); but Bremmer contends that the general idea can still be relevant today. He sees multiple potential crises in the future, that could potentially require global cooperation to survive.

The first issue(s) Bremmer addresses is the American political divide, and a potential new Cold War between the US and China. 

These are really two separate issues, but he addresses both of them in Chapter 1. He warns that the dysfunctional American political system will cause major problems in the future, and he gives a few suggestions for bridging the political divide in America; because crises will arise that require bipartisan solutions. He also urges cooperation with China, to avoid another Cold War, for the same reasons.

In Chapter 2 Bremmer focuses on the potential problem of future pandemics. He points out lessons that we should have learned from Covid-19, and a few changes that will have to be made to be better prepared for an even more deadly pandemic in the future.

Chapter 3 deals with climate change issues. Bremmer discusses potential mass migration issues, as rising temperatures cause disruptive weather patterns like flooding in some areas and droughts/famine in others.

In Chapter 4 Bremmer explores some of the possible ramifications of new disruptive technologies. He identifies some potential risks of unchecked AI, biased or inaccurate data, automation affecting the workforce, dehumanization, increasing financial inequality, cyberwarfare, and more.

Overall I found this book to be interesting, thought-provoking, and somewhat alarming. Bremmer does raise some good points, and although he doesn't have excellent solutions for all of the issues he discusses, he does a good job of identifying some potential problems that world leaders need to be thinking about right now. 

I also appreciated that he MOSTLY stays politically neutral, not really placing the blame on one party or the other, but focusing more on large scale cooperative solutions. It can be difficult nowadays to write a book about any global issues without upsetting half of the American public, but I think this is about as close as it gets.

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34 people found this helpful

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RTM
TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE VOICE
4.0 out of 5 stars The Need for Global Cooperation to Survive
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2022
Verified Purchase

The review by C gives a good summary of this book, so I will discuss my personal reactions to the author's analysis and opinions:

1) Two of the three "Crises" (future global pandemics and climate change) are certainly important, and represent existential threats to survival of our human species. I think that the author (Bremmer) should have made these topics the primary focus of his book. Bremmer makes excellent points about how governments can cooperate to meet these enormous challenges.

2) Bremmer's lengthy discussion about the threats posed by a "Cold War" between China and the USA is less persuasive to me. Bremmer interweaves his analysis about disruptive technologies (his third "Crisis") with thoughts about the competition with China. Bremmer obviously fears the rise of authoritarianism in the US and other democracies as a result of China's influence. The real threat, in my opinion, is the use of military force by China (and of course Russia) to achieve political objectives. We can hope that China's leaders have learned from Russia's disastrous invasion of Ukraine.

3) Bremmer accurately points out the serious problem with US democracy early in the book, when he discusses how politics in the US is "broken" because of growing polarization, due to income inequality, and other factors. 

This subject deserves a book of its own, which would examine (among other things) the alarming "culture wars" between various factions in US society. However, Bremmer does not return to this topic until the book's conclusion, when he states that Americans will overcome their differences to defend democracy as needed. This optimism seems too idealistic to me because of the danger of the US moving toward a more authoritarian form of government.

Overall, I applaud Bremmer for attempting this book, despite my criticisms. His discussions about the need for global cooperation to meet the challenges of the 21st century represent an important message for all of us.

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24 people found this helpful
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Kevin
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read!
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2022
Verified Purchase
I have been following Dr Bremmer on Twitter for years! His thoughtful an witty analysis of geopolitics and the pandemic are a breath of fresh air! I really enjoyed this new book! Challenges seem daunting but are presented in an intelligent way that shows room for hope! Very well done!
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Thomas Casey. Discussion Partners
5.0 out of 5 stars Confronted Crisis Translates To Optimism
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2022
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When looking at the challenges before global citizens we have 3 options-ignore, pontificate, or confront. Ian Bremmer’s book is a persuasive template that disaggregates the most critical challenges facing us inclusive of the road map to address the top 3 in a principled compelling way. It was refreshing to close a book feeling optimistic
vs. wondering if it was late enough in the day for a Single Malt.

4 people found this helpful


Howard B. Vanderwood
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Relevant
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2022
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Mr. Bremmer examined the turmoil and degradation that the world is in now and explains how only a major crisis (e.g. like that of the 1930s-1940s) will force nations to cooperate in their own self-interest to resolve the issues that are behind our divisions and degradation. He has identified what the most significant world problems are, and why only the nations w can solve them.

RAM
5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect book for our times as no one knows the world like Ian Bremmer.
Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2022
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The world is entering a period of great crisis and great upheaval. The future is uncertain across the globe, at best. Ian Bremmer breaks these crises down and explains them in great detail for everyone to get a clear understanding of what we all face. There is a positive path forward and Mr. Bremmer lays it all out. The roadmap is achievable if the world’s leaders and the population in nearly every country are ready to do what is necessary. Can we do this? Can we survive these crises? This book puts us on the path forward.
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Emma
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Italy on June 13, 2022
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Ian Bremmer lays out all the issues with accessible prose and clear argumentation. A stellar analysis of the major challenges facing the global community and what we can do to make things better.
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The Power of Crisis: How Three Threats – and Our Response – Will Change the World
3.88 · Rating details · 170 ratings · 22 reviews

Renowned political scientist Ian Bremmer draws lessons from global challenges of the past 100 years—including the pandemic—to show how we can respond to three great crises unfolding over the next decade.


In this revelatory, unnerving, and ultimately hopeful book, Bremmer details how domestic and international conflicts leave us unprepared for a trio of looming crises—global ...more

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Em
Jun 16, 2022Em rated it liked it
The content is good, the analysis is profound and makes an interesting read.
The only issue is that... if you follow Ian Bremmer on Twitter and the sites he's most involved with, there's not much new you'll discover in the book. Which brings up another issue.
It's a good content -very good- but it's not as new. There's a latency between what's tweeted and all the steps that lead to publishing a book.


If it were possible, I'd split the score somehow: 5 stars for the quality of the content and Mr. Bremmer's work. And the overall 3 is for being just a synthesis of the same things published elsewhere earlier.


If you're not interested in social media, it'd be an easy 5 for the book. And a solid 5 for you, as well, for managing to keep away from social media. (less)
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Joseph
May 11, 2022Joseph rated it liked it
Shelves: non-fiction
An extended Economist or weekly newsmagazine amalgamation of current challenges facing the US and the world as it pertains to contagions, climate change and artificial intelligence. There is not anything particularly novel in Bremmer's insights but the book does serve as well-written synopsis of the problems we face as a society over the next several years. (less)
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Timothy Shea
May 22, 2022Timothy Shea rated it really liked it
This book gave me an existential crisis and then talked me down from it.
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Gary
Jul 04, 2022Gary rated it really liked it
Books about where we are and where we possibly could be headed to have been written for decades. This one is no different. Some are full of language that stifles one's interest. Ian's book actually is an easy read and very relatable to what is taking place in the world today. The three threats he identifies, discusses and offers options of possible solutions make for an engrossing read. Generally non fiction books dry up and take time as they labor on, sometimes in monotony. When one really looks ahead in this world as to what is driving civilization and all its issues, these three themes do stick out as being critically important and worthy of global initiatives - global health threats - climate change threats and AI development and threats. Wrapping one self around these issues are paramount for our survival as a species with each having its own upside and downside. Collaboration on the part of nations are vital even with the fact that we are dealing with two distinct ideologies - one being a democratic way and the other the authoritarian way. Worth sinking your teeth into. (less)
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Tom Walsh
Jun 07, 2022Tom Walsh rated it it was amazing
Excellent Synthesis of the Current State of the World.


I very much enjoyed hearing Ian Bremmer’s take on the intersection of current events, economics, and politics. This book is yet another exercise that provides perspective on the Status Quo, speculation on the near and distant future, and hypotheses for possible solutions to the challenges facing us and our children.


While some may dismiss his more optimistic scenarios, he makes a solid case for the crises we face and their consequences if they are not faced seriously and rationally. What I most appreciate is the global perspective he brings even though he admits to a Western bias, he is not an Ultra-Nationalist America Firster. All his solutions are based in hoped-for intelligent analysis and compromise.


Global Health, Climate Change, and AI and related, ever-evolving Technologies are our future and if we don’t take steps to address these crises, our future may be “poorer, more nasty, brutish, and short” than we have hoped. (less)
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David
Jun 02, 2022David rated it really liked it
Shelves: non-fiction, foreign-policy
Bremmer is an internationalist who views cooperation with regimes such as Communist China whose values we do not share and whose actions we disapprove of as necessary to overcome global health, climate, and technological threats to all humankind. I largely agree with him, but I would have liked to see a more in-depth discussion of the ethics of cooperating with an unethical foreign government.
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Robert D
May 28, 2022Robert D rated it it was amazing
Ian Bremerton is always remarkable for his insight and analysis of the goings on in the world. This book touches on many of the most important things we must concentrate on, or pay tremendous prices/crisis. It should be read by everyone that shares my concern with the short and long term future!
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Andrew
May 28, 2022Andrew rated it liked it
Shelves: geopolitics
Global unity is on the downturn, and the two greatest challenges to collective action today are the brokenness of the US partisan political system, and increasing US-China rivalry.


This book opens with an ice breaker question that Reagan asked Gorbechev: would Russia help is the US was attacked by aliens? It nicely introduces the premise of the book: that a good crisis is what the world needs to bring it together.


The first crisis the book looks at is COVID, and unfortunately this did not bring the world together. In fact, most countries guarded their own interests and this made the crisis worse, as new variants emerged from the developing world that had been denied vaccines and assistance.


The second crisis is climate change, which may be at a threshold now as most of the world has finally accepted that it is a problem that needs to be addressed. Not every country is equally committed, and some like Brazil still want to exploit their forests, but momentum is growing gradually.


So the book introduces the concept of a "goldilocks crisis", one that is just the right amount of difficulty, where everyone has enough stake to be willing to contribute to the solution. Just days before the book went to print, Russia invaded Ukraine, and in his subsequent writings, the author has labeled this as one such crisis that managed to bring NATO, at least, together, and most of the EU as well.


Overall, quite an interesting book, though I found it a little draggy, and much of the insights could be gotten by watching the authors YouTube channel or reading his LinkedIn articles. But here is neatly structured for optimal consumption. (less)
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Brad
Jul 15, 2022Brad rated it really liked it
Shelves: current-events, politics
Bremmer clearly and convincingly outlines three crises facing mankind - pandemics similar of course to Covid; the climate crisis; and uncontrolled and unregulated technology - and makes the strong case that any of these threats could (and should) lead to a new understanding and cooperation amongst the world's nations (particularly the United States and China). He also describes what common actions could be taken without really upsetting the balance of power in the world - that is, China would not have to become a democracy nor should the United States turn a blind eye to China's human rights violations for them and other countries to cooperate more for everyone's interests.
Unfortunately, he uses the words "must," "should," "need to" etc which doesn't help much in telling us HOW the world is to be convinced to work together. Still, a very intelligent and well thought-out survey of threats facing the world and what the needed cooperation could look like. An important first step. (less)
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Kevin O'Meara
Jun 18, 2022Kevin O'Meara rated it it was amazing
As always, Ian Bremmer has another incredibly well thought out book discussing the need for cooperation to address the world's biggest issues. He does not ignore, however, why people can be so disenchanted with globalism and he explains it well. He discusses the issues of climate change, US / China relations and the speed of technology changes as the key challenges for our future.


Because the book came out right as Russia was invading Ukraine he did write an "afterword" which covered his initial thoughts on that. My guess is there will be future editions once he has his full thoughts together and it develops more. Just an incredible read. (less)
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Stacy Bearse
Jul 03, 2022Stacy Bearse rated it liked it
Shelves: fiction
Sometimes it takes a crisis to unite adversaries and motivate change. The author identifies three looming challenges that will require global solutions: Pandemics, transformative climate change, and the artificial-intelligence (AI) revolution. I was particularly interested in why Bremmer views AI as a challenge rather than a solution. He describes AI as perhaps the most onerous of the three crises because of its potential to reshape the geopolitical order, disrupt livelihoods and destabilize societies at a speed that is quicker than humankind can understand and react. The arguments laid out by the author will stay in your mind long after you read the final page. (less)
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Jim
Jun 01, 2022Jim rated it liked it
Shelves: 2022
This text highlights many of the issues we as individuals and nations have faced in recent history. The main point of the text is if we do not lead as America and learned to come together across all boundaries we are doomed. While no new ground breaking information is presented here how to deal with it is and implementing these steps require action not arguments. Worth the time investment to read.
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Alan McGowan
Jul 08, 2022Alan McGowan rated it it was amazing
A very interesting and compelling book; I would recommend it. His three crises are Global Health, Global Climate Change, and Disrupting technologies.


He also recommends a much softer tone towards China, which he thinks we need in order to establish cooperative ventures with China on the three crises he thinks are important.


He does not spend much time on the threat of nuclear war, which I think should be added to the list of crises we face.
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Nobleman Lu
Jun 27, 2022Nobleman Lu rated it liked it
Power of Crisis - How three threats and our response will change the world, by Ian Bremmer, is an interesting read on the effect of three looming crises, the global health emergencies, the climate change and the AI revolution. Worth reading.
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Leigh Stringer
Jul 17, 2022Leigh Stringer rated it liked it
Couldn’t finish it. First 2/3 of book are about problems facing society and our planet. Found them so upsetting I couldn’t read any further. More positives and solutions upfront please :)
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Arup
Jun 26, 2022Arup rated it it was ok
Shelves: economics, politics
The threats are 1) world political order re USA vs China 2) climate crisis/migration and 3) technology/automation. Nothing new in the discussion.
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Vita Bychenkova
May 23, 2022Vita Bychenkova rated it did not like it
sickening hypocritical populist
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Laurel Reinoehl
Jun 08, 2022Laurel Reinoehl added it
Read? Kinda. More like a collection of very long op-ed pieces, very short on facts and long on statements.
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霏昀
May 31, 2022霏昀 rated it liked it
2 highlights
Below expectation. Something we know without deep insights.
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Ivan
May 23, 2022Ivan rated it liked it
It is surprising how a man who produces excellent analysis on a daily basis has written such an unoriginal book
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Arunabh Singh
Jun 20, 2022Arunabh Singh rated it really liked it
A bit simplistic, but I appreciate the focus and the relevance in the current times!
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International Affairs
May 30, 2022International Affairs rated it it was amazing
Excellent unbiased tour of today’s global environment with practical solutions. Reminds me of Peter Zeihan but less US centric. Must read.
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Kirkus

THE POWER OF CRISIS

BOOKSHELF

An expert analysis of several critical problems with sensible, if not likely, solutions.

THE POWER OF CRISIS

HOW THREE THREATS—AND OUR RESPONSE—WILL CHANGE THE WORLD

BY IAN BREMMER ‧ RELEASE DATE: MAY 17, 2022

Another plea for the world to get its act together.

Eurasia Group founder Bremmer sets the stage early on: “Faced with dysfunction at the heart of American politics, poisoned relations between America and China, a broken global system, and with vitally important questions to answer, where is the way forward?” The solution? “We need crises scary enough to make us forge a new international system that promotes effective cooperation on a few crucial questions.” The author finds three that qualify: pandemics, climate change, and the ubiquity of digital technology. Numerous books examine (and deplore) all three, but Bremmer’s account is notable for its clear prose and concision. No one doubts that better planning and global cooperation would have lessened the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Readers unfamiliar with climate change will encounter an excellent introduction to the science and tactics to combat it, which, except for in parts of Europe, remain largely in the realm of rhetoric. Digital technology is revolutionizing our lives, sometimes for the better, but its disruptive effects seem out of control. Data is routinely mishandled or ignored, and the cheerful prediction that automation will create jobs as well as eliminate them remains unfulfilled. That the internet revolution would empower individuals at the expense of the government and spread democracy was widely proclaimed—20 years ago. One rarely hears the same message today, when social media has become a source of disruption, fake news, and conspiracy theories as well as a tool of oppression and violence. Bremmer, the author of Us vs. Them: The Failure of Globalism and other relevant books, offers a vivid description of how the world is dealing with these crises—so far ineffectually. The author’s entirely reasonable solutions involve government action, self-sacrifice, and tolerance of opposing opinions, all of which are in short supply at the moment.

An expert analysis of several critical problems with sensible, if not likely, solutions.

Pub Date: May 17, 2022

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022

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The Third Revolution: Xi Jinping and the New Chinese State: Economy, Elizabeth C. 2019

The Third Revolution: Xi Jinping and the New Chinese State: Economy, Elizabeth C.: 9780190056551: Amazon.com: Books

The Third Revolution: Xi Jinping and the New Chinese State Reprint Edition

by Elizabeth C. Economy (Author)

4.4 out of 5 stars    268 ratings

In The Third Revolution, eminent China scholar Elizabeth C. Economy provides an incisive look at the transformative changes underway in China today. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has unleashed a powerful set of political and economic reforms: the centralization of power under Xi, himself, the

expansion of the Communist Party's role in Chinese political, social, and economic life, and the construction of a virtual wall of regulations to control more closely the exchange of ideas and capital between China and the outside world. Beyond its borders, Beijing has recast itself as a great

power, seeking to reclaim its past glory and to create a system of international norms that better serves its more ambitious geostrategic objectives. In so doing, the Chinese leadership is reversing the trends toward greater political and economic opening, as well as the low-profile foreign policy,

that had been put in motion by Deng Xiaoping's "Second Revolution" thirty years earlier.

Through a wide-ranging exploration of Xi Jinping's top political, economic and foreign policy priorities-fighting corruption, managing the Internet, reforming the state-owned enterprise sector, improving the country's innovation capacity, enhancing air quality, and elevating China's presence on the

global stage-Economy identifies the tensions, shortcomings, and successes of Xi's reform efforts over the course of his first five years in office. She also assesses their implications for the rest of the world, and provides recommendations for how the United States and others should navigate their

relationship with this vast nation in the coming years.

Editorial Reviews

Review

One of Politico's "Ten Names That Matter on China Policy"

"How should observers, especially those in Washington, assess Xi's China? In The Third Revolution, Elizabeth Economy offers a nuanced, persuasive answer: while China's heft in world affairs is growing rapidly, so too are the contradictions inherent in the attempt of an authoritarian country to shape

what remains a predominantly liberal world order." -- Global Asia

"Economy . . . offers an engaging look at how areas such as internet regulation, reform of state-owned enterprises, and foreign policy are evolving under Xi's leadership." -- Reuters Breakingviews

"To understand and navigate China in the coming years, this is the book to read. At the heart of doing business in this opaque and contradictory country is understanding Xi Jinping, a masterful and complex politician. Elizabeth Economy's exceptionally clear account gives you the tools to do just

that." -- Fred P. Hochberg, Former Chairman and President, Export-Import Bank of the United States

"The Third Revolution is enormously valuable for anyone seeking to understand the ways in which China is changing (and not changing) under Xi's leadership, and how the U.S. should best approach its relationship with China. Essential." -- Robert E. Rubin, Former Secretary of the Treasury

"The one book that tells you all you need to know about how China has changed under Xi Jinping. A clear-eyed, richly researched, and engaging account by one of America's most knowledgeable China experts." -- Susan L. Shirk, University of California, San Diego

"Timely and sobering analysis of the profound--and disturbing--political change that has occurred since the rise of Xi Jinping. This is by far the most insightful and illuminating study of China's new political landscape, and should be required reading for those concerned with China's future under

strongman rule." -- Minxin Pei, Author, China's Crony Capitalism

"Leading China expert Elizabeth Economy provides a clear-eyed net assessment of China under Xi Jinping: its global ambitions, domestic limitations, and the paradox of its external hubris and internal insecurities. Thoroughly researched and engagingly written, The Third Revolution should become

staple reading for all who want to understand China today and where it is headed in the future. The findings are both illuminating and disturbing."

-- David Shambaugh, George Washington University and author of China Goes Global

"Americans are slowly realizing that they live in a bipolar world with China, a nation that is incontrovertibly rising despite the destabilizing effects of serial self-reinvention. The advent of the latest progenitor of rejuvenation, Xi Jinping, has raised a host of vexing questions, but Economy's

wonderfully lucid and well-researched book fills in many of the blanks regarding Xi's strengths and weaknesses." -- Orville Schell, Arthur Ross Director, Asia Society Center on U.S.-China Relations

"For the first time in modern history, we have a communist country poised to be the biggest and most important driver of the global free market. That's astonishing. And we still don't know what makes China's political leadership and Xi Jinping in particular tick. If that freaks you out (and it

should), Liz Economy's book is the place to start." -- Ian Bremmer, President and Founder, Eurasia Group

"The timing of The Third Revolution is impeccable. Economy convincingly demonstrates how Beijing has used its heft to influence technological and political standards." - The Financial Times

"A work of cool-headed analysis." - Foreign Affairs

"The must-read book of 2018. . . . Economy's book traces Xi's influence and ambitions through an exhaustive reading of his speeches as well as an astute knowledge of Chinese politics and policy. It should be required reading not just for China-watchers but for anyone interested in U.S.-China

relations and the future of world order." - Bloomberg

About the Author

Elizabeth C. Economy is the C.V. Starr Senior Fellow and Director of Asia Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. An expert on Chinese domestic and foreign policy, her most recent book, with Michael Levi, is By All Means Necessary: How China's Resource Quest is Changing the World.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; Reprint edition (September 2, 2019)

Language ‏ : ‎ English

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars

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Top reviews from the United States

Carol Paik

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of the best books I have read on China in the past ...

Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2018

This is one of the best books I have read on China in the past few years. It brought a degree of clarity to the enormously complex political and economic changes underway in China today that I have not encountered in other books. The author argues convincingly that Xi Jinping’s China is significantly different from that of Deng Xiaoping or Mao Zedong ( the second and first revolutions) and poses a new type of challenge for the United States. She points to four trends in particular as distinguishing Xi China from that of his predecessors: the extraordinary consolidation of power in Xi's own hands, the growing role of the Communist Party in Chinese society and economy, the increasing ability of the Party to control the amount of information and capital that comes into China from the outside world, and a much more assertive Chinese foreign policy. She grounds her argument in interesting and novel insights from both interviews with Chinese officials and businesspeople, as well as fascinating material from Chinese history. (For example, she traces the role of censorship and anti-corruption campaigns not only back to Mao’s China but also through different periods of Imperial China.) There is also a section on what the United States should do about China, which I found quite helpful given all of the tensions in the U.S.-China relationship today. Overall, I found the book to be smart, nuanced, and engaging. Well worth the time and money.

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59 people found this helpful

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Rick Blaine

3.0 out of 5 stars Academic Research

Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2019

Verified Purchase

I was looking for a readable book about China today and its political goals and motivation for the future. This book is written by a Chinese scholar who punctuates many of her sentences with Chinese language and characters. I suppose this is to enhance her credentials as an academic and to prove her scholarly qualifications but I found it distracting. The book is not written in a journalistic or popular style like you might find in the pages of the Wall Street Journal or the N.Y. Times. It reads like a PhD dissertation and as such does not well serve to educate newcomers to the subject. I found it a hard slog and abandoned the book after 120 pages. I probably should have chosen a book by Gordon Chang if I wanted readability. This is too bad because the author appears to be well qualified in her subject.

22 people found this helpful

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Pseudo D

4.0 out of 5 stars Turnaround

Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2018

Verified Purchase

For me this was a followup to Henry Kissinger because he only went up to around 2010 when Obama was starting and Hu Xintao was the ruler of China. I was unfamiliar with Elizabeth Economy, but she works with Richard Haass, a frequent talking head from the establishment, and Max Boot, a hawkish neocon who in 2002 embraced the term neocon at a time when everybody was nitpicking over the exact meaning of neocon. He accepted the general meaning of an all around worldwide hawk. As Ted Cruz once said, invade every country on earth (he wasn't advocating it), or as Michael Ledeen and Jonah Goldberg said, pick some country and throw them at the wall every decade or so. Boot is a harsh Trump critic along with Frum and Kristol, and like Frum and Jen Rubin I really don't know how they match the term conservative at all, but whatever. But I'm getting off topic. The point is, Economy is a younger lady but she works with some established figures.

The main point of the book is that Xi Jinping is the most powerful leader since Chairman Mao. That's saying something, considering Deng Xiaoping shaped the direction for decades and Jiang Xemin was a formidable figure in his own right, as Kissinger observed. The "third revolution" involves some of the Hu era but really picked up under the current leadership. Despite the Tienanmen Square tragedy, there was a general trend of economic reforms, that many hoped would be a catalyst for political and human rights reforms. This

has emphatically gone in the opposite direction. It would be interesting to tackle the history of Russia since the Soviet Union and how there may be parallels.

The various chapters chronicle the crackdown on political opposition, including an increased control over the internet. This has provoked resistance at home and abroad, including among the entrepreneurs who have made many innovations in the technological economy. There is also a military buildup, as we've recently seen in the news. Kissinger noted that military power wasn't the main factor in the rise, but it has been a result that has developed a lot in the past decade. The militarism goes with nationalist sentiment

of course, and the reversal of various financial reforms from the Deng and Jiang eras, with an increased tendency toward government owned businesses. All these things have affected China's ability to relate to the international liberal order, which it didn't participate in creating. The liberal order itself is in crisis,

with the rise of various forms of populism and nationalism in different regions.

Elizabeth Economy, perhaps for the purpose of influence and cooperation, takes a reasonable approach to the Trump administration (the colleagues in the establishment are talking heads who generally criticize Donald). The hawkish stance that developed in the early to mid part of this decade seems confirmed by what was going on with Xi and the third revolution. I use hawkish not in the sense of

interventionism, but his attitude toward trade and other aspects of the relationship. Economy

suggests that measures of retaliation, economic and other, are necessary in this new era of the relationship between China and the US.

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25 people found this helpful

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Kelly Wright

3.0 out of 5 stars Standard exposition, nothing new

Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2018

Verified Purchase

One of hundreds of books that explain the current US-China state of affairs. No insight into what motivates Xi, no examination of the ‘core socialist values’ that he follows, or any revelations other than the standard narratives found daily in the media. Disappointing for that reason, the book is nevertheless well-researched for its content and overall well-written.

43 people found this helpful

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Fellow Traveler

5.0 out of 5 stars Maybe the most important book written on China in the era of Xi Jinping

Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2019

Verified Purchase

Trying to figure out why Chinese grow is slowing? Wondering about the causes of the US “trade war” against China? Why so many Chinese students who graduate from US universities are loath to return back to the mainland? Elizabeth Economy has written the most informative, readable and fact-packed book yet on China since the rise of Xi Jinping in 2012. I have given to book as a gift to a number of friends. It is excellent and will have a long shelf life, since Xi has gotten himself enshrined indefinitely as the country’s “paramount leader.”

12 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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Brian Lait

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading to understand China today

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 19, 2020

Verified Purchase

I am an avid follower of China, having lived and worked in Hong Kong (with many visits to China) for 5 years, including the time Thatcher signed the agreement to hand HK back to China.

Economy has written a well researched book on the way China ticked, and the way it seems it will tick under the horrific Xi Jinping.

The book was published in 2018, so covers Trump's attempts at dealing (not very well) with Xi. If Biden gets elected in a few months I sincerely hope he handles China with care, but with a very, very firm hand.

Similarly, leaders in other so-called western world countries, not least the ignorant Boris Johnson, who should be shot for allowing the likes of Huawei anywhere near anything of the slightest security risk for the UK and allies.

I have absolutely no liking for Xi at all, and the treatment by China of the Uyghurs and Hong Kongers simply sets out how, in my opinion, Xi wants anyone to be treated who does not do as he says. What is now happening in HK was very predictable.

I particularly like the last two chapters of the book: "The lion awakens" and "The road forward". This last chapter should be read by both Biden and Trump and all those in their camps.

Thank you Elizabeth Economy for an excellent and educational read.

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3 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

5.0 out of 5 stars interesting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 17, 2020

Verified Purchase

interesting read

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Neil

5.0 out of 5 stars The Real China--not so dreamy !

Reviewed in Canada on January 10, 2019

Verified Purchase

Excellent coverage of the weaknesses of China and some of its strengths. It shows that under Xi China is headed down the wrong path becoming Maoist and less prosperous with a non functional Belt and Road dream. Oh for a fourth revolution to change China to a real republic like Taiwan. Then the world will be a happier place.

One person found this helpful

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