Robert Kaplan's Warrior Politics - Essay Example

Warrior Politics Robert Kaplans Warrior Politics is widely described as an extended, willfully provocative essay arguing that the bedrock of sound foreign policy should be "comprehensive pragmatism" rather than "utopian hopes." Kaplan calls for a reestablishment of American (primarily) real politics, one distanced from Judeo-Christian (or private) virtue and closer to a "pagan" (public) one. He aligns himself with Americas Founding Fathers, who, he says, believed good government emerged only from a "sly understanding of mens passions." His book is a mix of aphoristic pronouncements, brief contemporary political analyses, rapid-fire parallels between conflicts ancient and current, and copious quotes from historians and thinkers through the ages (Livy, Thucydides, Sun-Tzu, Machiavelli, and Thomas Hobbes among them). Kaplan’s striking theories to utilize history as a guide in today’s world especially while dealing with war and violence could be attributed to the fact that he has traveled extensively to the war zones and had a first hand experience of the barbarism that prevails. Robert Kaplan after years of reporting from combat zones in Bosnia, Uganda, the Sudan, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Eritrea have convinced Kaplan (Balkan Ghosts, The Coming Anarchy) that Thucydides and Sun-Tzu are still right on the money when they wrote that war is not an aberration and that civilization can repress barbarism but cannot eradicate it. Reminding readers that "The greater the disregard of history, the greater the delusions regarding the future," I must admit that he has given a fresh breeze of idea by asking to search for solutions on today’s problem from the past and inculcate the wisdoms and the lessons from history in today’s scenarios. Kaplan conducts a brisk tour through the works of Machiavelli, Malthus and Hobbes, among others, to support his advocacy of foreign policy based on the morality of results rather than good intentions. From those classics, he extracts historical models and rationales for exploiting military might, stealth, cunning and what he dubs "anxious foresight" (which some may regard as pessimism based on disasters past) in order to lead, fight and bring adversaries to their knees should they challenge the prevailing balance of power. This is a very valid point when it comes to today’s scenario and Kaplan’s theories must be tried and experimented. It’s very interesting to note that, Kaplan suggests to adapt this model to business, exploring the ways modern-day CEOs can benefit from historys lessons. A clear indication that a lot more can be learnt from the graves of history as well as successfully implementation of the same is bound to show us positive difference. It is just a matter of giving a sincere attempt. Kaplan in his book had a discussion of the worlds breeding grounds for rogue warriors out to disrupt daily life in bizarre new ways will strike a chord with most readers, as will his recounting of the brilliant Statesmanship of Churchill and Roosevelt during World War II. As per him, these instances of the past if replicated in today’s war struck world would give a better opportunity to us coping up with the aftermaths of the tragedies. He is of the opinion that this is a provocative, smart and polemical work that will stimulate lively discussion. Agents, Brandt and Brandt. (Jan.)Forecast: Kaplans credentials, combined with his call for a strong and unambiguous foreign policy, should draw attention. Kaplan looks to ancient philosophers and military strategists for ageless wisdom that can be applied to modern geopolitics. He argues that the end of the cold war and the proliferation of modern technology threaten to create such complacency that world leaders miss the significance of "nasty little wars in anarchic corners of the globe." Indeed, Kaplan mentions the likelihood of expeditions to apprehend the likes of Osama bin Laden. Integrating classic and contemporary scholarship, the author argues that the ills of the twentieth century are "less unique than we think" and draws parallels between the complacency of Rome at its height and that of the U.S. Kaplan argues that power and affluence can blind a nation to the harsh realities of life, the driving force of the pagan notion of self-interest. Citing philosophers from Sun-Tzu to Machiavelli, the author shows the value of ancient insights into human nature in formulating international policy. I must say that a lesson to be taken from these personalities in order to formulate the best of the International policies. If at all this is tried, I am sure, this would put a pause to the biased policies in place which are self centric and looks into the benefit in a one sided approach. This would be like History getting Life again in all the good sense. Kaplan goes further in saying that we all are in a dangerous world now and a new form of leadership is required to make this world a better place. Visionary and ruthlessly strategic, Warrior Politics extracts the best of the wisdom of the ages for modern leaders who are faced with the complex life-and-death challenges of today’s world—and determined to win. We are in a very demanding world and a clear transformation is required both in political and economic terms. Above all, in the mindset of the people while go through these provoking situations. Kaplan is of the opinion that, replete with maxims, warnings, examples from history, and shrewd recommendations, Warrior Politics wrests from the past the lessons we need to arm ourselves for the present. It offers an invaluable template for any decision-maker—in foreign policy or in business—faced with high stakes and inadequate knowledge of a mine-filled terrain. Going with the ambiguity around the world peace, its time we gear ourselves up for a new kind of war, no message would be more prescient, more shrewd, or more essential. Its time to consider the “take away” from the history and have the best of the past implemented in present situations and see how the learning gives us an opportunity for all of us to think out of the box. Kaplan makes a persuasive case that the insights of ancient philosophers--from Sun-Tzu to Machiavelli--are relevant to modern security problems. I believe that this book should be recommended to all those responsible today for making the decisions that affects our national security. As suggested by William S. Cohen, with the new ideas and theories, Kaplan has skillfully captures the relevance of classical political theory for today’s leaders, whether they manage crises in the boardroom or the Oval Office. This can be best described as a profound and timely meditation on twenty-first-century global politics and America’s place in it. Deeply versed in classical scholarship, Robert Kaplan shows how the philosophers and historians of ancient Greece and Rome offer vital lessons for especially American leaders today. Through this book, Kaplan tries to explore the wisdom of the ages for answers for today’s leaders. While the modern world may seem more complex and dangerous than ever before, Kaplan writes from a deeper historical perspective to reveal how little things actually change. Indeed, as Kaplan shows us, we can look to history’s most influential thinkers, who would have understood and known how to navigate today’s dangerous political waters. He is very much true in analyzing this and this analization is great and most required in today’s scenario, where in we see huge fluctuations in the political and Social front. Demand for Kaplans unorthodox analysis became more popular after the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C, since his work and his philosphies has been a eye opener to all of them who pretends to be involved in creating the political stability and Global Security for the world but in reality are more into creating uncertainity in the every existence of peace and harmony. I must say that Kaplan’s comparison of the United States in 2001 with the complacent Roman Empire will be a wake-up call for not only an individual but also to the so called policy makers of the world. Another striking feature of Kaplan’s theories especially in this book would be that he challenges us to see the world as it is, Kaplan offers the lessons of the great thinkers of history — from Thucydides to Winston Churchill — for whom a clear-eyed pragmatism was the most important guiding principle. Kaplan argues that it is more imperative than ever to understand how the struggles of today are strikingly similar to those of the past, and to wrest from the past what we need to arm ourselves for the future. He managed to draw a sharp distinction between what we call realism and idealism in dealing with foreign affairs. Kaplan’s comments stating that “Nazis and the Communists were Utopians and they had this idea of the perfect society. They could only implement it through coercion and force. Without the tools of the industrial revolution: trains, tanks, aircraft carriers, railway grids, factories, etc., they never could have done the evils that they did. It was kind of a Utopianism married to the technology of the age that created these horrible regimes” is noteworthy and is very much in terms with today’s war stricken society. Its quite convincing to learn from Kaplan that he is not telling people how to do something but rather what to do in this crisis or what to do in that crisis. He show them how to think by condensing the wisdom of the ancient Greeks, the ancient Chinese and the ancient Romans, and that many of the problems that leaders think that they are confronting for the first time, they shouldn’t be so lonely. As per him, these problems have all been confronted in the past, in all their complexity. There is a way to work through them. Indeed an excellent piece of learning from the history’s forgotten pages. I am not completely convinced with the Kaplan’s philosophy and the examples he has sited to convince the readers to accept that the insights of major philosophers are relevant to modern security problems. While Kaplans prose is crisp and pointed and his philosophies are very inspiring, not all of them fit into today’s socks and the complexities of today’s world. In "Warrior Politics", Kaplan attempts to provide an ethic of power for the twenty-first century. He reaches back to Livy and Thucydides to find the roots of such an ethic. (xx) He propounds a "pagan" ethos. Unfortunately, he never defines "pagan". He finds this ethos in the Greeks and Romans, and in the framers of the Constitution, Alexander Hamilton, Churchill, Ronald Reagan, Yitzhak Rabin and Henry Kissinger. Kaplan’s efforts are great in giving a fresh idea of learning through history and the past but may not answer all the challenges that 21st century is into. To his credit, Kaplan acknowledges the challenges we face. Globalization and global warming present grave dangers. (4, 11) The benefits of capitalism are not distributed equitably and "the more dynamic the capitalist expansion, the more unequal the distribution of wealth". (5) But Kaplan does not present these as problems requiring solutions. He does not use the term, but I could not help thinking that he sees systemic problems much like ancient pagans saw forces they did not understand: as Fates. Since he offers no suggestions which might deal with these problems, it is fair to conclude that he sees the growing rift between rich and poor, the spread of old and the creation of new diseases, increasing starvation, decreasing literacy, increasing homelessness, decreasing health care, increasing violence and decreasing democracy as inevitable. For pagans, man stands helpless before the Fates. Certain theories put forward by Kaplan may not hold much sense seeing the practicality in today’s scenarios. Given the inhumanity of the human race and facing insurmountable problems, Kaplan urges us to "think the unthinkable". (114) But before we follow him there, we should note that he reaches this conclusion through a series of "laughers". Kaplan places a great deal of emphasis on Malthus. While Malthus deserves credit for raising issues no one else had, he was plain wrong when he theorized that prosperity would lead people to have more children. Exactly the opposite is the case. Prosperity, particularly when combined with womens rights, reduces population growth. Kaplan even tries to support Malthus incorrect theory by citing his own experiences among poor, not wealthy, populations. Kaplan also states, citing Hobbes, that "altruism is unnatural". Despite the title, Warrior Politics is about the efficacy of leadership in taking care of the populace. According to Kaplan, Machiavelli disliked Christianity not because of any theological issue, but rather because Christianity exalted meekness. No matter how noble or well-intentioned, a meek leaders goals will not be implemented in the face of opposition. Thus the populace under the care of the meek leader is the worse off. Sometimes good people have to know how to do bad things. Noel Murray, The Onion A.V. Club argues stating, "Warrior Politics is a compelling text, laden with astute observations about ancient and modern times, but the books major flaw lies in one essentially unaddressed question: What is the value of fighting to preserve a world order that relies on overt cynicism and double-dealing? Kaplan may be right to claim that the only way to live is to understand that war is an eternal part of life...but there may also be some value in accepting destruction rather than compromising deeply held beliefs. Kaplan offers a rational thesis, but it comes packaged with an uncomfortable chill." He laughs at Jewish and Christian concepts of morality. They are for fools and children. The ethos he reaches for calling it "Pagan" is in truth not that at all. Rather than presenting anything about leadership, he presents domination. Morality is for idiots and all true leaders are supposed to recognize that life (and government) is nothing more than a struggle between men for greatness and survival. To an extent this philosophy of Kaplan failed to convince us on the leadership model required to handle the ambiguity of today’s world. Leadership cannot be mixed with dominating nature. These are two different things and I believe, not much could impress me on the leadership model put forward by Kaplan keeping in mind the complexities around today. Drawing on the timeless work of Sun Tzu, Thucydides, Machiavelli, Hobbes, among others, Kaplan argues that in a world of unstable states and an uncertain future, it is increasingly imperative to wrest from the past what we need to arm ourselves for the road ahead. Wide-ranging and accessible, Warrior Politics is a bracing book with an increasingly important message that challenges readers to see the world as it is, not as they would like it to be. There is no doubt that Robert Kaplan is ones of the eminent writers of the 21st century and that this book is a great commentary on historical events and their successes, most noteworthy is his drive to make everyone look into the past and take guidance from their to give a all new approach towards seeing this world and making it a better place to live in. Read More

ar indication that a lot more can be learnt from the graves of history as well as successfully implementation of the same is bound to show us positive difference. It is just a matter of giving a sincere attempt. Kaplan in his book had a discussion of the worlds breeding grounds for rogue warriors out to disrupt daily life in bizarre new ways will strike a chord with most readers, as will his recounting of the brilliant Statesmanship of Churchill and Roosevelt during World War II. As per him, these instances of the past if replicated in today’s war struck world would give a better opportunity to us coping up with the aftermaths of the tragedies.

He is of the opinion that this is a provocative, smart and polemical work that will stimulate lively discussion. Agents, Brandt and Brandt. (Jan.)Forecast: Kaplans credentials, combined with his call for a strong and unambiguous foreign policy, should draw attention. Kaplan looks to ancient philosophers and military strategists for ageless wisdom that can be applied to modern geopolitics. He argues that the end of the cold war and the proliferation of modern technology threaten to create such complacency that world leaders miss the significance of "nasty little wars in anarchic corners of the globe.

" Indeed, Kaplan mentions the likelihood of expeditions to apprehend the likes of Osama bin Laden. Integrating classic and contemporary scholarship, the author argues that the ills of the twentieth century are "less unique than we think" and draws parallels between the complacency of Rome at its height and that of the U.S. Kaplan argues that power and affluence can blind a nation to the harsh realities of life, the driving force of the pagan notion of self-interest. Citing philosophers from Sun-Tzu to Machiavelli, the author shows the value of ancient insights into human nature in formulating international policy.

I must say that a lesson to be taken from these personalities in order to formulate the best of the International policies. If at all this is tried, I am sure, this would put a pause to the biased policies in place which are self centric and looks into the benefit in a one sided approach. This would be like History getting Life again in all the good sense. Kaplan goes further in saying that we all are in a dangerous world now and a new form of leadership is required to make this world a better place.

Visionary and ruthlessly strategic, Warrior Politics extracts the best of the wisdom of the ages for modern leaders who are faced with the complex life-and-death challenges of today’s world—and determined to win. We are in a very demanding world and a clear transformation is required both in political and economic terms. Above all, in the mindset of the people while go through these provoking situations. Kaplan is of the opinion that, replete with maxims, warnings, examples from history, and shrewd recommendations, Warrior Politics wrests from the past the lessons we need to arm ourselves for the present.

It offers an invaluable template for any decision-maker—in foreign policy or in business—faced with high stakes and inadequate knowledge of a mine-filled terrain. Going with the ambiguity around the world peace, its time we gear ourselves up for a new kind of war, no message would be more prescient, more shrewd, or more essential. Its time to consider the “take away” from the history and have the best of the past implemented in present situations and see how the learning gives us an opportunity for all of us to think out of the box.

Kaplan makes a persuasive case that the insights of ancient philosophers--from Sun-Tzu to Machiavelli--are relevant to modern security problems. I believe that this book should be recommended to all those responsible today for making the decisions that affects our national security. As suggested by William S. Cohen, with the new ideas and theories, Kaplan has skillfully captures the relevance of classical political theory for today’s leaders, whether they manage crises in the boardroom or the Oval Office.

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