The Second World: Empires and Influence in the New Global Order

Product Details

Author : Parag Khanna
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9781400065080
Edition : 1
Number of Pages : 496
Product Group : Book
Publication Date : 2008-03-04
Publisher : Random House
Release Date : 2008-03-04

ASIN : 1400065089

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Customer Reviews

The new Great Game (2008-07-16)

The "Second World" by Parag Khanna is second to none in its examination of the current geopolitical world. With the rise of China and the European Union as solidified powers, the short lived American hegemony is now over. It is now a tri-polar world as these three giants play the new "great game". The title of the book the Second World refers to those countries which are the prizes in this new game. Neither fully "modern" nations nor economic and political backwaters the states that comprise the second world share both first and third world characteristics. Going by region, Khanna profiles each country within the second world and how the three super powers are contesting for their allegiance and resources. While doing so he effectively shows how the world is being carved up into spheres of influence. Khanna dissects the grand strategies of the three powers and the opportunities and unique challenges they face in each region. But Khanna also looks from the perspective of the second world countries including their geopolitical interests and goals; whether they can remain unaligned, auction themselves off to the highest bidder or play multiple sides. Even in this incredibly competitive world of globalization and geopolitics there is no impending doom or a new world war on the horizon. In fact this new world order is more likely to benefit everyone in a way the zero sum game of the cold war could never have. The author Mr. Khanna, was born in India and is now an American citizen. Interestingly India and America are two of the more heavily criticized countries in the book. Khanna considers his country of birth India to still be third world in most aspects; he uses China for comparison (because of their obvious similarities) and his conclusion are generally unfavourable towards India. As for the U.S. he questions how much longer can America consider themselves to be the undisputed power going so far as to suggest they could fall into the second world. He cites mostly domestic issues, such as income inequality, budget deficits and a shrinking middle class.Khanna also has unkind words for their foreign policy, from perceived favouritism and double standards to trade deficits and not to mention the unilateralism that lead to the Iraq invasion. While criticising America he applauds both China and the E.U. for their respective rises. Some might interrupt this book as almost anti-American in nature, but it is more of an exhortation to action so American can regain its position, not as the lone super power but as a nation that acts not only for their own self interest but for the rest of the world as well.

Lonley Planet Meets Clash of Civilizations (2008-03-13)

For geo-political junkies, "The Second World" is the third chapter in the dialogue begun by Francis Fukuyama's "The End of History" and continued by Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations."Khanna's starting point, that the World is splintering into a tri-polar galaxy led by the US, Europe and China, is not controversial. Khanna's value-add, however, is his compelling arguement that the Second World, consisting of countries oustide of first-world status but still with a hope of development, is being pulled into the orbits of these three global hegemons. More savvy than traditional Cold War era proxy states, these Second World countries know the new rules of the game and drive up the price of their co-operation and resources in the nascent "geo-political marketplace." Winning the next century, he argues, will require the hegemon trifecta successfully seducing the rich tapistry of second world countries, ranging from Paraguay to Khazakstan and from Tunisia to Malaysia, into their respective spheres.Differing from Huntington's macro-scopic perspective which favours broad abstractions and loose contours to make his taxonomy work, Khanna instead prefers a "boots-on-the-ground" approach which uses pithy quotes from actual residents to drive home points germane to each region he explores. The result is that the rich descriptions provided in his book read more like a Loney Planet guide to the World, than a stale geo-political text penned in an insular Iv(or)y League tower.Khanna is particularly harsh on the United States. Perhaps intended to arouse Americans from their oil and spending induced coma, Khanna stingingly catalogues how US misstepts are creating the vacuum for realist China's point of entry onto the world stage. The next president, he contends, must be JFK-like in reaching out to countries who will no longer be subservient to the US simply by default. Khanna's book is excellent because it can be read as both a high-level travel guide and as roadmap for the new chequereboard of international relations and power-politics. It is required reading for those curious about the dynamics of 21st Century geo-politics.

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