BOOK REVIEW: The Great Experiment: the Story of Ancient Empires, Modern States and the Quest for a Global Nation

by Strobe Talbott (reviewed by Robert A. Enholm, Citizens for Global Solutions)

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Strobe Talbott's newest book is a call for the United States to return to the principles of international cooperation and the rule of law that have served our country well since its founding. He builds his case both by surveying philosophical and political history - from ancient to modern times - and by summarizing episodes in recent U.S. foreign policy in which he participated. As president of the Brookings Institution and a former deputy secretary of state, his insights on world affairs are profound. The result is a book that is engaging and persuasive while also being thought-provoking and entertaining.

In The Great Experiment, Talbott has shouldered the task of explaining the wisdom of "global governance," chronicling the evolution of its philosophical underpinnings, reviewing historical progress toward that goal, and explaining the practical benefits of continuing in that direction.

In the first part of the book, he tracks the idea of "global citizenship" from its early religious and philosophical principles to the modern day, bowing along the way to Socrates, Dante and Kant, and acknowledging the World Federalist Movement with which Citizens for Global Solutions is affiliated. Talbott goes on to discuss how American leaders have wrestled with these ideas, from the founding fathers to twentieth century presidents.

In the process, Talbott sheds new light on the significance of recent events, such as the collapse of the Soviet Union, the rise of al-Qaeda, and the invasion of Iraq, drawing on observations and anecdotes from his own experience. Relying on the historical framework he has established, Talbott sees clearly that "9/11 stands as one of the great missed opportunities of American history." He laments,

"The United States could have combined retribution on its own behalf with the formation of a global alliance against the perpetrators of terror everywhere and a comprehensive, sustained, sophisticated effort to address the root causes of the broader phenomenon...."

While Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt are often credited with establishing the precedents on which modern U.S. internationalism is based, Talbott describes the robust and progressive internationalism of Republican leaders, from Teddy Roosevelt through Dwight Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Modern-day Republicans may be surprised to learn that Reagan spoke favorably of a standing U.N. military force and philosophically rejected preemptive war, or that, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Bush spoke encouragingly of a "new world order."

As Republicans consider in what direction the party should advance in the future, they may want to reconsider ideas on international engagement championed by party leaders of the past, and that are still promoted by prominent politicians such as Senator Richard Lugar and former Senator Chuck Hagel.

In the final chapter of the book, written before the November elections, Talbott offers some prescriptions to guide U.S. foreign policy into the future, warning that "two clear and present dangers" - nuclear proliferation and climate change -will require "multilateralism on a scale far beyond anything the world has achieved to date." He also notes the unique responsibility the United Sates bears in addressing these dangers, as the most heavily armed nuclear state and the greatest producer of greenhouse gases.

Ultimately, Talbott's book is optimistic. He sees humankind progressing relentlessly toward greater and greater international cooperation and, despite episodic setbacks, with greater and greater success.

For another perspective on Talbott's book, go to this page where you'll find a review penned by Ron Glossop, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Currently, Dr. Glossop is chairman of Citizens for Global Solutions of St. Louis, a member of the Political Action Committee of Global Solutions and Vice-President of the United Nations Association of St. Louis.