Rating: 
Summary: An important book
Review: "All in all, at no other time has America's position declined as dramatically in as short a period as it has since George W. Bush became president." (p. 74)The first part of this book is a devastating critique of the imperialistic intent of the Bush administration. Soros constructs calmly and with measured deliberation a very sharp and very large pin, as it were, with which to burst the delusive bubble of what he calls the Bush doctrine of "American supremacy." He explains why it has failed in Iraq and why it will fail elsewhere. He avers: "The United States cannot be either the police or the godparent of the world. America needs to work together with other countries." (p. 114) I will not reprise his arguments here. Read them for yourself. To my mind they are utterly convincing. What I want to do instead is to present Soros's solution which is the subject of the second part of the book. His intent is to avoid a repetition of Bush's blunder in Iraq while at the same time protect the world from repressive and murderous regimes. What he has come up with is a shift in understanding of sovereignty from the sovereignty of governments to the sovereignty of people. He writes: "The principle of sovereignty needs to be reconsidered. Sovereignty belongs to the people; the people are supposed to delegate it to the government through the electoral process." (p. 102) He goes on to argue that the international community of states has the "responsibility to protect" the people from regimes intent on murder and mayhem. His intent is to justify intervention in the internal affairs of nations since he believes that what happens within a nation affects the world as a whole. Soros argues further that it would be a good idea to prevent crises before they develop. Instead of "the Bush doctrine of preemptive action of a military nature" he calls for "a doctrine of preventive action of a constructive nature." (p. 111) Part of the impetus for Soros's argument comes from the Warsaw Declaration of 2000 in which it is proclaimed that "it is in the interest of all democratic countries...to foster the development of democracy in all other countries." (p. 112) While Soros is a brilliant man of great visionary ability, I think it can be safely said that his doctrine is, considering the present state of international affairs, utopian. Nonetheless I think he is actually predicting what will happen in the future, although I don't think that such actions will be carried out by or under the auspices of the United Nations as it is presently constituted (and Soros says as much: see pp. 114-117). What Soros is envisioning is a coalition of democratic states led by the US and the European Union countries along with other economically and socially advanced countries deciding at some point that it is in their best interests to put the dictators and failed regimes out of business and to support and nurture democratic ones. If this works then the entire world might be constituted of nation states who solve their differences without recourse to the use of military force. At such time a new United Nations will be formed with a more equitable distribution of power among its members as well as greater authority and the real ability to enforce its regulations. Such a United Nations would be something similar to a United States of the World. As interesting sidebar to Soros's argument is the idea that it is the very process of globalization that leads to the need to intervene in the internal affairs of nations. It is because of the international exchange of goods and services and the globalization of capital that the interests of one nation are affected by the actions of another. The resources of any one nation are themselves international. It used to be, as Soros points out, that most of the economic activity of any given state was internal. Now we have our wealth all over the globe. Consequently we must have the institutions that protect our interests and ensure the "maintenance of the market mechanism itself" all over the globe. Should there be any doubt about the revolutionary nature of Soros's new world order, consider this from page 142: "The natural resources of a country ought to belong to the people, but the rulers often exploit the resources for their own personal needs. This violates the sovereignty of the people and calls for external intervention." Consider this as well: "...the United States cannot avoid intervening in the internal affairs of other countries, but I claim that we must do so only on legitimate grounds." He quickly adds, so that there can be no mistake: "The Bush doctrine cannot be accepted by the rest of the world as legitimate." (pp. 171-172) I highly recommend that readers read the Appendix entitled "My Conceptual Framework." In it Soros presents his ideas about "reflexivity," "radical fallibility," "the open society," and "the human uncertainty principle." Here's a sample of the profound understanding that this brilliant man has come to over the course of his extraordinary life: "We must treat our beliefs as provisionally true while keeping them open to constant reexamination. This is the foundation principle of an open society." (p. 195) This principle, I must note, is allied to the idea of the invisible hand of the free market in which the intelligence of uncounted participants is reflected. There is a cognate in the ideas that are coming out of complexity theory in which we learn that intelligence is not a top down phenomenon, but something that can be brought about by autonomous individuals acting cooperatively like the neurons of our brains or ants in a colony or bees in a hive. But if individuals are not free to express themselves, but are oppressed by authority, their wisdom will never reach coalescence.
Rating:
Summary: Soros Has Finally Revealed The True Color Of His Strips
Review: ...Soros has finally revealed the true colors of his strips... ...a veritable 'sheep' in 'wolves' clothing... ...is Soros' prescription for embracing the world in a compassionate, merciful and graceful manner in keeping with the commandments of The Most High (or any true spiritual leader for that matter)?...you bet...'the good of the few is indeed preserved by the good of the all'...
Rating: 
Summary: Honest, Pointed, Handicapped, Mis-Spending His Money
Review:
If there is one person who brings together global knowledge, moral capitalism, an appreciation for open society principles, an understanding of how dangerous supremacist ideologies can be, and the money with which to save the world by leading the broader public to have an "aha" experience, it is George Soros. I try to read and review everything he writes.
I take one star off because he is not putting his money where his books says it needs to be. I begin with this comment, actually my last observation, to set the stage for the other comments below, all of which revolve around the point he makes in the beginning, but a point that he is doing nothing to fund the correction of: "The gap in perceptions between America and the rest of the world has never been wider." This is correct, but the $15M plus that he has donated to ACT and other minor organizations is not funding the re-education of America, it is funding minor-league politicization and mobilization likely to fail given the 20 year neglect of the Democratic precincts, and the fact that neither the Republican nor the Democratic parties are capable of assembling a true informed majority. His early analysis in the book, on the dangers of supremacist ideologies and the curious alliance between religious fundamentalists (zealots who know nothing of the real world) and market fundamentalists (immoral capitalists who care nothing of the real world) is spot on. He is articulate and effective in writing about the manner in which this extremist ideology, "we are always right, they are always wrong", in endangering not just American ideals, but American survival. He touches on but fails to capitalize on the urgency of splitting the moderate Republicans (I am one of them) from the extremist base, perhaps by funding the foundation of a new party, the Fiscal Conservatives (moderate Republicans and Southern conservative Democrats). His chapter on the "war" on terror and his condemnation of treating terrorism as a war, with the wrong tools, wrong approach, and wrong effects from our well-intentioned but uninformed behavior is also powerful in its common sense. He notes that this "war" (I have called it a six-front hundred-year war that *we* started in reaction to 9-11, without thinking strategically) has killed more civilian bystanders than the attack on the World Trade Center, and simultaneously super-charged anti-American sentiment around the world--including among the British! He is subtly but scathingly critical of Congress for abdicating its responsibility to balance the power of the Executive, and documents the careless manner in which the Patriot Act was brought about (Bush can also confiscate pleasure boats with Cuban charts on thsm). The middle of the book examines, with a capitalist's critical eye, the wasted hundreds of billions on Iraq, and how that money might have been better used to address the complex emergencies in Africa, Central Asia, and South Asia (one might also add the tri-border region in Latin America, which is about to explode). Soros is, I believe, in error, when he concludes that the forthcoming election provides an opportunity to deflate the bubble of American supremacy. First off, the Republicans are taking the election seriously, the Democrats are not. Second off, the Kerry team has proven completely incapable of devising a shadow government, a coalition cabinet, and a balanced budget within which to make policy deals with moderate Republicans and others such as Independents and Greens. In the next section Soros illuminates with a mix of previously state ideas, i.e. the political institutions needed to protect the common good have not kept up with the marketplace (Kissinger agrees), and new thoughts, among which I found the emphasis on restoring the definition of sovereignty to mean sovereignty of the people, not the state, to be the most compelling and also the most consistent with the many other books I have reviewed for Amazon, among which Jonathan Schell's book, "Unconquerable World" stands out. Soros' other remarkable idea, which I think he should seek with $10M if he can spare the change, is that there is an urgent need for a D6 of developing countries to counter the G8 of First World industrial powers. He identifies Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and South Africa. I would add China and Argentina and make it D8 instead. Finally, he concludes with a strong indictment of how foreign aid is administered today, less than 45% of it actual reaching needy recipients (versus 85% for his own programs), he touches on the importance of ensuring that the people, not the corrupt elite, get the benefits of any nation's natural resources, and that only an open society, in which citizens can and *must* (are *required to*) think for themselves, is a potentially prosperous and secure society. So, concluding this review, I have to say, Bravo, Soros, but why isn't your money where your book suggests it should be? Let's Talk, America, for example, or the National Budget Simulation Project, or the Co-Intelligence Institute, or any of hundreds of bottom-up efforts to shed light on public policy, to create public intelligence that can both inform citizens and hold officials accountable for betraying the public trust--why are they not being noticed by Soros? American has been radicalized by the Bush Administration, which will probably win in 2004 and further radicalize both America and the world. There will be multiple variations of 9-11, including at least one hijacked Pakistani submarine firing a missile into Australia. We don't need mobilization, we need education. We need a National Intelligence Council in the "seven tribes, seven standards, seven issues" sense, one that relies on open sources of information to ensure that every American understands what is at stake here, and how their ignorance not only feeds terrorism, it feeds the supremacist ideology of neo-conservativism that is terrorism's best friend. Soros has come full circle, and now stands with Thomas Jefferson, who said "A Nation's best defense is an informed citizenry." So, when does school start?
Rating:
Summary: US policies need a sound philosophical foundation
Review: A sad part of the US politics and (foreign) policies is that, unlike the European policies, US policies (always) lacked any reasonable philosophical basis. This is unfortunate and a major weakness in an otherwise a well-meaning society. In other words US policies have been always, so to say, grossly short-sighted. This book by Soros, among other things, tries to put the US thinking (of the future) on a reasonable philosophical foundation. These philosophical foundations are those of the greatest philosopher of the past century viz., Karl Popper. Popper's philosophical ideas are alien to the education systems of the rest of the world, outside the mainstream European countries. Therefore, they are hard to digest and unlikely to be accepted instantly... Perhaps it is Bertrand Russell who said that if there are definite (and correct) answers then it is a part of science and if there aren't then it is philosophy. In this sense what is a useful philosophy and what isn't is itself a philosophical question. Therefore, controversy on the Popper and Soros approach will persist. I only urge readers to look at Soros book from this perspective instead of asking whether the price of this book is out of proportion to its length. I found this book very valuable and far better than the shallow books written by other US philosophers and thinkers of sorts. I urge the readers to read first the Appendix (pp.191-203) and appreciate and digest important concepts like: radical fallibility and fertile fallacies. Ask also how far these concepts are useful in the real life as guiding principles for decision making under uncertainty. I take the view that at times we win and often we lose. What matters is perhaps the trend in these successes and failures. (PS: In fairness I should state that I was also (like Soros) a student of Popper (during the 1960s) and an admirer of Popper's philosophy although I come from an oriental cultural and philosophical background. It is only after a prolonged period of philosophical conflict and real life experiences, I saw the merit and value in Popper's philosophy.)
Rating: 
Summary: Incoherent - Requires Better Editing
Review: From my title you might think I disagree with Soros. I do not. I agree with his intent, but think the book falls short as a book. It is incoherent and even though he has lots of money his editor should have asked for another re-write before going to press. Maybe then it would be good. To his credit he confesses to a rush job in the book. The book is divided into two parts. The first part is "The problem" which is basically Bush bashing ad nausea and the second part is his "Solution". The book is short, written in large font and takes just three hours to read. I bought the book for $22. and consider it a complete waste of money. Here is my review. Part 1 - The Problem Here is the basic premise - the US is now the big boy economically and militarily and has decided that international institutions and international relations are secondary to the continued use of military force and the invasion and the threat to smaller countries. When the President says "we will bring freedom and democracy" to say as an example Iraq, what he really means is that the US is going to invade, shoot or drop bombs and kicks the .... out of anyone in their way, and sets up a government friendly to the US. I realize that many Americans have a problem with that concept but Soros is right. the Us has invaded about 20-30 countries in the last 40 years - hopefully Canada is not next! He brings up the excellent example of Turkey last year in 2003. That country is democratic. It was 90% against the invasion of Iraq. The parliament was against the invasion of Iraq. We should respect that, correct, it is a democracy! But Wolfowitz visits Turkey and tries to pressure the Turkish military to act for the US and against their own government. Hardly democratic. Wolfowitz has to be re-educated on what democracy means (or kicked out!). Part 2 - His Solution. His first priority is to elect a democrat to remove Bush. I have read the second part twice and I still do not understand the plan. He is an expert on global markets and he spends a big chunk of Part 2 explaining his other book and global markets. He has a lot of short comments on foreign aid, etc. He spends some time on explaining how the US can better work with the UN. The book is largely a waste of money and there are lots of other better written books. I give him 3 stars for effort. Jack in Toronto
Rating: 
Summary: Moral Cowardice - Then and Now
Review: George Soros has a problem with "American Supremacy".
Hmmm. That's interesting. For if the United States did 60 years ago what Soros and so many of the uninformed posters here want us to do now,get out of Iraq, get out of Afghanistan, support the P.L.O., Mr. Soros might be a lampshade hanging in some victorious Nazi's bedroom.
Or to take this analogy one step further. The United States was attacked by Japan on December 7, 1941 - NOT Nazi Germany. President Roosevelt correctly linked Imperial Japan to Fascist Germany and declared war on both. What Soros, and others here advocate would have left Roosevelt only (possibly) responding to Japan, not Hitler.
President Bush is regarded by Soros as being arrogant. Fine. President Bush knew that Saddam had gassed or slaughtered thousands of his own people. He knew Saddam desired to rebuild his nuclear and biological weapons programs. He knew that Saddam had paid $25,000 to the families of the Hamas Genocidal Bombers who deliberately targeted Jewish civilians in Israel.
Get that, George Soros? Jewish civilians. Like a terrified family hiding out with forged papers in the middle of a Budapest full of the SS and homegrown killers of the Arrow Cross. Of course, Mr. Soros is also a cheerleader for the PLO.
President Bush, like President Roosevelt over 60 years ago chose to wage a preventive war for the security of all Americans. Maybe Saddam wasn't a threat - maybe he was. But was Serb Kosovo a threat to the National Security of the United States? No, but Bill Clinton bombed civilians just the same. And nary a word from the Soros, Michael Moore, Kerry kool-aid drinking club.
Mr. Soros has done some wonderful things. I don't doubt that. He has rebuilt the libraries in Bosnia that were deliberately destroyed by Bosnian Serbs (and by the way, yes, that was an intervention that was morally correct - Kosovo, on the other hand, was not - and even worse, Clinton could have sent those B-52s to Afghanistan to terminate Bin Laden before 3000 Americans died).
If anyone in this world has NO right to criticize "American Supremacy" it would be a guy who hid out on the "Gentile" side of Budapest while his co-religionists were being slaughtered. And I will repeat this. If Roosevelt behaved in precisely the way the Soros-moveon.org crowd wanted President Bush to behave, Mr. Soros would not be a breathing moneyed Capitalist espousing Socialist views - he would not be with us, period. As it was, we didn't do enough to save the Jews of Europe, but given Mr. Soros' world mindset, he wouldn't have wanted us to save them, him or anyone else for that matter.
Oh yeah, he wants the U.N. to be our moral compass. The same UN that failed miserably in Rwanda, the Sudan, Cambodia, and is supportive of Hamas.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful!
Review: George Soros is a major hedge fund operator and philanthropist whose foundation has supported many worthy causes, especially in emerging and formerly Communist countries. He is a major donor to the U.S. Democratic Party. But is he a major thinker? Although he calls himself a philosopher, he does not test his ideas against the strongest ideas of other philosophers or put his concepts into context. In fairness, men of his wealth are perhaps unaccustomed to having to explain or justify themselves or to offer a good reason for speaking their minds. Soros certainly has strong business credentials, given his international business experience, his other books on public issues and his vast philanthropy. His ego seems monumental here, but so are his contributions and his impact. If you are a non-governmental organization seeking a Soros grant, this book will illuminate his thinking. If you are a Democrat who appreciates his support for the party, this book will tell you why he believes as he does. If you are a Republican, this is a textbook on knowing your adversaries. And, we note, if you are a non-partisan voter who has ignored media coverage of U.S. politics, this will give you the gist of the opposition's passionate case against the Bush administration.
Rating:
Summary: correcting mistakes of the Bush administration
Review: George Soros is NOT just attacking the VERY EXISTANCE of America , he is AIDING & ABEITING its DOWNFALL ! His most popular phrase "CHRISTIANS ARE IDIOTS !" is just the starting point for his attacks upon the very CORE VALUES of this nation . I CHALLANGE GEORGE SOROS to make that SAME STATEMENT about our MOSLEM peoples : he is a GUTLESS moron ; his GODLESS LUST would not dare to go against that Religion - his name would be on a WORLD-WIDE-FATWA before he finished laughing at those who would NOT accept his remarks out of American "Christian Charity" ! So , from that perspective , I call George Soros a COWARD ; one who picks fights where he knows that few would challenge him ! What a wonderful Euro-Liberal-FASCIST ! He should really enjoy living in Paris , France , where he would be treated like the VERY GOD that he denies exists ! GOOD-BY , George ; and enjoy that hole called EUROPE ! I'm staying right here , in CHRISTIAN AMERICA , where we will continue to reap the benefite of CHRISTIAN VALUED GOVERNMENT , in-spite of Satanic-Crusaders like YOU , and your few buddies in American GOVERNMENT : We will be rid of them in short order !
Rating:
Summary: 2004 election
Review: I haven't completed reading G. Soros' book on the "Bubble of American Supremacy," however, I stood still in reflection hoping that the ratings of his book will reflect the 2004 election. Few one star comments such as "frankensense" of New York represent a great deal of Americans that are ill-informed about feeling secure in this country and affable enough in believing this President's policy will lead them however torn in bigotry, insolence, misleading information, ignorance and prejudism, into a greater and better world. So vividly and falsely informed by this adminsitration, I am happy to see that "frankensen" represents only 1 star and two of 89 found his review helpful. Also, that people who think like "frankensens" exemplify the opiniated that rule with tyranical prowess, based on vengence and shrewd villification of hatred in order to solve our problems with war. Is that the reborn Christian he (Bush) lays claim to and all those righteous on the right who call themselves Christians?
Hopefully we can turn those four and five stars into election numbers. I share Soros' vision that this supremacy is a bubble, but not about to burst yet, unless We The People, believe enough in a better world less dangerous than that of Mr.Bush's. Which is different, the shrewd imminent danger of a tyrant and neo-con hawks in the White House, endangering the principles of democracy, or the Non-existence of imminence of WMD from Saddam Hussein? We didn't do anything about the Idi Ammins in Uganda, Liberia, Ruanda, Cuba... and the list goes on. If foreign policy, jobs and health care, education, the environment and children left behind are not enough to wake up WE THE PEOPLE, I have my doubts about the ability of Americans to change their destiny and the United States as a Republic in the world! Thank you Mr. Soros! Your philantropy towers Bush's demeaner!
Rating:
Summary: A coherent challenge of US economic and military imperialism
Review: I've only glanced at the book so far, but I have read Soros' article in the December issue of Atlantic, which appears to be a thumbnail sketch of the book. If so, it's a definite read.
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