Rating: 
Summary: Brain or Brawn - Your Choice
Review: Kagan made his choice: he is all for brawn. If you got the power - use it and do not waste time on nice conferences. Some say that this book is brilliant. But it brings absolutely nothing new, just rehashes what thinking people have been saying for a long time. What is worse: Kagan makes his pronouncements without really illuminating the background.Does the Us use its superior power? Every president in the second half of the last century had his own war going. The results were usually abominable or ludicrous -Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, Somalia. Afghanistan is open-ended, and Iraq will wind up the same way. But in every case lately we were able to test new weapons. So there was a reason. Europe was hiding behind the American power shield during the Cold War. Did it ever occur to Kagan that Europe did not feel threatened? That they rather wanted to spend their money on their people instead of buying one-billion-dollar stealth bombers? At present, President Bush is mad at France and Germany for not supporting his venture in Iraq. In both countries - and especially in Germany - the government was following the will of the people. You might call that "Democracy". In Spain, 73% of the people were against the war, yet Aznar went ahead anyhow. In Great Britain, the vast majority of the people was against the war and Tony Blair sent 45'000 soldiers to Iraq. What do you call that? The Us is God's Own Country. Or, at least, it used to be. We not only lost our innocence, but also our sense of justice and fairness. There are myriad of items Mr. Kagan should have taken into consideration but left by the wayside. The main thing is: we got the power and don't have to pay attention to those wimps of Old Europe.
Rating: 
Summary: A must read for those interested in international politics
Review: It doesn't matter what political stripe you wear, Kagan's book is a fascinating look at current-day international politics. Kagan presents a wonderfully logical argument about the relationship between Europe and America. And while he doesn't necessarily present any information that is new or surprising, he does help connect the dots in a manner that makes most readers go, "Aha!" Kagan's writing style is very user-friendly, unusual in a field known for its clunky style and obscure historical references (Thomas Friedman notwithstanding). He uses wonderful anecdotes and analogies to help paint his picture of the differences in the ways that America and Europe view world-wide threats (A bear roaming in the woods is viewed differently by a man with a rifle as opposed to a man with a knife). And given these acknowledged differences, is it any wonder that America and Europe increasingly find conflict over the way we resolve these problems? America wants to quickly solve the problems with arms (we have lots of over-powering weapons and a strong distaste for any American deaths); Europe would much rather discuss the problems over time and come to a non-conflict resolution (they don't have the weapons and have come to appreciate the power of discussion). As a dyed-in-the-wool liberal, one who attended the numerous spring anti-war demonstrations throughout my hometown, I now look at the world in a different way after reading this fine book -- and what could be a better compliment to any author? And while I continue to feel America's heavy-handed approach is ultimately wrong, this book has given me a more balanced perception of the way things work.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Yet Rushed
Review: I actually thought this book would be a little more right leaning then it turned out to be, after all the author worked in the Reagan administration and writes for some rather conservative organizations. Instead I found the book to be very fair and have almost no bias. I tend to be a bit more liberal so I think I have a good nose for right wing comments and this book really did not have many. The author explores the differences he sees in the way that American and Europe handle similar political issues. I have a unique perspective on this area, because I am an American that lives in Europe so I experience some of the social comments the author makes. As I read the book I kept finding myself agreeing with the author. It seemed to me that he kept hitting the nail on the head. I actually got the book to see if his comments would be close to the reality as I see it (hoping to disagree with the author), and it turned out he was right on the money. This book is probably most helpful to an American trying to understand why the relationship between the Bush administration and the leaders of Europe has seemed so strained over the past two years. It is especially interesting given the divides with the Iraq war. Overall I found the book interesting and helpful. My only complaint would be the size. I kept finding areas that I felt the author could have expanded on more, given the reader a bit more background. I can only assume that in the rush to print the book the author decided speed was more important then completeness.
Rating:
Summary: Mesmerizing
Review: Of Paradise and Power is a fascinating and extremely timely book that seeks to detail the recent rift between the United States and many of it's western Allies. What was perhaps most useful about this book is that it is very well balanced, this is NOT a polemic attack on either the Europeans or the Americans. It is not a monologue condensed from the Idiocy to be found on "Crossfire." It is however, a dispassionate analysis of the current European-American situation. These days, some calm discussion is needed to cool the rhetoric and Kagan provides that. You may not agree with his views or conclusions, it may challenge your notions (and I say this to the "Americans are warmongers" AND the "Europeans are cowardly traitors" crowds) but that's a good thing, right? Kagan attempts, and in my view succeeds to look at the deeper issues of why the west seems split. He recognizes that the issues are far deeper than WMD in Iraq or Hans Blix and that the issues between us have been building for some time before 9/11. Perhaps the best thing is that Kagan does not attempt to ascribe "blame" to either party. Nor does he try to justify one sides' view by disparaging the other. Instead, he takes the view that the Europeans and Americans have both taken reasonable stances for powers in their relative positions. As opposed to silly insults and an hominem attacks on one side or the other, Kagan tries to help both sides understand (and perhaps appreciate) the other as we play out our roles on the geo-political stage. This is a very important book to pick up and read. Since 9/11, too much has been wasted on emotions and rhetoric, and not enough on analysis. This was understandable as people were obviously excited, but it's been almost two years now and this book provides a breath of fresh air at just the right time.
Rating:
Summary: An Important Analysis of America versus Europe
Review: Robert Kagan's slim book, an expanded version of an essay appearing originally in "Policy Review," is a brilliant assessment of the relationship between Western Europe and the United States and the reasons for the differing outlooks and the resulting policies. Essentially, Kagan views the problem as one in which since World War II the United States has had predominant military power, Europe far less and in recent times European military strength has waned due to America's increasing and vastly superior military technology. Therefore, Europe views the world and its problems without the military means to threaten the unruly. Consequently, diplomacy, the United Nations Security Council, and compromise are the only ways that the Europeans can deal with foreign policy crises. America, with its mobile forces and its overwhelming air superiority, is much freerer and more willing to threaten and project military force to meet its objectives--or to thwart those of others. Kagan notes that the present is a role reversal--Europe in the 19th and early 20th Century had great military power--the great period of European colonization--while the US was relatively weak militarily and relied on diplomacy, international law, and the helpful presence of the British fleet in our foreign policy adventures. This book is timely in view of recent events in American-European relations. Although Kagan suggests that the strains in our relationships have been there all along and would have boiled over regardless of who was in power in the United States, this seems questionable in that the present Bush Administration has needlessly "dissed" Europe and the Europeans and therefore made it more difficult in the short run to have some form of unity and cooperation in dealing with major problems. Previous administrations had their difficulties with the Europeans, but in most cases have been able to deal with difficult issues in more traditional ways without needless offense to those who disagreed. Kagan writes clearly and succinctly, occasionally citing other sources, but without the train of explanatory footnotes or endnotes that often clog the foreign policy pronouncements of others. Kagan has thought long and hard about the issues; the result is an exemplary example of distilling your views into clear, readable prose.
Rating: 
Summary: So Blunt
Review: Wow, they pretty much put it out in the open, didnt they? "US vs. Europe in the New World Order." Ive never seen anyone be so blunt about imperialism.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent briefing on Euro-American relations
Review: Robert Kagan walks in the footsteps of his father Donald, who wrote an excellent book called "While America Sleeps" which warned of the dangers of not paying adequate attention to threats from overseas, and argued strongly for American resolve to not shrink away from military spending and intervention in circumstances that demand it. Robert Kagan, in this short volume, questions whether the "unilateral" approach to foreign policy is as ill-advised as it appears to many, especially in Europe. Can and should the U.S.A. "go it alone" when faced with perceived threats to its security, or must we always ask Europe's, and by extension, the United Nations' permission. Europe does not want to lose its relevance in the international scheme, but at the same time seems to prefer non-confrontation when America's interests are at stake, and not Europe's own interests. Kagan states that this is largely due to what he calls the psychology of weaker powers. America is strong, Europe is weak (militarily). He employs a metaphor: a man in the woods with only a knife may choose to hide from the bear he knows to be stalking him. A man with a rifle may decide to take his chances and hunt the bear down. Finally, Kagan argues that Europe, living under the protective umbrella of U.S. military power througout the Cold War, has paradoxically become the leading opponent of the use of same American force that protected Europe from Soviet incursion. Kagan has lived in Europe (Brussels, I believe) for some time, and has personal, first hand experience of European phenomena. For this, and for the persuasive case he makes, I recommend this book to all interested in what might prove to be the re-shaping of the world in a new American century (whether you approve of it or not).
Rating:
Summary: must have been a great essay...
Review: must have been a great essay, but is a very thin book. while it contains internal logical consistency the author does not bother to expand upon his views enough to support them. his tone is condescending and he makes broad statments without bothering to support them. frankly, I found the tone irritating.
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful and logical analysis
Review: This essay is extraordinarily insightful and persuasive regarding the current state of American-European relations and the political and historical factors that have contibuted to these parties' view of the world and it's problems from such differing perspectives.
Kagan's historical analogies help to explain the responses of both sides of the Atlantic to a growing disparity in power and the ability to use power effectively. Of course those who are incapable of wielding geopolitical power would find the entanglements of multilateralism more attractive than the US who finds itself at the end of the cold war as the only power with the ability to use the hammer. Kagan objectively states that the danger in that unique ability is the tendency to perhaps view every problem in the world as a nail.
Having read this the events of the past few months in the UN and the reaction of Europe to the conflict makes more sense to me as part of a broader historical trend in US-European relations and not the suddenly appearing fissure that it may have seemed during the UN debates. We may well be at a turning point in history .Examingng these questions in such a logical and dispassionate essay is of great value in these turbulent days.
Rating:
Summary: World Chaos
Review: PARADISE &POWER By Robert Kagan.
World Chaos
This could be a better book if it looked a little closer at the people of the world, but it's fairly close to the situation as it is now. Just to mention another book, which gives an antonym to power, EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE by Daniel Goleman, which would help the Power People who are in the new society succeed. The USA does not have to be a society of death to be a powerful nation. And Europe can still be a society of cultured, polite people and still be a paradise. To start out the USA had also been a paradise until the government changed their policy for power. The 911 happening came in at just the right time to allow the USA to exercise military power? The USA had the problem of having too much power. They won their first police action against a very uneducated but very war like nation and should have stopped there. But this allowed part of the population, the ones who believe that money is power to exercise this policy to look in the mirror and say look at me I'm great, I'm the best. The rest of the population watched in shocked horror as the power hungry people took over the government of the country. They had gotten to soft and allowed the government to go to the wrong people. As I set here a war is going on in the Middle East, between the USA and Iraq as a result of the power people at its head. They do not believe in a diplomatic society. And they do not listen to the rest of the world. Maybe I have carried this review to beyond the book being reviewed, but I believe this has to be said. The split in the USA and European relations is not because of the power and the polite society syndrome. It's much deeper than that, something has told the masses in the USA that they are better than anyone else and they will dig them selves deeper in a hole as time goes on. Even the economics has to be addressed by congress and the people or they will go the way many other countries have already gone down this road to disaster. I believe that Mr. Kagan is an excellent writer but he lets the fact that he is a USA citizen get in his way. It took many years for Europe to become a 'paradise' as he so aptly called it. That was civilization of the human race that they learned. As I now called Kagan, 'Mr.' Kagan was part of what I got from my ancestors a long, long time ago. Do we have to forget the cover of civilization that it took so long to learn to become a power mad citizen of the USA? The far Eastern Nations are getting restless watching the USA and listening to the new rules that anyone can attack first if they think a nation has become a danger to them and that atomic power is just another weapon? There is no grey in between you are my friend or you are an enemy? What happened to neutral or a political friend, or trade friend or etc... Mr. Kagan, you have written a powerful book and a lot can be found it to think about, but please don't take us back in history. We have spent a lot of blood and tears to reach the point in the world that European and the Far East have. The Middle East needs help, but give it time. The USA can start over again as one of the powerful nations and maintain the 'big brother' image. We want the whole World to be civilized and it will be a 'paradise'. This book is well worth reading--it will make you think.
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