Beyond the Age of Innocence

More than half of the world's population lives in Asia and the Middle East, and is becoming more and more alienated from America. Now, a uniquely qualified Asian writer explains how this happened and what can be done. After publishing articles in leading American journals for over two decades, Kishore Mahbubani was described by "The Economist" as "an Asian Toynbee, preoccupied with the rise and fall of civilizations". Trained in philosophy in North America and Asia, and well-experienced in realpolitik as a diplomat on the world stage, Mahbubani has unusual insight into America's ever more troubled relationship with the rest of the world. In "Beyond the Age of Innocence", Mahbubani reveals to us the America that Asia and the rest of the world see. Where she was once perceived as the land of freedom and opportunity, the end of the Cold War changed this. America made a terrible mistake and began to ignore the plight of others, indifferent to the consequences of her decisions on other nations. In particular, America was imprudent in her policy towards two large masses of mankind; the Chinese and Muslim populations. Guantanamo damaged her moral authority, but Abu Ghraib, paradoxically, may have demonstrated the accountability of American institutions. Still, disillusionment with America has spread to all corners. To allow any lasting gap between America and the world, Mahbubani argues, would be a colossal strategic mistake for America and a huge loss to the world. But there is still time for the US to change course, and in this thought-provoking, visionary book, Mahbubani shows how.