UIL: Endless Enemies
by Jonathan Kwitny
Kwitny, a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, argues that U.S. foreign policy has been marked by support for Third World governments that deny their citizens the economic and political freedom we enjoy. He “makes a strong case for the benefits that would accrue if the U.S. government ceased intervening covertly in other nations’ affairs,” PW noted.
UIL: Understanding America: the Anatomy of an Exceptional Nation
by Peter Schuck and James Wilson
The nation’s top scholars explore America’s quintessential values, institutions, and challenges.
What is America? Is it a hegemonic superpower, composed of ruthlessly selfish capitalists? Or is it a land of hope and glory, a shelter for the huddled masses, and a beacon of freedom and enlightenment? The definition of this complex nation has been debated substantially, yet all seem to agree on one thing: it is unique. The idea of an exceptional America can be traced all the way back to Alexis de Tocqueville’s nineteenth-century observations of a newly formed democracy that seemed determined to distinguish itself from the rest. Little, it seems, has changed.
NFL: The Spread of Nuclear Weapons–A Debate
by Kenneth Waltz and Scott Sagan
In The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: A Debate Renewed, two major international relations scholars resume their well-known dialogue about these important questions, as well as others. Kenneth Waltz, the dean of realist theory in international relations, expands on his argument that “more may be better,” contending that new nuclear states will use their acquired nuclear capabilities to deter threats and preserve peace. Scott Sagan, the leading proponent of organizational theories in international politics, continues to make the counterpoint that “more will be worse”: novice nuclear states lack adequate organizational controls over their new weapons, which makes for a high risk of either deliberate of accidental nuclear war.