Review by Choice Review
According to Coicaud (head, UN University Office) and Wheeler (Univ. of Wales, UK), the aim of this collection of essays is to illuminate the tension between national interest and the global common good (international solidarity) in the foreign behavior of states. The book's nine chapters cover the following case studies: India-Pakistan relations, China-US relations, post-Cold War Russian foreign policy, foreign intervention in Central Asia, US and EU strategy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Plan Colombia, US humanitarian policy toward Africa, NATO and EU response to the Yugoslav wars of succession, and international influence in the creation of East Timor. Some of the studies describe the foreign policy behavior of states confronting foreign conflicts, while others highlight the promotion of peace, security, and human rights beyond national borders. Although each of these studies provides valuable insights into, and lessons on, modern global politics, the essays do not share a common theoretical framework nor are core concepts used consistently. As a result, the case studies are less effective in illuminating the fundamental theoretical issue of the book--namely, how to reconcile the national interest with the well-being of global society, and how universal ethics can be strengthened in a world where particularist ethics are dominant. Summing Up: Optional. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, research, and professional collections. M. Amstutz Wheaton College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
