http://www.ted.com/talks/noreena_hertz_how_to_use_experts_and_when_not_to.html

I disagree with the idea that the overtone of Zakaria’s book is that we all need to “just get along.” Rather, it seemed that Zakaria was pushing for America to serve in the multi-lateral role that Obama is now playing. It’s definitely true that our foreign allies used Bush/Cheney as a reason to shirk from their international obligations, but my takeaway from the book were that as America’s economic power shifts to China/India, we need to use our soft power to provide leadership to the world. That certainly doesn’t mean pandering to the crowd, but it does mean consensus-building on an international level….something that our Republican cowboys never did.

And while it is true that the world is still cooing over Obama, I’m glad that he’s turning to some of our lamer allies and finally trying to get them to “pony up.” I think it’s a great lesson in delegation/communication: if you keep trying to do everything yourself without involving others, you’ll end up doing everything yourself without anyone else involved.

I’m reading The Opium Wars for my Spring book report, and one of the reoccurring themes of the book is the unyielding arrogance of both the Chinese and the British. The pride and greed of both nations seems to drive the conflict more than anything else, and the Opium Wars themselves represent the shift in power away from the Chinese over to the British. Zakaria’s book, on the other hand, deals with the shift in power away from the US over to the Chinese (and Indians, to some extent). Zakaria addresses America’s pride, and whether we will be gracious as our hard economic power slips away. And I agree with Dr. Carr that the Chinese have had some pretty atrocious things done to them (especially during the Opium Wars), and as their power continues to RISE, how will they act? Will they be gracious with their new power, or will they become paranoid international jerks?

They talked about how Obama had been photographed reading the Post American World during the campaign (the same picture I posted months ago… catch up CNN!) and how empowering it must be for Zakaria to know the president is reading his book.

On the gullibility of students… here’s what I think: we’re taught by teachers to trust books, text books particularly. So in reading the Post American World, my first book review in years as opposed to a book report, out of programming I trusted Zakaria. I read it like a text book. Especially because I am certain Zakaria has much more global knowledge and intelligence all together than myself, someone who has just started learning about business a year or so ago. How could I read something this brilliant man wrote and say…. “no, you’re wrong.”??

Although he may have gone over the top on a few things, he has made quite the impact with his words, just as Dr. Carr did with the title of this post. He grabbed our attention with something that may have truthful undertones (I too clearly am a Zakaria fan though) yet in its entirety, the statement can be examined under a microscope.

So, even if Zakaria was off on a few points, he still shifted the way many of us view global politics… to which I say, a job well done.