Smart Diplomacy

From China's cyber war on America to Islamist victories across the Middle East to the lengthening shadow cast by Iran, the Washington establishment has failed to neutralize foreign threats that are becoming more dangerous. No one on the political left or right has articulated a realistic defense strategy to meet these new challenges of the twenty-first century. Smart Power -written by a prolific writer and TV commentator who saw firsthand the successes and failures of statecraft in the George W. Bush administration-offers new solutions to the threats America faces today, including radical refo.

The United States confronts a host of foreign policy problems in the 21st century, yet the Republic’s security strategy is increasingly muddled and counterproductive. The litany of misplaced priorities and policy failures grows ever larger. Disagreements over Iraq policy as well as other matters have soured Washington’s relations with its long-time European allies. NATO, the centerpiece of Washington’s transatlantic policy for nearly six decades, is foundering in Afghanistan and displays a growing lack of cohesion and relevance. Tensions between the United States and Russia are on the rise as authoritarianism has reemerged in that country and Moscow resists Washington’s assertive policies, especially the ongoing expansion of NATO into traditional Russian spheres of influence and the repeated displays of contempt for Russian interests in the Balkans and other regions. American policymakers grapple with the prospect of new and volatile nuclear powers, most notably North Korea and Iran. It remains to be seen whether Washington’s strategy of using multilateral negotiations involving North Korea’s neighbors to induce Pyongyang to end its quest for nuclear weapons will succeed. The more hardline strategy of imposing economic sanctions and considering the use of military force is clearly not working with regard to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Other problems, such as the Taiwan issue, are just clouds on the horizon at present, but they have the potential to cause serious trouble in the coming years. The Taiwan problem highlights the danger inherent in Washington’s habit of making ill-advised security commitments to small, vulnerable client states that are not crucial to America’s own security and well being. In the case of Taiwan, such an obligation could lead to armed confrontation between the United States and China. Ted Galen Carpenter examines these and other foreign policy challenges that America confronts in the 21st century and diagnoses what is wrong with Washington’s current approach. Throughout these essays, he outlines an alternative strategy that would protect America’s security while avoiding unnecessary and unrewarding military adventures.

This book explores the diplomatic, political, strategic, and ideological cross-currents in the fragile but promising state-to-state relationship between China and India. Set in a geopolitical context ten years after the two Asian neighbours had agreed to fashion a Strategic and Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Prosperity, the analysis is focused on the promise as well as the portents. Looking ahead, the author envisions a sunrise idea of Sino–Indian Smart Zone as a possible post-modern scenario. Contents:Sunrise Powers of the Twenty-First Century:Global Status of China and IndiaSnap-Shot of Economic and Military ProfilesStrategic SynergiesNew Sea-Cyber-Space Paradigm of PowerMore than What Meets the EyeGames and Counter-GamesA Space-Leap ForwardTowards China–India Synergy in SpaceIdeologies of the Heart and the Mind:Lure and Logic of Sino–Indian Five PrinciplesBeyond the Original Tibetan ContextUnusual 'Niche' for Five PrinciplesNonalignment and Neo-NonalignmentThe Anti-Hegemony NormInterests and Concerns:The Core of Sino–Indian TiesThe Pakistan FactorA Nuclear DimensionThe Tibet PuzzleIndia's 'Closed Window' on TibetSynergies and Power Politics:An Upswing in India–US Defence TiesRussia and a Tale of Two FriendsThe Xi DoctrineSino–Indian Counter-Terror SynergyTowards Sino–Indian Economic SynergyA Unique China–India Nuclear MantraChina and India in the US CalculusAn Asian Security CouncilA Creative Scenario:Strategic and Historic BordersA History-Shaping PulloutEnigmatic Realities'Clarification of Line of Actual Control''One-China, One-India'Talking the Walk Towards…:From 'Strategic Partnership' to 'Major-Power' EngagementIndia Asks China to Reconsider its ApproachPlain Markers for the FutureAppendices:China's Perspective on IndiaIndia's Perspective on ChinaAn Internationalist Perspective on China–India Ties Readership: Students and researchers interested in China–India relations;diplomats, policy makers, scholars, journalists and general readers. Key Features:By being focused on China–India relations in the context of a newly-‘assertive’ India, the book differs significantly from other titles on Sino–Indian issuesEmphasizes the new model of neighbourliness between two ‘rival’ states and the imaginative scenario of a possible Sino–Indian Smart Zone that could become a Sino–Indian Hemisphere

Austin Bay is a nationally syndicated opinion columnist for Creators Syndicate. This is a collection of the very best of Austin Bay from 2014.

'Suryanarayanaâ (TM)s approach to the subject matter of China-India diplomatic synergy is heavily policy-oriented, and well-supported by policy sources. The book traces the trajectory of remarks and actions by Chinese and Indian decision-makers by collecting primary and, more uniquely, internal sources from historical and contemporary records. Personal correspondence between relevant Chinese and Indian personnel and Suryanarayana further deepens the credibility of the bookâ (TM)s analysis.'Pacific AffairsThis book explores the diplomatic, political, strategic, and ideological cross-currents in the fragile but promising state-to-state relationship between China and India. Set in a geopolitical context ten years after the two Asian neighbours had agreed to fashion a Strategic and Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Prosperity, the analysis is focused on the promise as well as the portents. Looking ahead, the author envisions a sunrise idea of Sino-Indian Smart Zone as a possible post-modern scenario.

Trying to thwart the drive to war against Iraq -- Assessing the Iraq debacle -- America's other war : Afghanistan -- The War on Terror -- Attempting to head off war against Iran -- Prospects for peace and democracy in the Middle East -- New approaches for the troubled Korean peninsula -- The dangerous Taiwan issue -- A delicate relationship with China -- NATO, the Balkans, and relations with Russia -- The disastrous war on drugs -- The connection between foreign policy and domestic liberty

Our ideas about national security have changed radically over the last five years. It has become a political tool, a "wedge issue," a symbol of pride and fear. It is also the one issue above all others that can make or break an election. And this is why the Democratic Party has been steadily losing power since 2001. In Hard Power, Michael O'Hanlon, an expert on foreign policy at the Brookings Institution, and Kurt Campbell, an authority on international security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, explain how the Democrats lost credibility on issues of security and foreign policy, how they can get it back--and why they must. They recall the successful Democratic military legacy of past decades, as well as recent Democratic innovations--like the Homeland Security Office and the idea of nation-building--that have been successfully co-opted by the Republican administration. And, most importantly, they develop a broad national security vision for America, including specific defense policies and a strategy to win the war on terror.