Dunn: Setting the People Free John Dunn: Setting the People Free - The Story of Democracy

Paperback: 246 pages
Publisher: Atlantic Books 2005
ISBN: 1843542110

Professor Dunn from the University of Cambridge has written a good book on the evolution of a concept that in our times has become to be viewed as the only legitimate transmitter of political power.

On the surface, the story of democracy seems to be pretty straightforward -origins in ancient Greece, mid-life struggles against totalitarian fascists in WWII and communist empire in Cold War followed by it's global acceptance as the ultimate political legitimizer.

Still one has to accept Dunn's view that the democracy of today falls short from the original ideas of equality - real freedom. Freedom in the political sphere - voting in democratic elections, is not even close to the freedom we want. Freedom of wants ie. of global poverty and inequality is as unachievable than ever even the prospects look, for many post-communist countries at least, better.

If the sobering reading of the evolution of democracy is extremely interesting, it's implications for future democratization is even more so... What kind of democracy are we exporting and what kind of freedom do we wish unto others?  ¶ 8/23/2006 04:22:00 ip.

  Haslam: 500 Years of Anti-Utopianism Jonathan Haslam: No Virtue Like Necessity - Realist Thought in International Relations since Machiavelli

Hardcover: 254 pages
Publisher: Yale University Press 2002
ISBN:0-300-091508

"Some of the best cynics were once great but later deeply disappointed idealists."

Haslam's literature review of 'realist thinkers' is a good cross section through the bipolar development of IR thinking. Against the hopes for universal empire and 'perfection of the world'-utopias, realists were arguing for a rational management of the system in order to avoid chaos and large-scale war.

"For the true realists rationality was a goal, not a precondition to behaviour."

Haslam tackles the tradition by researching realist core concepts: reason of state, balance of power and balance of trade linking them to the developments in geopolitics and neorealism. The underlying idea that one can see everywhere is the acknowledgement of the importance of understanding competition (for power).

The development of realist thought is a story from pragmatic 'theories' of foreign policy to theories of world politics - from study of unit to the study of system.

"on the surface historical ... most definitely prescriptive in intention and Hobbist in tone..."

  ¶ 8/14/2006 12:15:00 ap.