The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order

SinceitsinitialpublicationnearlyfifteenyearsagoTheClashofCivilizationsandtheRemakingofWorldOrderhasbecomeaclassicworkofinternationalrelationsandoneofthemostinfluentialbookseverwrittenaboutforeignaffairs.Aninsightfulandpowerfulanalysisoftheforcesdrivingglobalpolitics,itisasindispensabletoourunderstandingofAmericanforeignpolicytodayasthedayitwaspublished.AsformerNationalSecurityAdviserZbigniewBrzezinskisaysinhisnewforewordtothebook,it“hasearnedaplaceontheshelfofonlyaboutadozenorsotrulyenduringworksthatprovidethequintessentialinsightsnecessaryforabroadunderstandingofworldaffairsinourtime.”SamuelHuntingtonexplainshowclashesbetweencivilizationsarethegreatestthreattoworldpeacebutalsohowaninternationalorderbasedoncivilizationsisthebestsafeguardagainstwar.Eventssincethepublicationofthebookhaveprovedthewisdomofthatanalysis.The9/11attacksandwarsinIraqandAfghanistanhavedemonstratedthethreatofcivilizationsbuthavealsoshownhowvitalinternationalcross-civilizationcooperationistorestoringpeace.Asideologicaldistinctionsamongnationshavebeenreplacedbyculturaldifferences,worldpoliticshasbeenreconfigured.Acrosstheglobe,newconflicts—andnewcooperation—havereplacedtheoldorderoftheColdWarera.TheClashofCivilizationsandtheRemakingofWorld...