Synopses & Reviews
While the United States cannot solve the world's problems alone, it is not ready to allow any of these to be solved without it, let alone against it. This is the foundation of Obama's policy and the purpose of this book is to verify its validity and effectiveness. Barack Obama is inspired by a realist vision of the global order. Bereft of any grand vision, his ambition is to preserve America's great power status and make it acceptable to the rest of the world. He no longer wants his country to serve as the world's policeman. However, he has no intention of letting another country displace the United States. His scope of action lies between these two limits. Because he is not driven by a grand design, by the same token he is not willing to take any great risks. This may explain also why his achievements are limited.
Review
'This outstanding book manages to do something that few other works on Obama's foreign policy have been able to do so far: provide an original and balanced assessment of one of the great transitional moments in American international relations-one in which the United States is finding out that it cannot solve all the world's problems alone but where it is manifestly unwilling to relinquish leadership or power to anyone else. An important and wise study by one of Europe's top observers of the American scene."
—Michael Cox, co-director of IDEAS, The London School of Economics
"With the advantages afforded by his perch on the other side of the Atlantic, LaIdi offers a controversial take on the evolution of US foreign policy on Obama's watch. His book provides a fresh interpretation of recent developments in US statecraft and casts light on where US diplomacy may be headed in the years ahead."
—Charles A. Kupchan, professor of International Relations, Georgetown University and Whitney H. Shepardson Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
"Limited Achievements is deeply thoughtful, diligently researched, and delightfully readable. LaIdi has developed clear metrics by which to judge Obama's foreign policy, which at times produce surprising results. His core argument is thoroughly convincing. Any serious student of US foreign policy needs to read this book."
—John Peterson, professor of International Politics, University of Edinburgh
Review
'This outstanding book manages to do something that few other works on Obama's foreign policy have been able to do so far: provide an original and balanced assessment of one of the great transitional moments in American international relations-one in which the United States is finding out that it cannot solve all the world's problems alone but where it is manifestly unwilling to relinquish leadership or power to anyone else. An important and wise study by one of Europe's top observers of the American scene."
—Michael Cox, co-director of IDEAS, The London School of Economics
"With the advantages afforded by his perch on the other side of the Atlantic, LaIdi offers a controversial take on the evolution of US foreign policy on Obama's watch. His book provides a fresh interpretation of recent developments in US statecraft and casts light on where US diplomacy may be headed in the years ahead."
—Charles A. Kupchan, professor of International Relations, Georgetown University and Whitney H. Shepardson Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
"Limited Achievements is deeply thoughtful, diligently researched, and delightfully readable. LaIdi has developed clear metrics by which to judge Obama's foreign policy, which at times produce surprising results. His core argument is thoroughly convincing. Any serious student of US foreign policy needs to read this book."
—John Peterson, professor of International Politics, University of Edinburgh
Synopsis
Through an analysis of the general principles of Obama's foreign policy, LaIdi shows how Obama has charted a realist course in the Middle East, in Europe, in diplomacy, and in war.
Synopsis
Barack Obama is inspired by a realist vision of the global order. His ambition is to preserve America's great power status and make it acceptable to the rest of the world. He no longer wants his country to serve as the world's policeman. However, he has no intention of letting another country displace the United States. His scope of action lies between these two limits: he has no grand design, nor is he willing to take any great risks. Through an analysis of the general principles of Obama's foreign policy, LaIdi shows how Obama has charted a realist course in the Middle East, in Europe, in diplomacy, and in war.
Synopsis
Barack Obama is inspired by a realist vision of the global order. His ambition is to preserve America's great power status and make it acceptable to the rest of the world. He no longer wants his country to serve as the world's policeman. However, he has no intention of letting another country displace the United States. His scope of action lies between these two limits: he has no grand design, nor is he willing to take any great risks. Through an analysis of the general principles of Obama's foreign policy, LaIdi shows how Obama has charted a realist course in the Middle East, in Europe, in diplomacy, and in war.
About the Author
Zaki Laïdi is a professor of International Relations at Sciences Po (Paris). He is the author of numerous books, including The Great Disruption (2007) and Norms over Force: The Enigma of European Power (2008).
Table of Contents
LegacyWhite House Tight RopeNo More Monsters To Destroy?Repudiating The Ideology of September 11Back From Baghdad'Good Enough For Afghanistan'Breaking The Pact of Silence? Obama and The Arab SpringEurope: The Downgraded Ally?