Synopses & Reviews
The game motif is useful as a metaphor for the broader rivalry between nations and economic systems with therise of imperialism and the pursuit of world power. This game has gone through two major transformations sincethe days of Russian-British rivalry, with the rise first of Communism and then of Islam as world forces opposingimperialism.The main themes of Postmodern Imperialism: Geopolitics and the Great Games include: * US imperial strategy as an outgrowth of British imperialism, and its transformation following the collapse ofthe Soviet Union;* the significance of the creation of Israel with respect to the imperial project;* the repositioning of Russia in world politics after the collapse of the Soviet Union;* the emerging role of China and Iran in Eurasia;* the emerging opposition to the US and NATO.As the critical literature on NATO, the new Russia, and the Middle East is fragmented, this work brings theseelements together in historical perspective with an understanding from the Arab/ Muslim world's point of view, as itis the main focus of all the Great Games. It strives to bridge the gap between Western, Russian and MiddleEastern readers with an analysis that is accessible and appeals to all critical thinkers, and at the same timeprovides the tools to analyze the current game as it evolves.The Great Games of yore - Britain vs. Russia and their empires in the 19th century, and the US vs. the Soviet Unionin the 20th century - no longer translate merely as the US vs. Russia or Russia/ China. A major new player is acollective one, NATO, which today is as vital as the emperor's clothes to justify the global reach of US imperialism.Today, the playing field - the geopolitical context - is broader than it was in either the 19th or 20th century games, though Eurasia continues to be center field, where most of the world's population and energy resources lie.The existence of Israel is an anomaly which seriously complicates the shaping of the geopolitical game. Its roles inthe Great Games as both colony and an imperial power in its own right, is analyzed in the context of the history ofJudaism and its relations with both the western Christian and the Muslim worlds.