Cultural Forces in World Politics

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Ali Mazrui makes us reconsider the realities of power in world politics. He argues that the emphasis continues to be on arms, on resources, and on strategic calculations and that the importance of culture has been grossly underestimated. Mazrui's own mind is a cultural crossroads; he can give Islamic insights to Western audiences about The Satanic Verses; he relates the Beijing Spring to the Palestinian Intifada; he compares the effects of Zionism and Apartheid; he puts together Muhammad, Marx, and market forces; he tells the Americans that their attitude to the Third World is a "dialogue of the deaf." The three sections of his masterful book are entitled The Cultural Sweep of History, Ideology and Power, and In Search of Change.