Us vs. Them: The Failure of Globalism Hardcover – April 24, 2018

Ian Bremmer’s Us vs. Them: The Failure of Globalism will not please many for very different reasons but in the growing literature on the impact of 21st century developments, globalization and inequality, Bremmer leads in setting out the playing fields and their future for a wide cross section of the world in revealing analysis, and where answers are beginning to be advanced.*In the age of Trump he refreshingly has nothing to say about the man until a final chapter his point being the times have made Trump possible but the man is just one of many populists gaining political power, Bremmer being among the few who understand why. As he notes, ‘My mother would have voted for him, my brother did.’Among those who have been aware of how fast former perceptions have fallen away since the turn of the century Bremmer will be enjoyed for his multinational studies, for those conditioned by the carping ignoramuses in the media ‘Us vs. Them’ will only be a puzzlement that may start to open new channels. The book could richly change what the media rattles on about if read and understood by the pundits searching for answers.For those who follow the generated discontents in many lands and locations, Bremmer list out what is being offered as remedies without pushing any particular agenda. The future is a vast unknown but some are paying attention. If curious do read it, he knows his subject.* China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and South Africa.

I’ve followed Ian Bremmer on twitter for many months before the release of his new book. His tweets are part statistics borrowed from newly published academic studies and part funny but enlightening comments on current events. Ian understands all points of view. He is a refreshing source of thought in the current contentious environment between the political right and left. I bought his book to get more of the same and understand his train of thought even deeper. I comment on the book and give a candid yet concise review of the thoughts and feelings engendered while reading it.This book aims to put us all on the same page on the current rise of nationalism and how globalism is to blame especially in what is known as the West. It splits the source of this political change into economic and cultural with an emphasis on the effect of technology. While nationalism waxes and wanes throughout history, no one knows how serious the ability of technology to further polarize the political landscape is. The text is superfluous with reporting of academic studies and repetitive. Several points are repeated throughout the first chapter which makes it frustrating to follow. The first couple chapters are a somber look at the world: you can’t help but feel anxious while reading it. However, I really like how ‘them’ takes a different identity depending on who ‘us’ is. For Democrats in the USA, ‘them’ are the citizens on the Republican side of the spectrum. For working class men, ‘them’ are the immigrants who come to steal their job. The ability of Ian to wear different shoes provides a sense of impartiality and I’m sure most readers identified with what was written.Developing countries are also under threat from Globalism and technological advances such as in Robotics. Ian is an American who doesn’t think America is at the center of the world. China and India’s economies are growing at incredible pace but both still have low income per capita. Turkey, under the rule of Erdogan, has used Globalism to its own economic advantage. However, Erdogan pits conservative citizens against those who believe in a secular Turkey for his own political gains. Donald Trump did the same in America. This book explores the negative effect of polarizing countries into ‘Us vs Them’.A symptom of polarization is walls. Walls take different shapes and form. Some don’t take a form at all and exist only in Cyberspace. Compare Trump’s plans to build a physical wall along the Southern US border to China’s blocking of Facebook and Google within its territory. I’m a huge fan of Ian’s ability to create analogies and find common ground between political and economic strategies happening ocean lengths away.In the end, and it finally came, is a chapter that offers hope that, even with all the darkness looming over our willingness to polarize, there are people willing to fix. These people can be in government or the private sector. In a world changing so fast, governments must adapt, revisit their social contract with their citizens, and change the tax code. The social responsibilities of private for-profit companies is a big as ever. There isn’t a shortage of efforts to reduce poverty, hunger, and remedy the feeling of being left behind and Mr. Bremmer makes a great list of these.To conclude, this book is a great and easy read for anyone who wants to understand the political and economic climate of today. It doesn’t demonize any side and attempts to understand all positions and points of view. All in all, this is a refreshing but alarming resource for voting people, which should be all of us.

Well written, cogent explanation as to what happened in America during the 2016 election. Nice "sociological" break down of the public sentiment at the time, a good overview of populism, and an excellent elucidation on populism versus globalism. Not politically shaded by any means, this is a scientific and dispassionate analysis of how America was feeling at the time, with some theories about how the attitudes formed. Author made some predictions about what he felt might happen, and now, some three years later, they are beginning to come true.. Technical but understandable by lay folks. It will make you remark "Oh! So THAT's why!"

The ideas and facts presented can probably be summed up in a couple of pages, so you have to be dedicated to read the book to the end. For some reason, with my Kindle Fire, it indicated I had read 63% of the book when I reached the end. I breathed a sigh of relief because I couldn't imagine what more needed to be said.

When reading a book, I highlight things that are interesting or things that I want to remember. This book had by far the most highlights of any I have read. One of my "take-away" insights was that the many millions of unskilled workers in the developing nations will be hardest hit by robots and automation--taking away the jobs they could do--placing further stress on stability of their nations. The author gives dates, examples, and statistics to show where societies and the global community need to focus. It organized the information clearly and kept my interest throughout.

Excelente livro

Reding a Ian bremer book always à great pleasure

Must read. As a member of a developing country I can do nothing but agree with Ian's opinion and outlook.

Muy recomendable

Nice to support him. Concurrently you can watch his Youtubes and he has expanded these ideas. Vox also has some great info on current events. Anywho, the book is short, to the point, and provides a refreshing neutral view of the rise of fascism.