Triumph of Capitalism and Liberalism in Kagan’s “The Jungle Grows Back”

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Theme Explored
Critical Evaluation
Conclusion
Work Cited

Introduction

Liberalism and capitalism are considered the most beneficial kinds of world order. It became evident after the end of the Second World War when liberal countries experienced significant GDP growth rates, the reduction of poverty, and other advantages. Many people believe that it happened because the United States led the progressive world, and Robert Kagan’s book, The Jungle Grows Back, supports this idea. The author compares the prosperous and developed world with a manicured garden. He explained that humankind witnessed the essential positive results because the US tried to take care of numerous international countries. That is why there have been no significant conflicts since World War II. However, it is an exhaustive activity to invest much in foreign policy, and American leaders tend to draw more attention to domestic affairs. Thus, Kagan states that if America neglects international issues, the world will turn into a jungle with its wild laws.

Theme Explored

To begin with, one should state that the book under review focuses on a few topics. Firstly, Kagan stipulates that world development after the end of World War II was an exception. The author supports it by describing a few regional conflicts, while “the great Cold War confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union ended peacefully, a historical rarity” (p. 3). That situation seems positive when compared to genocides, horrors, and deaths that had occurred before the mid-20^th century. Kagan ties this prosperity with the triumph of capitalism and liberalism. However, this world order is in jeopardy because of the rise of nationalism and authoritarianism in various countries. Thus, the author insists on the fact that the world is going to meet severe times.

Secondly, the author emphasizes that the US significantly contributed to the development described above. Kagan states that “no nation in history has ever been more deeply involved in the affairs of the world nor accepted more responsibility for the state of humankind than the United States” (p. 13). It is so because America helped establish liberal governments all over the globe. If the country stops controlling international affairs, harmful consequences will emerge. The writer explains that if the US fails “to preserve the liberal order, it will be replaced by another kind of order, or more likely by disorder and chaos” (p. 162). Thus, the book demonstrates that the US is responsible for keeping peace and security.

The final subtheme that can be found in The Jungle Grows Back refers to the superiority of the American nation. Kagan justifies that the United States has the moral right to influence other countries and force its opinions on them. Thus, the author states that the American-led liberal world order is based on “relatively free trade, growing respect for individual rights, and relatively peaceful cooperation among nations” (p. 3). That is why the author emphasizes that any country that goes against these values is a threat to global prosperity. In this situation, Kagan argues that it is not rational for the US “to mind its own business and let the rest of the world manage its problems” (p. 12). As a result, the writer insists on the necessity to invest more effort in maintaining international liberalism even if it means drawing less attention to US domestic affairs.

Critical Evaluation

The insight into the topics of The Jungle Grows Back makes it possible to comment on the purpose of this literary work. It is to demonstrate the need to remain the most powerful and influential nation in the world. The book addresses a question of present interest because many American politicians tend to focus more on the domestic affairs of their society, leaving other countries without assistance in the fight against their internal threats. It is proved by the initial support of Trump, who stated that the United States was doing much in the world. That is why Kagan tries to explain that high-ranking officials should draw more attention to international issues to present the liberal order both in the world and within the US.

The information above denotes that the book is aimed at a specific audience. On the one hand, it should reach an extensive layer of politicians and political activists. It refers to both individuals who are responsible for shaping politics and critics of the US foreign activities. Kagan makes them understand that if the United States fails to strengthen its impact on other countries, adverse consequences can emerge. On the other hand, the book is also useful for ordinary citizens. The author perceives and admits that the effort to support liberalism over the globe has “overtaxed and exhausted Americans” (p. 12). That is why the given piece of literature justifies the necessity of this action for individuals. As a result, Kagan tries to reinforce American patriotism among numerous citizens.

Since the author addresses such an essential topic, it is rational to consider whether his opinions are biased. In this instance, a few phenomena are said to reveal Kagan’s prejudiced attitudes. Firstly, the author draws little attention to how much it cost for the United States to establish and maintain liberalism in world countries in the 20^th-21^st centuries. Kagan fails to mention budget expenditures and thousands of American citizens who were killed or injured. Instead, he explains that it is reasonable to pay it to preserve peace in the world. Secondly, the researcher only presents successful examples of American interventions. Thus, the book fails to address a challenging relationship with Israel, nor does it describe American dependence on the dollar, which involves Saudi Arabia. Consequently, the one-sided selection of events indicates that the author has a bias concerning the topic under consideration.

The prejudice above becomes more visible when one compares Kagan’s book to another work on this subject. It relates to Paul Kennedy’s book, The Rise and Fall of Great Powers. In this piece of literature, Kennedy also addresses the issue of whether it is reasonable for nations to influence other countries. At the same time, the author tries to explain that the attempt to control everything in the world can have detrimental consequences. He even supposes that such a strategy will inevitably lead to multiple armed conflicts. Thus, it denotes that the works by Kagan and Kennedy present the opposite points of view concerning the same issue. It is impossible to state that one of them entirely demolishes the argument of the other one. The two works have their strengths and weaknesses that are explained by the authors’ personal opinions concerning the subject.

Even though it has been demonstrated that The Jungle Grows Back is prejudiced, it does not mean that the book offers falsified information. The credibility of the data expressed by Kagan is supported by the fact that he analyzed many relevant sources, including books, scientific articles, and news reports, to demonstrate the truthfulness of his ideas. The author has worked with approximately 200 sources to write the text under consideration (p. 167-179). In addition to that, Kagan has rich experience to write about such an important issue. It is so because he “is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a columnist for The Washington Post” (p. 181). Furthermore, the researcher “served in the US State Department from 1984 to 1988” (p. 181). Thus, it means that the author understands what he is writing about firsthand, but this knowledge does not allow him to become free from a personal bias.

Conclusion

The Jungle Grows Back by Robert Kagan is a topical book because it addresses the theme that is significant for modern-day America. It relates to the idea of whether the US should spend its resources and efforts to influence other world countries. The author insists on the fact that it is necessary to strengthen the international position of the United States because it will protect American liberal values. That is why the author tries to reach both high-ranking officials and ordinary citizens to make them support the active foreign policy approach. However, a closer analysis of this literary work reveals that it contains prejudiced opinions. Even though Kagan has rich experience and focuses on relevant sources, he only presents one point of view concerning the issue under consideration. Thus, the book gives a specific perspective to the problem, but it is not reasonable to take Kagan’s words for granted.

Work Cited

Kagan, Robert, The Jungle Grows Back: American and Our Imperiled World, New York: Knopf, 2018. 192pp.

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Triumph of Capitalism and Liberalism in Kagan’s “The Jungle Grows Back”

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