The Godfather Doctrine: A Foreign Policy Parable
"InThe Godfather, Mafia don Vito Corleone is shot down on the street by rivals, taken by surprise in a world where the rules have changed and a new course must be charted. Corleone's circumstances mirror the state of our nation and hold lessons for its future, according to the two international-relations experts who wroteThe Godfather Doctrine, out this week. Co-authors John C. Hulsman and A. Wess Mitchell are a rare pair: entertaining and instructive."--Boston Globe"Still, as much as I likeThe Godfather, I never thought of it as the guide to American foreign policy options in the 21st century. Fortunately, two other guys did.The Godfatherhas always been a joy to watch; however, given the present changes in the world's power structure, the movie becomes a startlingly useful metaphor for the strategic problems of our times. . . . [A] cute little book."--Kevin Horrigan,St. Louis Post-Dispatch"If, as Emerson posited, events are 'in the saddle' and riding humankind, how do Obama and the Americans who turn their lonely eyes to him sort it all out in the world of globalization? Together. Emphatically. Through the untinted prism of realism. That's what the authors argue. The 'Pax Corleone' allegory, so imperfect and ironic, is their clever yet thought-provoking way of summoning us to become, pragmatically, our best selves. Dream City, Reality City--can they coexist, even ascend, in peace? For 10 recessionary bucks,The Godfather Doctrineforces us to think about how."--Gene Krzyzynski,Buffalo News"It's a fun take on the basic issues of foreign policy."--Michael Maiello,Forbes.com"George Kennan. Henry Kissinger. Michael Corleone? Yes, at this critical historical juncture, the fictional antihero is making a foreign-policy offer that two specialists in the field believe we can't refuse.The Godfather's 'unlikely wisdom' for our challenging times--as a new president attempts to preserve America's global standing in the face of war, economic crisis, and rising great powers--is elucidated in this funny, smart book, an expanded version of a widely read article John C. Hulsman and A. Wess Mitchell published last year.The Godfather Doctrinecreatively transposes the iconic 1972 film that director Francis Ford Coppola intended as an allegory of American capitalism onto contemporary geopolitics. . . . [An] inspired metaphor."--Robert Litwak,Wilson Quarterly"It's more a sliver than an actual book (and literally the size of a passport), butThe Godfather Doctrineby John C. Hulsman and A. Wess Mitchell is one of the best foreign-policy 'books' I've read in a long time. . . . They make a good argument, andThe Godfather Doctrineis too much fun to be read only by policy wonks."--Martin Zimmerman,San Diego Union Tribune"Enjoyable and intelligent. It's a great, short read."--Andy Welch,Western Daily Press"It would be easy to dismiss this book as a gimmick or a novelty were it not for two considerations: the prestige of its two authors and its unambiguous assertion of American decline."--Dennis Phillips,Australian Review of Public Affairs"While the message of this work . . . is scarcely unique, its appearance and approach certainly are unusual. Made to resemble a US passport, this slim volume argues for a return to realism in US foreign policy by means of allegory based on the 1972 Francis Ford Coppola filmThe Godfather."--Choice