Of Paradise and Power

America and Europe are not simply physically separate; their views on world events are equally disparate. According to Robert Kagan, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the United States essentially has carte blanche to pursue its global interests because America looks at world affairs based upon its military strength, while Europeans, who are relatively powerless, prefer diplomacy. These differing perspectives form the basis for Kagan's essay and explain, for example, why France and much of Europe opposed using military force to oust Saddam Hussein's regime. Robertson Dean reads Kagan's thought-provoking essay expertly; it is like listening to a good lecture. Dean uses the tone of a learned professor and, although the material is weighty, his measured pace allows the listener to absorb the material easily. D.J.S. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine