PDF Earning the Rockies: How Geography Shapes America's Role in the World by Robert D. Kaplan in History

Review

44 of 47 people found the following review helpful. What the heck happened in November?By T. J. MathewsThere are memoirs of road trips that are guaranteed to stand the test of time; Francis Parkman’s 'The Oregon Trail'; John Steinbeck’s 'Travels with Charley'; Jack Kerouac’s 'On the Road'; and Ernesto Guevara’s 'The Motorcycle Diaries' to name just a few. Robert D. Kaplan’s latest book describing his journey through the heartland of the United States in 2015 just as the primary season for the recent election was getting under way is probably not one of those. But in its own way; Earning the Rockies: American Ground and the Fate of Empire is just as important a book. Kaplan took his trip during a defining moment in American history and through keen observations provided invaluable insights into the story behind the most mindboggling political upset in American history.Kaplan; inspired by his father’s tales of travel and the books of Harpers’ columnist Bernard DeVoto (Don’t worry. I hadn’t heard of him before either.); set out to find America by retracing a journey he took as a young man in 1970. This time; he sought to gain an understanding of how geography shapes America and makes us Americans who we are. In doing so; he linked his journey westward with that of America’s journey west over the centuries. Although ‘manifest destiny’ and ‘American exceptionalism’ are terms often heard in conjunction with discussions about f imperialism; Kaplan holds that the rigors of westward migration and the land itself forged and molded those who challenged the frontier and continue to shape and define them today.Kaplan’s journey began in the spring of 2015; just as the Republican primary with its vast herd of presidential wannabes was getting started. His strategy included spending a good deal of time in in restaurants and coffee shops; just listening to the conversations that swirled around him. His logic was that while people may adopt a pose when speaking with strangers in general and journalists in particular; they speak most openly when in the company of friends and family in a non-threatening environment. One thing that surprised him was that although the televisions were constantly blaring political and international news; these were seldom the topic of conversations. Talk was more likely to be about ‘work; family; health and sheer economic survival’. What was happening on the TV was just noise to them. The real drama was playing out right there in the room with them. As Kaplan pointed out; “Frontiers test ideologies like nothing else. There is no time for the theoretical…Idealized concepts have rarely taken firm root in America. People here are too busy making money — an extension of the frontier ethos; with its emphasis on practical initiative.”Perhaps even more than what he heard; Kaplan was deeply affected by what he saw as he crossed the country. Many cities and towns were dying. In cities like Wheeling; West Virginia; and even Springfield; the capitol if Illinois; one was more likely to encounter empty streets and boarded up shops than indications of a healthy economy. Cities that once housed a vibrant middle class now have only a struggling working class that is teetering on the brink of poverty. Automation and globalization have gutted the mining and manufacturing industries that many communities relied on for their economic existence. Kaplan also attributed this decline to what he called the growth of ‘flashy and sprawling city-states; often anchored to great universities’ such as Chicago; Austin; or Raleigh-Durham with its Research Triangle. These urban centers offered jobs and opportunities for young people and stripped places like Wheeling of any chance that an ambitious future generation will stay and turn things around.“I will not see very much of the middle class in my journey at all. This thing that the politicians love to talk about has already slipped from our grasp. I will encounter elegant people in designer restaurants and many; many others whose appearance indicates they have in some important ways just given up — even as they are everywhere unfailingly polite and have not; contrary to their appearance and my first impressions of them; lost their self-respect. The populist impulses apparent in the presidential campaign following my journey in early 2015 obviously emanate from the instability of their economic situation; suggesting the anger that resides just beneath the surface of their politeness."And this; more than anything else; is the crux of the issue when it comes to Donald Trump. Per Kaplan;"Trump represents a sort of antipolitics: a primal scream against the political elite for not connecting with people on the ground; and for insufficiently improving their lives. People trapped in their own worries as life becomes ever more complex; are simply alienated. And that alienation is registered in a taste for populist politicians."What is the value of preaching diversity to a community that has none; or trade deals to a town whose local market has closed because it couldn’t compete with a Wal-Mart thirty miles away? Much of the world that these people yearn for is gone and they know it isn’t coming back. But still if a politician comes to their town and says “I here you; and I am with you;” don’t you think that they will be tempted to believe in him; even if deep down they know better?For better or worse; the genie of globalism is out of the bottle. While there are many benefits to a global economy; there are also areas of concern.“ the weakness of global culture is that; having psychologically disconnected itself from any specific homeland; it has no terrain to defend or to fight for; and therefore no anchoring beliefs beyond the latest fashion or media craze. And so we unravel into the world. And the more disconnected we become from our territorial roots; the greater the danger of artificially restructuring American in more severe and ideological form; so that we risk radicalization at home. "Bottom line: Of all the books And articles that I have read recently in hopes of gaining an understanding of what the hell happened in November; this comes closest to giving me an answer. No; we are not a nation of racist misogynists. What we are is a nation of people who once in a while would like to believe that the powers that be are listening to us. If we believe that all politicians lie; then why not vote for the one whose lies tell us what we want to hear? Perhaps; as the saying goes; you really can fool all of the people some of the time.*Quotations are cited from an advanced reading copy and may not be the same as appears in the final published edition. The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review; it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke; don’t fix it.*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot; the character development; the writing style and the ending.*1 Star - The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Kaplan goes somewhat beyond the pale.By Ben W. WashburnKaplan is a masterful and engaging writer; and is an effective apologist for many of the embarrassing wrongs of our past nation. He probably goes; however; beyond what the most of us would consider a justification for latter-day manifest destiny. Yes; as a nation; we need to look-out from a defensive position for what we need to do internationally to defend ourselves from foreign threats; and that sometimes requires that we take the lead in some international relationships. But; Kaplan goes well beyond that need.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. So GoodBy S. DionMy husband is re-reading this book a second time. In fact; he bought a hard copy so he could use yellow highlighter. I am now reading it; an interesting perspective on why we are so politicized geographically. Highly recommend.