Power of a Third Kind: The Western Attempt to Colonize the Global Village

To many Westerners and non-Westerners alike, the world appears to be on a course of instability with immeasurable consequences. Near-total power seems to lie in the hands of the West. Advances in communications technologies have truncated distance; the concept of sovereignty - the traditional cornerstone of international relations and international organizations - has been diminished in advance of a viable alternative; and change has created fissures in the edifice of national discourse faster than nations can respond. It is incumbent upon non-Western countries to steer out of this course in time to protect their history and the integrity of their cultures. This work constitutes an examination of the impact of control of communications worldwide by the West and what non-Western peoples can do to defend against Western domination. Nazer does not reject Western constructs because they are foreign, but seeks to recognize merits in democracy and calls for agreement on basic human rights. But such ideas, he insists, cannot be successfully realized by assuming the universality of Western democracy and human rights. For these constructs to prosper in non-Western cultures, they must evolve within the context of local cultures that have flourished for centuries. To do otherwise would create more instability.