Garten (Jeffrey E.), the Big Ten

Résumé du document

Jeffrey E. Garten is a Washington executive who entered the Clinton administration in the summer of 1993 as the ?Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade'. During his tenure, he decided to launch the Big Emerging Markets' project ('BEMs' project). This project flagged of with a very important question i.e. 'Where will the American interests lie in ten or twenty years from now?' His objective was to develop a comprehensive study on the phenomenon that he considered vital for developing international relations, i.e. the 'BEMs'. This study was aimed to create awareness among the officials to generate and implement their ideas as concrete actions to face this challenge.

Extraits

[...] Hence, this book is not only useful for Americans but also for all Occidentals as they are going to face the same issues, more or less. Concerning the choice of the Big Ten, one can wonder why Russia or Pakistan are not included but he gave its five criteria to explain his choice (large population, markets and resource base; political claims gursting on the world scene; important economic growth; opening their economy and critical partners in major political and economic issues around the world). Concerning its goals, Garten is clearly focused on economy and on the United States. [...]

[...] Garten also argues why it is a vital phenomenon. Chapter 2 : Garten explains why the "BEMs" is an extraordinary economic opportunity for the US. This is due to the very nature of the Big Ten (big populations, low wages . ) and due to the development strategy they adopt (need for investment, pressures for free-trade development model . The "BEMs" are mainly an export issue for the US when dealing with the economic aspect of this phenomenon. Chapter 3 : the "BEMs" phenomenon is happening right now so it is not fixed. [...]

[...] The awakening wanted by Garten is to protect American interests around the world and not to help the "BEMs". Conclusion: In conclusion, this book presents a double interest to its reader. First, it is the explanation of the "BEMs" phenomenon and of its implication on both the world scene and on internal conditions. On the other hand, this book illustrates the new objectives of the American foreign policy of the years to come. However, this book suffers from its age (Asian crisis, Russia's new rise . [...]

[...] It is not a scholar work on the "BEMs" phenomenon. However, the American axis of the study makes it less interest for non-American readers in the sense Garten designed his book. His book objectives were to awake the population and the officials on the importance for the United states of the "BEMs" phenomenon now and for the future. Garten wants to initiate a global governmental action concerning the "BEMs" like in the case of the Brazilian example in chapter 8. [...]

[...] Thus, Garten is more exhorting the US to exploit the opportunities of the "BEMs" than arguing for a real useful help of these in a sense of equality. He is being an advocate of underdevelopment as the US should use the "BEMs" for the US interests whether they are economic or political. To conclude, Garten is exhorting US officials to react to this "BEMs" phenomenon if they want the US to keep their superpower status. The issue here is to react to the rise of the "BEMs" on the world scene. Status quo is the issue, not higher equality between countries. [...]