Stanford University Press Blog

Southern California as a Blueprint for Obama's Administration

Smile Southern California, You're the Center of the Universe a recent book by James Flanigan, with its sunny cover and celebration of the prosperity of the region, is at first glance wildly at odds with our current economic recession and California’s enormous budget deficit (somewhere around $16 billion, at the latest estimate). James Srodes, a financial journalist at the Washington times, points out in a recent review that at first it may seem as if this book was only relevant before economic crisis; because in the time it has taken to be written and published, California has suffered the same downfalls as all the other states and in fact currently has the worst budget deficit of all the states. He goes on to say that this is not a negation of the importance of Flanigans work. In fact, the book can act as a  sort of blue print for how a society can rise and prosper within the quickly changing international arena.

"First, there is international trade, which is now a leading contributor to the U.S.  GDP in a world economy swelled by billions of new participants — principally the enormous populations of Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. In today's world, however, industries and countries do not merely exchange goods and services but collaborate in producing them. This is a new paradigm and a richer exchange.” (Flanigan)

No matter what criticisms may come to southern California, Flanigan makes clear that the region is a picture of globalization and flourishing trade; not to mention the fact that Southern California has become a modern “Ellis island” in terms of immigration.

"Southern California became the new Ellis Island and reaped economic energy as immigrants started businesses.” (Flanigan)

California has transformed from having a base of government funded science and technology research centers to relying on a knowledge-driven economy supported by the many world-class research universities of California; and the author shows that the research provided by these institutions can pave the way for the new administration in its quest to come out of this economic slump. Flanigan’s research itself certainly warrants national attention, and, as Srodes points out, can be used to “offer a direction that Mr. Obama and his planners would do well to consider — and promptly.”

SUP at Association for Asian Studies Meeting

Attending the Association for Asian Studies meeting at the Sheraton Chicago, March 26-29? Please come by our booth—#112/113 in the exhibit hall!

Stanford University Press will be holding a special BACKLIST OVERSTOCK SALE throughout the exhibit.  Find classic Asian Studies titles for only $5 (paper) and $10 (cloth), along with new and recent titles at a 20% and 30% exhibit discount.

Getting Inside Iran's Mind

Gordon Barrass, author of the recently published book The Great Cold War, wrote an intriguing article in the The Guardian entitled Inside the Minds of Foes. Gordon draws on his knowledge of the Cold War while assessing the current situation in foreign affairs that President Obama now faces.

Barrass addressed the fact that Obama will have to reshape US foreign policy; and he cannot do so without good intelligence. Looking back upon the lessons of the Cold War, it is crucial that a leader can get into the mind of his adversary. An excerpt from the book, which Barrass also includes in his article, tells us:
"One of the things that kept the cold war scary," secretary of defense Robert Gates recalled in 2006, "was the lack of understanding on each side of the mentality of the other."

The challenges that Obama’s administration faces now are, of course, fundamentally different then those of the Cold War; but Barrass informs us that “getting inside the mind” of the enemy should remain an important concern and guiding principle in foreign relations.

When seeking efforts to deter a nuclear Iran, or even in worrying about the possibility of terrorists acquiring nuclear or biological weapons within the next 5 years, the US must know more about the fears of their enemies and work toward a better intelligence system with new technologies.  Barrass believes that the history of the Cold war reveals just how important intelligence is.

 “There is another lesson the US will ignore at its peril - the need to grasp an adversary's culture. After Khrushchev shattered American self-confidence by putting Sputnik into space, Congress swiftly approved the National Defense Education Act. Soon many young Americans were studying Soviet affairs. They learned to look at what was really happening, rather than accept preconceived notions, especially the one about the Soviets being unfathomable. Now there is an equally urgent need for young Americans to comprehend the intricacies of more difficult languages and complex cultures.”

Using the insights from his work as a British diplomat during the Cold War, Barrass skillfully lays out what he thinks will be essential intelligence policy not just for the government, but for the people as well.