Smart Power: Between Diplomacy and War

From China’s cyber war on America to Islamist victories across the Middle East to the lengthening shadow cast by Iran, the Washington establishment has failed to neutralize foreign threats that are becoming more dangerous. No one on the political left or right has articulated a realistic defense strategy to meet these new challenges of the twenty-first century.

Smart Power—written by a prolific writer and TV commentator who saw firsthand the successes and failures of statecraft in the George W. Bush administration—offers new solutions to the threats America faces today, including radical reform in Washington. Smart Power is one of the first books to draw heavily on leaked classified government cables, revealing what went wrong in episodes like the Arab Spring and the thwarted 2009 uprising in Iran. Christian Whiton uses personal accounts from his experience in the George W. Bush administration to show how China compromises U.S. security with the help of American politicians, bureaucrats, and scholars. He explains why Washington mistreats traditional allies like Israel, Japan, and Taiwan. He presents nonviolent options to undermine the governments of Iran and China and to help moderate Muslims challenge Islamists. He also outlines radical reform of America’s national security apparatus.

Whiton is consistently stingy with the lives of America’s servicemen and wary of new foreign commitments, but he is unapologetic in advancing core U.S. national interests. Using a rich mix of history, captivating personal accounts, and recent events, Whiton defines what would really constitute smart power by reimagining the neglected tools of statecraft that lie between diplomacy and outright war.