John Mearsheimer and Europe's Bleak Future

In this book, Mearsheimer and Walt argue that the U.S. commitment to Israel is largely due to the activities of the 'Israel Lobby,' a loose coalition of individuals and organizations that work to shape U.S. foreign policy in a pro-Israel direction. They contend that this support cannot be fully explained on either strategic or moral grounds and that the policies encouraged by the lobby are detrimental to both America's national interest and Israel's long-term interest. The book explores the lobby's impact on U.S. policies in the Middle East, including its effects on relations with Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as its influence on American media and political discourse.

In this book, Francis Fukuyama posits that human history is moving towards a state of idealized harmony through the mechanisms of liberal democracy. He argues that liberal democracy is the final form of human government, driven by two powerful forces: the logic of modern science and the struggle for recognition. Fukuyama draws on the philosophical ideas of Hegel and Kojeve, suggesting that liberal democracy meets the economic and psychological needs of humanity, including the desire for recognition and dignity. The book explores the implications of this thesis, including the potential paradox that the satisfaction of basic needs might lead to a lack of outlets for human striving and recognition.

In this book, Huntington expands on his 1993 thesis that future wars will be fought not between countries, but between cultures. He argues that the primary axis of conflict in the post–Cold War world will be along cultural lines, with different civilizations, such as Western, Islamic, and Sinic, becoming increasingly significant in analyzing potential conflicts. Huntington also discusses the shift of economic, military, and political power from the West to other civilizations and critiques the Western belief in the universality of its values and political systems.