Crouching Tier: What China’s Militarism Means For The World by Peter Navarro

Crouching Tier: What China’s Militarism Means For The World.  Peter Navarro. Prometheus Books. November 2015. 300 pp.  ISBN#: 9781633881150.

While the world presently is ultra-focused on the global threat of ISIS or ISIL as it is sometimes called, the world is missing the possibly brutal threat of China.  Navarro’s thesis concerns China’s hegemonic desire to become a superpower through its military, economic, and political policies.  According to the author, China will probably succeed until American and Euro policies succeed in addressing this formidable threat.  Readers will find their certainty about America’s superiority challenged and perhaps misunderstood.

It has been repeatedly stated that unless we learn from history, it will repeat itself, perhaps even exceed its own record. One needs then to read and then analyze the theories and facts herein carefully delineated. Every chapter begins with a question and possible answer choices.  It isn’t hard to figure out the answers after a while.  One might respond fearfully unless one thinks about other unknown American policies to contradict the Chinese realities. 

For example, in one chapter we discover that China is seeking to establish military bases throughout Asia, all the way south to Vietnam and Cambodia to counteract the presence of American military bases also throughout Asia.  Combine that with the chapters about the military armaments that both America and China possess, and one realizes there is a massive power struggle playing out.  The question becomes what happens when an accident or first response action occurs and we are on the brink of WWIII?  One can’t ignore the serious possibilities within such scenarios that Navarro predicts might actually occur.

It’s no secret how much American debt is being covered by China. Navarro describes how China is wooing many Asian nations for economic domination and how successful they are in such ventures.  It is even suggested that an economic war might be all that is necessary to control the world.  While America is cutting back on military spending, the needs for more spending are placing America in a precarious position, according to the author.

The author explores all of these areas and even posits possible responses to maintain peace that may help but actually might not change one iota of this chessboard game playing out globally.

Rather than spoil the remaining presentations, this reviewer suggests focus on this nonfiction book might be one of the best things for Americans, especially its politicians and economists, to read. 

Highly recommended reading!

Killing Patton: The Strange Death of World War II's Most Audacious General by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

Killing Patton: The Strange Death of World War II’s Most Audacious General.  Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard. Henry Holt and Company. September 2014. 368 pp.  ISBN#: 9780805096682.

Let me state from the outset this reviewer has absolutely no interest in examining this book for political purposes!  Instead, this reviewer’s father served in the U. S. Army under General Patton and had tremendous respect for his person and leadership. Thus, this reviewer’s fascination grew to desire to know more about this man who was loved and hated by so many in military and civilian circles!  While other books have been read about Patton, this is not a comparison or contrast review; rather it’s a stand-alone objective review of a book about a truly great man whose actions changed the course of WWII in Europe.

O’Reilly and Dugard pose the theory that General Patton was killed because he was too outspoken and considered dangerous to others vying for power and vying to create a European order after WWII that would favor certain countries over other countries.  There is actually very little evidence for this so-called murder other than the accounts of those present at the time and reports that mysteriously seem to have disappeared or gone missing, with very little response from those who should have known about those documents.  Whatever happened, the story of this anti-Patton plot makes for fascinating reading!

Some background is given to the backgrounds of Patton, Churchill, Roosevelt, Lenin, Stalin and other world leaders who were pivotal during the coming Second World War!  The authors examine these characters with what they know will fascinate readers – just enough personal and political information to whet the appetite for more – some of it unnecessary but which builds the “story” being presented.

The authors tell the story of WWII battles led by Patton and that is also mesmerizing reading because it is also an intimate look at the political and military leaders making the decisions about the war.  We read about how Patton arrived in France and moved through that country into Southern Germany.  There a huge competitive campaign emerged in which Patton desired to be the first to reach Bastogne and later Berlin, a competition with Britain’s Montgomery that grew fierce indeed! 

Patton’s verbal gaffes were amusing, inflammatory, truthful, lies, and totally destructive to policy, depending on who was the target of those comments and who was fitting them into or rejecting them into American military and political goals.

In many ways, this book reads like a novel. One has to remind one’s self that this is the account of a real General whose life was almost larger than life for those who served under him or with him and whom one could accurately call a “shaper of history.”  Some have decried this account for leaving out certain facts about Patton’s attitudes toward Jews and political predictions or attitudes.  The reader must judge those accusers after examining what they know and don’t know about Patton and differing written accounts – fiction or non-fiction.  The best?  The worst?  Somewhere in between?  That’s for others to argue.

This reviewer highly recommends Killing Patton as a great read about the man, the war, the assassination theory and one account of a pivotal period in world history!