Kissinger`s Errors in East, Southeast and Southwest Asia

• In Event: 209 - Theory Section Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 04. Historical Sociology 1

Abstract

The problems in Southwest Asia related to the Arab Spring are not that different sociologically from earlier and current difficulties in East and Southeast Asia. The errors in American foreign policy can be traced to Henry Kissinger`s lack of utilization of insights from Marx concerning ``Oriental Despotism`` and the Asian Mode of Production which were further refined by Weber in his ideal type model of Patrimonial prebebalism. This paper accepts the `Marx`s ghost` thesis and not all Marxian sociological theorists will agree with continuity between Marxian and Weberian insights. But that is precisely part of the reason Kissinger did not fully comprehend those insights. He avoided both Marx and Weber. He was not a true academic scholar, despite his reputation.

Author

• J. I. Hans Bakker, University of Guelph