Book Review: International Politics and Economics: Nationality and Wealth
| Published date | 01 September 1966 |
| Author | B. S. Keirstead |
| DOI | 10.1177/002070206602100313 |
| Date | 01 September 1966 |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
BooK
RE•IEws
375
feels
a
need
to
augment
his
wealth-illusory
sometimes,
as
in
the
case
of
colonization;
and
a
need
to
export
his
native
values;
the
British
attempted
to
teach
the
world
humanity
and
justice,
and
the French
went
so
far
as
to
attempt,
in
vain,
the
assimilation
of
their
colonies.
Since
such
forces
are
implicit
in
all
of
mankind's
efforts,
the
rapid
decline of
colonialism
was
not,
in
itself,
sufficient
to
destroy
imperialism.
This
richly
informative
book
helps
to
correct
many
erroneous
ideas
on
the
subject
of
imperialism
and provides
a
satisfying
explanation
of
its
many
nuances.
Sorbonne,
Pans
JEAN-BAPTISTE
DUROSELLE
NATIONALITY
AND
WEALTH.
A
Study
in
World
Government.
By
Evan
Luard.
1964.
(New
York:
Toronto:
Oxford
University
Press.
viii,
370pp.
$9.25)
Perhaps
in
this
first
paragraph
I
should
pay
my
respects
to
the
author.
This
is
an
admirably
conceived
and
well.written
book.
Some
readers
may
feel
that
the
early
chapters
are
conventional,
but
they
will
not
continue
so
to
believe
if
they
read
on.
Indeed
the
second
chapter
on
"Obligation, while
appearing
to
follow
the
well-trodden
path
of
the
theory
of
sovereignty
on
page
39
gives
us
a
bit
of a
shock.
The
author
indicates
that
we
may
have
an
obligation
to
a
wider
association
than
the national
state.
And
in
subsequent
pages
he
tells
us
that
there
has
been
brought
to
birth
"a
new,
and
non-discriminatory sense
of
obligation.
This
is
enough
to
indicate
that
Mr.
Luard
has
written
a
fresh
and
provocative
book.
It
is
indeed
provocative,
so
much
so
that
I
hope
Mr.
Luard
will forgive
me
if
I
spend
the
rest
of
this
review
discussing
ideas
that
he
has
provoked
rather
than
a
detailed
critique
of
his book.
I
think the
essential
and
fundamental
problem
that
Mr.
Luard
raises
is
that
of
the
source
and
nature
of
power.
His
thesis,
of
course,
is
that
there
should
be
an international
sovereign,
and
he
spends
several
chapters-very
useful
for
students-discussing
various inter
national
institutions.
The basic
question is,
however,
left
unanswered:
what
body,
other
than
the
nation
state,
can
be
the
repository
of
power.
(That
is
not
quite
fair.
Mr.
Luard
does
wrestle
with
this
question.
I
should
have
written
"not
answered
to
my
satisfaction.")
In
the
nation
state
we
know
exactly
where
power
resides.
In
Canada,
for
example,
Parliament
is
sovereign.
In
international
affairs the
institutions
dis-
cussed
by
Mr.
Luard may
advise,
but
they
do
not
possess
ultimate
sovereignty
Perhaps
we
might
see
more
clearly
the
point
I
am
trying
to
make
if
we
asked
the
question:
who
makes
the
decision
It
may
be
argued
that
the
decision-making
process
is
a
long-drawn-out
accumulation
of
data
in
which
many
people
share.
A
computor
might
really
help
the
Cabinet,
as
it
helps
entrepreneurs,
by
presenting
the relevant
data
in
a
meaningful
fashion.
In
the
end,
however,
some one
person
has
to
choose
among
various
hypotheses about
the
future
outcome
of
present
decisions.
In popular
terms,
someone
"has
to
make up
his
mind.
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