ABSTRACT
The author shares some thoughts in a framework of how countries and civilizations can relate to each other effectively in the post-Cold War era. One of the hopeful things that has happened in Northeast Asia recently was the negotiation by the United States of a Statement of Regret from the North Koreans about their submarine incident. Some of the recent developments in Northeast Asia tend to bear out the threat that is implicit in the thesis that Sam Huntington lays out. The author thinks that kind of thing plays into the Huntington thesis because it can be taken as evidence by Asians that Asia is a second-class policy priority for America. Asia is likely to pose continuing economic and political challenges to the United States specifically and the West, more generally. The author thinks when there is weak foreign policy being conducted by governments, there is a greater need than ever for NGOs and universities to step to the fore.
