Zbigniew Brzezinski… American Foreign Policy Strategist

A thinker and former National Security Advisor, of Polish origin, known as a political theorist opposed to communism. He criticized the invasion of Iraq, supported former President Barack Obama, and opposed President Donald Trump’s policies. He passed away in 2017.

Birth and Early Life

Zbigniew Brzezinski was born on March 28, 1928, in Warsaw, Poland, to a diplomat father. During World War II, his father, stationed in Montreal, Canada, decided not to return to Poland, which had come under communist rule. Brzezinski became an American citizen in the 1950s.

Education

Brzezinski studied political and economic sciences at McGill University in Montreal, followed by Harvard University in the United States. His doctoral thesis at Harvard focused on the purges within the Soviet power structure.

Career and Responsibilities

Initially, Brzezinski pursued an academic career as a professor at American universities, including Harvard from 1953 to 1960, and Columbia University, where he directed the Institute on Communist Affairs (1966-1968).

Political Experience

Brzezinski later served as an advisor to Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter, becoming Carter’s special assistant for defense matters and Director of the National Security Council at the White House from 1977 to 1981.

He strengthened his relationship with Carter through the “Trilateral Commission,” a group founded by David Rockefeller in 1973 as a forum for political and business leaders from North America, Western Europe, and Japan.

After leaving the White House, Brzezinski focused on writing and delivering university lectures.

Influence and Legacy

Brzezinski was a major influence on American foreign policy and played a crucial role in the signing of the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel. He is also credited with normalizing relations between China and the United States.

One notable incident associated with him was the hostage crisis at the American embassy in Tehran following the fall of the Shah. Brzezinski advocated for a forceful liberation, but the operation failed miserably under President Jimmy Carter.

Though a member of the Democratic Party, Brzezinski held conservative views. He was an outspoken critic of the Soviet Union and communism but believed that U.S. interests should be managed strategically and pragmatically rather than ideologically.

He criticized the 2003 American invasion of Iraq, predicting that Washington would face increasing challenges if unrealistic goals continued to be pursued without adequate means.

While he supported former President Obama’s policies, Brzezinski opposed the election of President Trump, criticizing his foreign policy as “ambiguous.”

Books and Publications

Brzezinski authored several well-known books, translated into many languages. Among them, The Grand Chessboard argued that the United States should not allow any other nation to become a dominant force in Europe and Asia.

In 2011, he published Strategic Vision: America and the Crisis of Global Power, asserting that America’s global strength was vital for world stability, but that it depended on strengthening social cohesion and democratic stability within the United States.

In his book The Choice, he assessed the post-Cold War era under Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, describing Bush Sr. as a guardian of traditional stability, Clinton as a social welfare advocate leveraging globalization, and Bush Jr. as an inward-looking leader rallying domestic fears in a self-declared existential struggle against evil forces.

He described the American invasion of Iraq as an adventure that caused catastrophic damage to the U.S. global position, undermined leadership credibility, and turned Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia into safe havens for armed groups. The financial losses exceeded 300 billion dollars.

Brzezinski saw American policy in the Middle East as strategically self-destructive, enabling Iran to become a major power in Iraq and the Gulf, while anti-American sentiment rose in Latin America. He argued that the only redeeming factor for the United States was that its presidents were limited to two four-year terms.

Death

Brzezinski passed away on May 26, 2017, at the age of 89, in a hospital in Virginia, USA. His daughter, Mika, announced his peaceful passing on social media without specifying the cause.

Polish President Andrzej Duda tweeted that Brzezinski was “the voice of Poland in the White House,” while Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski stated in a condolence message that Brzezinski “never forgot his homeland.”

Throughout his firm stance against the Soviet Union, Brzezinski played a significant role in the collapse of the communist system imposed on Central and Eastern Europe after World War II.

Here’s a list of some of Zbigniew Brzezinski’s most notable books:

1. The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives (1997)
   • Discusses America’s strategy to maintain global dominance, focusing on Eurasia as the key chessboard.
2. Strategic Vision: America and the Crisis of Global Power (2012)
   • Examines the challenges to American power in the 21st century and offers a strategy to maintain global leadership.
3. The Choice: Global Domination or Global Leadership (2004)
   • Explores the dilemma between America’s dominance and the need for cooperative leadership.
4. Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower (2007)
   • Analyzes the foreign policies of George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, critiquing their successes and failures.
5. Out of Control: Global Turmoil on the Eve of the 21st Century (1993)
   • Discusses global instability and the challenges to maintaining order at the end of the 20th century.
6. Power and Principle: Memoirs of the National Security Adviser, 1977–1981 (1983)
   • An autobiographical account of his role as National Security Advisor under President Jimmy Carter.
7. Game Plan: A Geostrategic Framework for the Conduct of the U.S.-Soviet Contest (1986)
   • Offers a strategic framework for managing the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.
8. The Soviet Bloc: Unity and Conflict (1960)
   • Analyzes the internal dynamics and contradictions within the Soviet bloc countries.
9. Between Two Ages: America’s Role in the Technetronic Era (1970)
   • Introduces the concept of the “technetronic era” where technology reshapes politics and global power structures.
10. The Fragile Blossom: Crisis and Change in Japan (1972)
    • Discusses Japan’s post-war economic rise and the challenges it faced in maintaining stability.

These books showcase Brzezinski’s vast understanding of global politics, strategic thinking, and his efforts to shape U.S. foreign policy. Let me know if you’d like a deeper dive into any of these works!