Book Review: World on Fire -- Amy Chua

Amy Chua has written an extremely timely and important book that deserves not only recognition in academic circles, but begs to be read by anyone involved in the world's political and economic globalization process. It is a great read that packs a pointed punch, one stated throughout the book and in the subtitle: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred And Global Instability.

Chua contends that the entire world has fallen for the capitalism/democracy one-two punch scenario that elevates third-world countries to superstate status, all the while eliminating backward, ethnocentric, strife-ridden populations and replacing them with progressive, peaceful, civil populations. What the world has instead is a surplus of ethnic minorities economically dominating indigenous peoples. For example, the Chinese are economically dominant in various Southeast Asia countries such as Thailand and Laos, Indians in parts of Africa, and so on. This domination leads to resentments and hatreds over time, often breaking out into open hostilities, confiscations, and ostracisms by the host government against the market dominant minority. (The Jews were deemed market dominant minority by Nazi Germany and suffered the Holocaust after their personal rights were violated, their homes and businesses confiscated, and then faces deportation or internment.)