To The Best of Our Knowledge

from Wisconsin Public Radio
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For decades "imperialism" was a dirty word, and all talk of empire seemed old-fashioned. Now some people say a new empire has emerged – the American Empire. But is America's unrivaled power good for the world? In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, the debate over American supremacy. Also, a look back at the British Empire's great icon, Rudyard Kipling.

Max Boot is an editor at the Wall Street Journal. He tells Jim Fleming that the United States is the most powerful state that's ever existed, and that sometimes it's a good and necessary thing to take unilateral action against tyrants. His book is "The Savage Wars of Peace." Also, Tariq Ali is editor of the New Left Review and author of "The Clash of Fundamentalisms." He tells Steve Paulson why many other countries view the actions of the American government as arrogant and imperialistic.

David Gilmour has written a biography of the great British writer Rudyard Kipling. Gilmour tells Anne Strainchamps that Kipling's range is unrivaled and that he was tremendously influential early in the 20th century. His reputation has been hurt by people's changing attitudes towards empire. Gilmour's book is called "The Great Recessional." Also, historian Jeremy Black talks with Steve Paulson about James Bond as an agent of the British Empire. He says Bond's adventures are often set in former British colonies, and that Bond is often portrayed as superior to his American CIA colleagues, although he envies their resources. Black is the author of "The Politics of James Bond."

Pagan Kennedy is the author of "Black Livingstone," a biography of 19th century Black American missionary William Sheppard. Sheppard was welcomed in parts of Africa never before seen by a Westerner and witnessed the horrors of Belgian colonialism in the Congo. He tried to stop the slaughter and exploitation but was limited by the prejudice of his day against Blacks.

Books:

• Tariq Ali, The Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads and Modernity (Verso)
• Jeremy Black, The Politics of James Bond: from Fleming's Novels to the Big Screen (Greenwood)
• Max Boot, The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power (Basic)
• David Gilmour, The Long Recessional: The Imperial Life of Rudyard Kipling (FSG)
• Pagan Kennedy, Black Livingstone: A True Tale of Adventure in the Nineteenth Century Congo (Viking)
  

Music:

• After Tariq Ali: Baaba Mall & Mansour Seck - "Lamtooro"on "Djam Leelii" CD Rogue Records
• Music Option: Baaba Mall & Mansour Seck - "Sehilam"on "Djam Leelii" CD Rogue Records
• Before David Gilmour: On the soundtrack for "The Jungle Book""The Bare Necessities" Walt Disney Records
• After David Gilmour: John Roberts & Tony Barrand "Sir Richard's Song"on "Naulakha Redux: Songs of Rudyard Kipling" Golden Hind Music
• Before Jeremy Black: Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra "James Bond Theme" on "Bond and Beyond" CD Telarc Int'l Corp.
• After Jeremy Black: "Theme from Goldfinger"on "Bond and Beyond" CD
• After Pagan Kennedy: Zap Mama"Mizike"on "Adventures in Afropea 1" Warner Brothers Records

Distribution dates:

• week of 09/08/2002 - hour 1