Balancing In The Balkans

"Balancing in the Balkans" treats the Balkans as a laboratory for exploring ideas about globalism -- the creation of transnational economic communities from capital flows across political boundaries, and tribalism -- the disintegration of nations into ethnic factions based upon ancient hatreds. In their book, Raymond Tanter and John Psarouthakis debate the best way to achieve "balance" and how parties in conflict can learn moderation and peaceful coexistence. Because Tanter thinks the world is Americanized, he argues that moderation from the Midwestern United States might become an export commodity.But Psarouthakis believes that America is unique in time and place and there is little market for its moderation in a world of parochial hatreds such as the Balkans, where there is a race for the extremes. At issue between the authors is whether it is possible to give leaders in Balkan conflicts incentives to move toward moderation.