The Foreign Service Journal, April 2010

A P R I L 2 0 1 0 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 67 series of ever more grave confronta- tions lead to the truly ultimate in ulti- matums. And there I will pause so as not to give away the plot. Glass asks us to consider not just how China policy is made, but how China’s policy is made. How do the decisions of the political apparatus and the interest of the nation, the Com- munist Party and the individual leader intersect with those of the rest of the world? How much do Chinese politi- cal leaders care about the fate of the millions of their people affected by en- vironmental disruptions? Today we look to Beijing to take on a global role in its “peaceful rise,” but instead we see crackdowns, censor- ship, exchange-rate manipulation and saber-rattling. Its own people face ter- rible pollution, destructive infrastruc- ture projects (e.g., the Three Gorges Dam) and limited methods of protest. Project this out along the historical line and where will we be? Recall that in the recent film “2012,” it is China that moves out the locals and constructs world-saving “arks” in complete se- crecy. Just try doing that in Wyoming! Ultimatum speaks to those of us working to determine how the United States can come to grips with a China growing both in global power and sig- nificance, but lacking the same set of priorities, outlook on events or politi- cal system as the West. It also asks each of us to decide whether an atmosphere with manage- able levels of greenhouse gases is something worth fighting for. And if it is, how far are we willing to go to se- cure America’s future? And how far must our president go? ■ Josh Glazeroff, a Foreign Service offi- cer since 1997, is currently visa chief in New Delhi. B O O K S