Geography impacts nations

[Uberhaus]

Thanks for the recommendation, Besilarius.  While I wait for Revenge of Geography from the library, I was able to get Kaplan's The Coming Anarchy:  Shattering the Dreams of the Post Cold War  The book is a compilation of his essay's mostly for The Atlantic and though The Coming Anarchy was published in 1994 it sure has the keys to the door.  You would think that he has presience or a crystal ball with his discussion of what he saw in store for the Kurds, Syria, religious strife in India, Georgia, and more.  The essay is here: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1994/02/the-coming-anarchy/304670/?single_page=true

How scarcity, crime, overpopulation, tribalism and disease are destroying the social fabric of society

I read the last essay first, "The Dangers of Peace" which can be summarised as the Cold War is the only Utopia we will get.  Everything I am reading lately seems to mention that the Peace of Westphalia is collapsing.  Maybe Kissinger's World Order which is sitting unread for two months will instill me with optimism.