At the inception ofthe twenty-first century—not to mention the next millennium—books on‘the American Century’ proliferate monthly, if not daily. We nowhave The American Century Dictionary, The American CenturyThesaurus, and even The American Century Cookbook; perhaps theAmerican Century baseball cap or cologne is not far behind. With one or twoexceptions, the authors celebrate the unipolar pre-eminence and comprehensiveeconomic advantage that the United States now enjoys. Surveys of public opinionshow that most people agree: the American wave appears to be surging just as theyear 2000 beckons. Unemployment and inflation are both at twenty-year lows,sending economists (who say you can't get lows for both at the same time)back to the drawing board. The stock market roars past the magic 10,000 mark, andthe monster federal budget deficit of a decade ago miraculously metamorphosesinto a surplus that may soon reach upwards of $1 trillion. Meanwhile PresidentWilliam Jefferson Clinton, not long after a humiliating impeachment, is rated in1999 as the best of all postwar presidents in conducting foreign policy (adizzying ascent from eighth place in 1994), according to a nationwide poll by theChicago Council on Foreign Relations. This surprising result might also, ofcourse, bespeak inattention: when asked to name the two or three most importantforeign policy issues facing the US, fully 21 per cent of the publiccouldn't think of one (they answered ‘don't know’), and amere seven per cent thought foreign policy issues were important to thenation. But who cares, when all is for the best in the best ofall possible worlds?