Who will end up toasting victory?
Photo illustration: 731; Katsumi Murouchi, Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, and Pavel Byrkin via Getty Images
Three Ways America’s World Order Could Collapse
A military catastrophe, soaring federal debt and Trump’s unpredictability could give China and Russia what they crave.
Nothing lasts forever: Every international order finds its end. Pax Romana stabilized the greater Mediterranean world, until decline set in. The British global order flourished in the 19th century but came apart amid two world wars in the 20th. Today, in an unruly world led by an erratic America, it’s hard not to wonder if the US-led order is on its way out.
Since 1945, that order has generated tremendous peace, prosperity and freedom. It can only be termed a smashing success. But stresses on that order — those imposed by its challengers, and those imposed by its creator — have been mounting. One way of gauging just how severe the risks have become is by considering the various ways an order might end.