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Alexander Cooley

@cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social
424 followers 41 following 7 posts

Professor of Political Science at Barnard College. Global authoritarianism, Kleptocracy, Eurasia, International Order, and Geopolitics & the Academy.

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Reposted by Alexander Cooley
Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Always great to be on podcasts w/ @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social - this time we're discussing global authoritarian influence on The Democracy Paradox Podcast
democracyparadox.com
Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis Fear Autocracies Are Hijacking the International Order - Democracy Paradox
Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis on how autocracies are repurposing liberal institutions to hijack the international order.
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Chicago Council on Global Affairs @global-affairs.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
The 2026 World Cup shattered attendance records, with more than 6.8 million fans filling stadiums across North America. But its success also came with scrutiny, putting a spotlight on FIFA’s deference to the host countries—particularly the United States. @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social weighs in ⤵️
globalaffairs.org
The World Cup Amplified Old Tensions and Deferred to New Politics
FIFA is increasingly bending to host countries on domestic politics, raising questions about whether global sporting events can still function as unifying forces.
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Rick Whitaker @rickwhitaker.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Just out in @govandopp.bsky.social, a review article assessing research on transnational authoritarianism, by @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social and @alexdukalskis.bsky.social www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
New review article now available in @govandopp.bsky.social open access: @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social and I analyse the vast and diverse scholarly literature on authoritarian regimes extending their influence abroad.
cambridge.org
Transnational Authoritarianism | Government and Opposition | Cambridge Core
Transnational Authoritarianism - Volume 61
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Chicago Council on Global Affairs @global-affairs.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Ahead of the 2026 NATO Summit, Council experts Julianne Smith, @atabatabai.bsky.social, @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social, @armida.bsky.social, @profpaulpoast.bsky.social, and Dina Smeltz weigh in on what's driving fractures within NATO and the challenges the alliance faces beyond defense spending.
bit.ly
Beyond Defense Spending: What's at Stake for NATO in Ankara
Ahead of the 2026 NATO Summit, Council experts examine deeper fractures over threat perception, alliance trust, and Washington's commitment.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 28/06/2026
An agreement between between the U.S. and Kazakhstan has given President Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s sons access to one of the world’s largest untapped reserves of tungsten, continuing a pattern of self-enrichment in the second Trump administration. trib.al/TDMlCHG
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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 20/06/2026
President Donald Trump has unveiled the new Air Force One, a formerly Qatari-owned jumbo jet now converted into the official U.S. presidential aircraft.
bit.ly
President Donald Trump unveils the new Air Force One, a converted Qatari jet
President Donald Trump has unveiled the new Air Force One, a formerly Qatari-owned jumbo jet now converted into the official U.S. presidential aircraft.
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The Times of Central Asia @timesca.com · 11/06/2026
Uzbekistan has asked U.S. authorities to explain security checks on its national football team before its final World Cup warm-up in New York ow.ly/YcP350ZaBvY #Uzbekistan #WorldCup #Football #US #Sports #WorldCup2026
ow.ly
Uzbekistan Seeks Explanation After World Cup Team Subjected to Security Checks in New York - The Times Of Central Asia
Uzbekistan’s national football team was subjected to extensive security checks before a friendly match against the Netherlands in New York, prompting the
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
This was a fun interview together w/ @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social about sports, politics, authoritarianism, the World Cup, and the U.S. w/ @global-affairs.bsky.social I already regret making a quasi-prediction about who won’t win the tournament….
globalaffairs.org
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a Pitch for Global Politics
With the tournament set to kick off at a moment of geopolitical strain, authoritarian powers are seizing an opportunity.
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Alexander Cooley @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Illiberal administration is allowed by an illiberal international governing body to enforce unequal competition rules
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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
At its current rate, Russia will consolidate its hold on the 5 Ukrainian provinces it seeks around the year 4575.
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Alexander Cooley @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
If only we had an analytical framework to explain such unusual arrangements..
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Alexander Cooley @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
US justice department ‘forever’ bars IRS from auditing Trump’s past tax returns
Addendum quietly slipped into widely criticized agreement creating a $1.7bn fund to compensate president’s allies
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Alexander Cooley @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
New interview on kleptocracy and foreign policy for Spain's El Confidencial (gift link; Spanish): www.elconfidencial.com/mundo/2026-0...
elconfidencial.com
Ya sabíamos que a Donald Trump le gustaba el dinero, pero esto ya es otro nivel
Dos académicos han analizado cómo el Gobierno de Estados Unidos se parece cada vez a un sistema en el que el gobernante busca el enriquecimiento propio y el de su círculo íntimo
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FT Visual & Data Journalism @data.ft.com · 25/04/2026
Iran used Chinese spy satellite to target US bases ft.trib.al/8vEg1xv
ft.trib.al
Iran used Chinese spy satellite to target US bases
Leaked documents show IRGC secretly acquired system and used it to guide strikes during war in March
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Dan Nexon @dhnexon.net · 24/04/2026
This is insane. We can talk about "informal empire" all we want, but NATO allies haven't been remotely "vassals" since the 50s. This smacks of the horror-show intersection of Colby's fetish for making "pivot" happen re: Asia with Trump's flailing efforts to find scapegoats for his Iran fiasco.
newsnationnow.com
Pentagon idea: Suspend Spain from NATO
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An internal Pentagon email outlines options for the United States to punish NATO allies it believes failed to support U.S. operations in the war with Iran, including su…
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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Important investigation- national policy bends to the will of billionaires if the Trump clan will make $ from it
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Kim Lane Scheppele @kimlanelaw.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Magyar has called on the national president to resign so that the new parliament can elected a new president. (Orban amended the law on the presidency in December to make it impossible for the parliament to impeach the president.) If Sulyok stays, he can act as roadblock for the new govt.
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Nate Schenkkan @nateschenkkan.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
It's been almost fifteen years of wrestling with the implications of Orbanism in Hungary, and practically every year feeling like it only got more radical and more dangerous for the world. Immensely satisfying to see it refuted by Hungarians.
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Alexander Cooley @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Post Postliberalism…?
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Dan Nexon @dhnexon.net · 08/04/2026
Dear Mr. President, Please stop providing new material for the Revised Edition of Exit from Hegemony. We would like to be able to finish the book. Thank you for your attention to this matter, Dr. Daniel Nexon
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Dan Nexon @dhnexon.net · 23/03/2026
"Why aren't there experts in the room?" you ask. In our recent @foreignaffairs.com article, @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social and I connect the dots between Trump's corruption and his administration's decision to dismantle the normal U.S. foreign-policy process.
foreignaffairs.com
The Age of Kleptocracy
Geopolitical power, private gain.
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msnegovaya.bsky.social @msnegovaya.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
.@maxbergmann.bsky.social and I joined @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social and Daniel Nexon to discuss how transnational corruption shapes foreign policy. We examine how autocratic actors use illicit networks to advance geopolitical goals—and how Putin has long leveraged this playbook. w/@erep.csis.org
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Exciting to see another review of Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics by me & @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social , this time in the Journal of Communication Inquiry. Many thanks to the author and journal for taking the time to think about our arguments!
journals.sagepub.com
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
The United Kingdom’s Akrotiri air force base in Cyprus has been hit by a drone, the Cyprus Mail learned in the early hours of Monday morning. cyprus-mail.com/2026/03/02/s...
cyprus-mail.com
UK Cyprus base hit by drone
The United Kingdom’s Akrotiri air force base in Cyprus has been hit by a drone, the Cyprus Mail learned in the early hours of Monday morning. Personnel on the bases were informed that a “small drone” ...
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Dan Nexon @dhnexon.net · 28/02/2026
As always, good thread from @profsaunders.bsky.social. @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social talk about how Trump admin hollowed out these processes, why it did so, and what some of the costs are in our recent @foreignaffairs.com article. Spoiler: a combo of far-right ideology and self-dealing.
foreignaffairs.com
The Age of Kleptocracy
Geopolitical power, private gain.
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Alexander Cooley @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
What an engaging interview- Mark brings out the best in his speakers and engages with the nuances and uncomfortable implications of their arguments.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Many thanks to Alireza Nouri for taking the time to speak with us and to @onglynette.bsky.social for facilitating. @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social and I enjoyed the conversation!
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Foreign Affairs @foreignaffairs.com · 17/02/2026
@cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social and @dhnexon.bsky.social argue that the Trump administration’s foreign policy is “fundamentally kleptocratic.”
foreignaffairs.com
The Age of Kleptocracy
Geopolitical power, private gain.
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Dan Nexon @dhnexon.net · 17/02/2026
For the definitive account of how “the West” was employed to legitimate American security guarantees to Europe, see @profptj.bsky.social’s book, Civilizing the Enemy. But you can read an earlier, article-length treatment (specifically about NATO) here: www.kittenboo.com/blog/wp-cont...
kittenboo.com
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Dan Nexon @dhnexon.net · 15/02/2026
Look what came in the mail yesterday 👇
Cover of the March/April 2026 issue of Foreign Affairs magazine, titled "The New American Hegemony"The Table of Contents of the issue, with the second article, "The Age of Kleptocracy: Geopolitical Power, Private Gain" by Alexander Cooley and Daniel Nexon, with a red box drawn around it.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
Check out my co-author @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social presenting our book Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics at @watsonschoolbrown.bsky.social
youtube.com
Alexander Cooley — Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics
YouTube video by Watson School of International and Public Affairs
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Dan Nexon @dhnexon.net · 30/01/2026
So if the major dynamic of "multipolar orders" is — as @skumsrud.bsky.social, @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social, and I argue (with contributors) — a game structured by the politics of "goods substitution," than Trump 2.0 is playing a losing strategy.
cambridge.org
Undermining American Hegemony
Cambridge Core - Political Economy - Undermining American Hegemony
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Thrilling & flattering to have leading scholars Aurel Croissant, Julia Bader, John J. Chin, Jessica C. Teets & Emilie M. Hafner-Burton read & comment on Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics by me & @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social for @nbr.org See the roundtable here:
nbr.org
Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis’s Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics | The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR)
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Dan Nexon @dhnexon.net · 18/01/2026
🧵 If you want to understand how Trump is committing geopolitical suicide, you might check out EXIST FROM HEGEMONY, Oxford University Press 2020 — in which, I am regularly told, @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social and I got "everything right" 👇. 🚨 Bonus: Kindle Edition is currently $9.99 on Amazon! 🚨
amazon.com
Exit from Hegemony: The Unraveling of the American Global Order
Exit from Hegemony: The Unraveling of the American Global Order - Kindle edition by Cooley, Alexander, Nexon, Daniel. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Exit from Hegemony: The Unraveling of the American Global Order.
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Dan Nexon @dhnexon.net · 08/12/2025
I had *planned* on writing a post today about the ongoing sane-washing of the U.S. National Security Strategy, but I decided instead to put up a more detailed version of my skeets about the entanglement of Trump corruption, overseas autocratic wealth, and U.S. media consolidation.
lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com
Transnational Kleptocracy and American Authoritarian Consolidation - Lawyers, Guns & Money
Last week, Netflix reached a deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery’s studios and streaming business. Some right-wing influencers were livid, because Netflix produces a fair amount of LGBTQ-friendly c...
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Check out this @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social discussion in which @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social and I talk about our new book Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics. newbooksnetwork.com/dictating-th...
newbooksnetwork.com
Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis, "Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics" (Oxford UP, 2025) - New Books Network
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Dan Nexon @dhnexon.net · 25/11/2025
🧵 Obligatory self-promotion. @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social devote a chapter to the transnational far-right in Exit from Hegemony. We contextualize it within broader dynamics of int'l power transitions, hegemonic decline, and transformation in international order. global.oup.com/academic/pro...
global.oup.com
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Dan Nexon @dhnexon.net · 26/11/2025
NB: as @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social and I argued back in January, if you're a "China hawk" and you think Russia is a more important ally than Europe, then you've got the geopolitical acumen of a candy wrapper.
foreignaffairs.com
Trump’s Antiliberal Order
How America first undercuts America’s advantage.
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Shaun O'Dwyer @shaunodwyer.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
Confirmation of key thesis in @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social and @alexdukalskis.bsky.social's book "Dictating the Agenda:" channels for global cultural and market liberal influence now being weaponized by authoritarian states against liberal society institutions www.theguardian.com/education/20...
theguardian.com
UK university halted human rights research after pressure from China
Exclusive: Leading professor at Sheffield Hallam was told to cease research on supply chains and forced labour in China after demands from authorities
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
Many thanks to @moisesnaim.bsky.social for this thoughtful review of Dictating the Agenda by me & @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social “This is an excellent book…. one of the most penetrating and original accounts yet of how authoritarian regimes are reshaping the global order.”
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
Looking forward to giving along w/ @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social the @nupinytt.bsky.social & Norwegian Centre for Geopolitics annual lecture in Oslo Wednesday. “Dictating the Agenda – How Authoritarians are Transforming Global Governance” Details & live stream:
nupi.no
Annual Lecture: Dictating the Agenda – How Authoritarians are Transforming Global Governance | NUPI
Based on their new book "Dictating the Agenda", Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis reveal the important authoritarian changes underway across various global governance domains.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
In the @irishexaminer.bsky.social today @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social I map out the global authoritarian resurgence and what it means for Ireland
irishexaminer.com
Authoritarian states have powerful reach — even in Ireland
The return to authoritarianism worldwide — not least in the US — will have ramifications for internationally-linked universities and corporations here, write Alexander Dukalskis and Alexander Cooley
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Dan Nexon @dhnexon.net · 05/10/2025
🧵 Fascism is an ideology. The government is fascist. But it's an unconsolidated competitive authoritarian regime, not a totalitarian one. @justinscasey.bsky.social and I discuss this, and the heterogeneity of interwar fascism, here 👇
foreignaffairs.com
The Vexing Rise of the Transnational Right
Lessons from interwar Europe.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
If you're in Dublin next week come join me & @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social at the Institute of International & European Affairs (IIEA) on Thursday where we'll talk about our new book Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics Details: www.iiea.com/images/uploa...
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
And here’s a write-up:
rte.ie
Podcast: Rising authoritarianism, Kneecap and Eurovision
An expert in international relations has told RTÉ's Behind the Story podcast it is "extremely alarming" that Donald Trump has the full force of the US government behind him for another three years.
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Alain Berset @alain-berset.coe.int · 27/09/2025
We are all students of democracy. Grateful for the exchange with students during my keynote and Q&A on The Age of Democratic Security. Thank you to @columbiauniversity.bsky.social World Leaders Forum, Acting President Claire Shipman, & Prof. @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
Author copies for Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics by me & @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social arrived today! If you re-post this by Sept 30 we'll put you in a drawing & send the winner a free signed copy anywhere they happen to be on the planet.
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Dan Nexon @dhnexon.net · 16/09/2025
And I talk about it towards then of @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social and my essay on the crisis of liberal order. (sorry, I know I've posted this stuff before).
An excerpt from our 2022 article. It reads: "U.S. officials who sincerely wish to defend the liberal order will need to choose sides, both domestically and in the conduct of U.S. foreign policy. In doing so, they will blur the distinction between liberal and illiberal practices. They will need to break domestic norms, such as not modifying the size and jurisdiction of the federal judiciary because of its ideological disposition. They will also need to back away from post–Cold War norms, such as limiting favoritism toward political factions in and among major democratic allies. And they will need to do so with the clear understanding that these actions could backfire and provide rhetorical cover for illiberal and antidemocratic practices at home and abroad."The second excerpt reads: "Grappling with domestic illiberal threats remains a thorny exercise.
Of course, the defense of liberal democracy has produced terrible excesses in the past, including ugly repression and horrific violence.
U.S. officials adopted decidedly illiberal policies during the Red Scare that followed World War I, when the specter of Bolshevism loomed large. In trying to stem the rising right-wing extremist tide today, the United States risks returning to those dark times. But the alternative of inaction-Western liberalism's failure to beat back fascism in the 1930s—remains a dangerous prospect.
History is an imperfect guide. Fascism was defeated — at least for a time—on the battlefields of World War II. Had Hitler been less interested in military conquest, fascist states might be a perfectly normal part of the current global landscape. The Soviet Union, for its part, collapsed because of a combination of the inefficiencies of its command economy, nationalist pressures, and policy choices that turned out very poorly."The final excerpt reads: "The United States cannot really contemplate defeating its current authoritarian challengers in a total war, as that would likely produce a catastrophic nuclear exchange. Its most important authoritarian challenger, China, is a totally different kind of polity than the Soviet Union was. China is wealthy and relatively dynamic, and although it has its share of structural problems, it is not abundantly clear that it hortcomings are any worse than those of the United States.
In short, neither of the historical routes to the ideological victory of liberalism seems likely. This means that liberal democracies really do need to assume that they will not retake the catbird seat of the international order anytime soon. And so the question becomes not whether the liberal order will change but on whose terms."
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