Summary

Chapter 4 is the beginning of Part II, in which Haass discusses the character and causes of modern disarray. This chapter specifically explores the role of major power relations. Haass states definitively that major power conflict is the source of current disorder, an unusual trend historically. He notes that United States, the world’s most powerful country, has relatively good relations with its two primary competitors, China and Russia. China is a rising power, having emerged only recently as one of the world’s premier economic and military forces. The relationship between a rising and established power, in this case the United States, has historically been difficult. It often leads to war in what as known as the “Thucydides Trap.” The risk of this was exacerbated after the fall of the USSR, a shared enemy of the U.S. and China. Despite this, they...