All Measures Short of War: The Contest for the Twenty-First Century and the Future of American Power

by Thomas Wright

Overview

A groundbreaking look at the future of great power competition in an age of globalization and what the United States can do in response

The two decades after the Cold War saw unprecedented cooperation between the major powers as the world converged on a model of liberal international order. Now, great power competition is back and the liberal order is in jeopardy. Russia and China are increasingly revisionist in their regions. The Middle East appears to be unraveling. And many Americans question why the United States ought to lead. What will great power competition look like in the decades ahead? Will the liberal world order survive? What impact will geopolitics have on globalization? And, what strategy should the United States pursue to succeed in an increasingly competitive world? In this book Thomas Wright explains how major powers will compete fiercely even as they try to avoid war with each other. Wright outlines a new American strategy—Responsible Competition—to navigate these challenges and strengthen the liberal order.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300228182
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	05/23/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Thomas J. Wright is a fellow and director of the Project on International Order and Strategy at the Brookings Institution. He lives in Washington, DC.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xv

1 The Convergence Myth 1

2 Europe's Multiple Crises 35

3 China's East Asia Challenge 67

4 Geopolitics and Contagion in the Middle East 99

5 Interdependent Competition 127

6 Devising a Strategy 154

7 Responsible Competition 187

Epilogue: Trumpism and the Global Order 223

Notes 229

Index 258

Editorial Reviews

03/27/2017
This book on foreign affairs is a bracing antidote to simplistic thinking about complex policies. Wright, a Brookings Institute fellow, takes his title from F.D.R.’s pledge, prior to the American entry into WWII, to use “all measures short of war” to defeat fascism. This tightly reasoned analysis argues that the U.S. must find a delicate way to counter rivals such as China, Iran, and Russia while not overreacting to their attempts to influence policy in their own regions. Wright espouses the doctrine of “responsible competition,” which recognizes that nations will compete and proposes that, if the competition is measured and rational, the parties can avoid armed conflict. Russia and China’s recent actions, he acknowledges, are problematic, but a policy of reasonable competition would prevent inadvertent escalation. With economic and political cooperation between nations on the decline and nationalism on the rise, Wright warns that it is more important than ever for the U.S. to adopt a firm foreign policy and prevent global conflict from spreading. The difficulty lies in defining “responsible competition,” which each power can interpret differently. The author assumes countries will act rationally, but history argues the opposite. This is no casual read, but it raises issues that can’t be ignored. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"Wright makes a compelling case that the US and the world have benefitted from the liberal international order that Donald Trump threatens to discard, and also lucidly describes the challenges to US power around the world."—Gideon Rachman, Financial Times 
"A bracing antidote to simplistic thinking about complex policies."—Publishers Weekly 
"All Measures Short of War . . . offers a lively, engaging roadmap to a world that, as Wright notes, is characterized less by global convergence and more by rising nationalism and cutthroat national competition."—Keith Johnson, Foreign Policy 
“All Measures Short of War presents a clear-eyed analysis of the return of geopolitics and points a way for US foreign policy to navigate this new landscape.”—Francis Fukuyama, author of Political Order and Political Decay 
"Wright has written an important book at a critical time. The United States and its allies face rising threats in the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe; the liberal international order has not confronted greater challenges for decades. Wright makes a considered, nuanced case for renewed U.S. international engagement and leadership."—Andrew Shearer, Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former national security advisor to Prime Ministers Howard and Abbott of Australia 
"In this important and timely book, Thomas Wright argues that great power convergence is in decline and a new era of greater geopolitical competition is upon us, with profound implications for globalization, U.S. strategy, and international order."—Stephen Hadley, former National Security Advisor to President George W. Bush 
"Wright is an incredibly perceptive observer of the global security order. In All Measures Short of War he has provided the best account yet of the recurrence of great power competition and its implications for U.S. policymakers. I know of no better guide to the end of the Age of Obama and the emergence of the Era of Trump."—Eric S. Edelman, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and  Roger Herzog Distinguished Practitioner in Residence, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies 
"Contemplating a regressive future that resembles a past when great powers clashed and war was politics by other means, Wright advocates a concept of 'responsible competition' that harnesses globalization to maintain a cold peace in a dangerous world. Persuasive, important, and timely."—Strobe Talbott, former Deputy Secretary of State and author of The Great Experiment

From the Publisher

“Wright makes a compelling case that the US and the world have benefitted from the liberal international order that Donald Trump threatens to discard, and also lucidly describes the challenges to US power around the world.”—Gideon Rachman, Financial Times

Financial Times - Gideon Rachman

"Wright is a rising star among global strategic thinkers, and this book shows why.  All Measures Short of War is a brilliant analysis of the current state of geopolitics, what has gone wrong, and what the U.S. can and should do to continue playing its role as defender of a liberal world order.  Essential reading for the new administration in Washington and all who care about preserving a stable peace in an era of geopolitical rivalry."—Robert Kagan, author of The World America Made
 

 

Robert Kagan

Contemplating a regressive future that resembles a past when great powers clashed and war was politics by other means, Wright advocates a concept of 'responsible competition' that harnesses globalization to maintain a cold peace in a dangerous world. Persuasive, important, and timely.”—Strobe Talbott, former Deputy Secretary of State and author of The Great Experiment
 

Strobe Talbott

"Wright is an incredibly perceptive observer of the global security order. In All Measures Short of War he has provided the best account yet of the recurrence of great power competition and its implications for U.S. policymakers. I know of no better guide to the end of the Age of Obama and the emergence of the Era of Trump."—Eric S. Edelman, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and  Roger Herzog Distinguished Practitioner in Residence, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies

Eric Edelman

"In this important and timely book, Thomas Wright argues that great power convergence is in decline and a new era of greater geopolitical competition is upon us, with profound implications for globalization, U.S. strategy, and international order."—Stephen Hadley, former National Security Advisor to President George W. Bush

Stephen Hadley

"Wright has written an important book at a critical time. The United States and its allies face rising threats in the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe; the liberal international order has not confronted greater challenges for decades. Wright makes a considered, nuanced case for renewed U.S. international engagement and leadership.'—Andrew Shearer, Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former national security advisor to Prime Ministers Howard and Abbott of Australia

Andrew Shearer

All Measures Short of War presents a clear-eyed analysis of the return of geopolitics and points a way for U.S. foreign policy to navigate this new landscape.”—Francis Fukuyama, Senior Fellow, Stanford University, and author of Political Order and Political Decay

Francis Fukuyama