Tragedy of Great Power Politics

The terrorist attacks ofSeptember 11, 2001, sadly shattered these idyllic illusions, and JohnMearsheimer’s masterful new book explains why these harmonious visionsremain utopian.  To Mearsheimer, great power politics are tragic becausethe anarchy of the international system requires states to seekdominance at one another’s expense, dooming even peaceful nations to arelentless power struggle.  Mearsheimer illuminates his theory ofoffensive realism through a sweeping survey of modern great powerstruggles and reflects on the bleak prospects for peace in Europe andnortheast Asia, arguing that the United States’s security competitionwith a rising China will intensify regardless of “engagement” policies.

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