The article argues that the post-Cold War era of U.S. unipolarity, established by the perceived invincibility demonstrated during the Gulf War, has ended. This decline is driven by globalization and technological diffusion, which have democratized advanced military capabilities, allowing regional actors to challenge major powers. Consequently, policymakers must prepare for a more volatile international order marked by frequent crises, heightened costs for securing global trade chokepoints, and reduced predictability from American power. The new rules dictate that great powers can no longer effortlessly impose their will through force.
Liberalism in Time: A History
English Summary
The analysis argues that liberalism is not a fixed doctrine but a resilient political tradition whose core values—such as individual rights and the rule of law—have consistently adapted to prevailing historical conditions. Evidence from history, spanning from Locke's Biblical frameworks to the 19th-century influence of Darwinian theory, demonstrates that liberal thought shifts its assumptions about progress and society to survive. For policy, this implies that any strategy relying on a single, static definition of 'liberal' principles will fail; instead, effective governance requires recognizing and adapting to the unique historical, social, and technological forces shaping the current political environment.
中文摘要
本分析認為，自由主義並非一個固定的學說，而是一種具備韌性的政治傳統。其核心價值，例如個人權利和法治，始終適應著當前的歷史條件。歷史證據顯示，從洛克（Locke）的聖經框架到19世紀達爾文理論的影響，自由思想不斷調整其關於進步與社會的假設，以求生存。因此，在政策層面，這意味著任何依賴單一、靜態定義的「自由」原則的策略都將會失敗；相反地，有效的治理必須承認並適應塑造當前政治環境的獨特歷史、社會和技術力量。
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