American power
A special series on America’s changing geopolitical standing
The global order that America helped to establish in the second half of the 20th century is changing fast. In this collection of commentaries, global thinkers examine the sources of America’s power and the forces changing it. They offer predictions and prescriptions for the future. The series looks broadly at America’s power, from its chaotic abandonment of Afghanistan to the rise of China. It also considers the internal forces at work in the United States.
Below we also highlight The Economist’s coverage of the forces changing the world. See our By Invitation page for the world’s leading thinkers on other subjects. Also sign up for our free daily and weekly newsletters with the best of the paper’s content. Listen to our podcasts, including The Intelligence, our daily podcast, and Checks and Balance, a weekly show on American politics.
By-invitation
Henry Kissinger on why America failed in Afghanistan
It was not possible to turn the country into a modern democracy, but creative diplomacy and force might have overcome terrorism, says the American statesman
Niall Ferguson on why the end of America’s empire won’t be peaceful
As it leaves Afghanistan in chaos, America’s decline mirrors Britain’s a century ago. It may also invite wider conflict, warns a historian
Arundhati Roy on America’s fiery, brutal impotence
The US leaves Afghanistan humiliated, but now faces bigger worries, from social polarisation to environmental collapse, says a novelist and essayist
Noam Chomsky on the cruelty of American imperialism
The United States remains unrivalled in military and economic strength, with terrible consequences for the world, says an American foreign-policy critic
Nirupama Rao on America’s need for wisdom and allies in Asia
Despite policy failures, the United States is required to counter China in the Indo-Pacific, says a former Indian diplomat
Dmitri Trenin on Russia’s interests in the new global order
America’s unipolar moment is over. It must carefully manage relations with China and Russia, says a Russian military-political analyst