In 1914, no government chose a world war. The alliance system they had built chose one for them. In 2026, a structurally similar system has been assembled across the Middle East, the Gulf, and the Pacific. The question is not whether history repeats. It is whether the guardrails still hold.
NATO
You Would Be Speaking German
When a White House press secretary invokes World War II to dismiss France, she is not making a historical argument. She is revealing how the administration thinks about alliances: as debts owed, rather than partnerships built.
The World prepares for a Post-American Future
America’s allies are not waiting to see how this ends. They have drawn their conclusions and are building accordingly. The question is whether America notices.