An essential contribution to the dialogue on how civilized countries
survive in an uncivilized world, Robert Cooper sets out his radical new
interpretation of the new international order that has emerged from the
debris of communism.
In The Breaking of Nations, Cooper shows that the greatest question
facing post-modern states is how they should deal with a world in which
missiles and terrorists ignore borders and where Cold War alliances no
longer guarantee security. He argues that when dealing with a hostile
outside enemy, civilized countries need to revert to tougher methods
from an earlier era-force, pre-emptive attack, deception-if we are to
safeguard peaceful coexistence throughout the civilized world. He also
advocates a doctrine of liberal imperialism that advocates that
post-modern states have a right to intervene in the affairs of modern
and pre-modern states if they pose a significant enough threat.
The Breaking of Nations is essential reading for a dangerous age, a
cautionary tale for superpowers, and a prescient examination of
international relations in the twenty-first century.