The Tragedy of Great Power Politics - 9780393349276

The update of this classic treatise on the behavior of greatpowers takes a penetrating look at the question likelyto dominate international relations in the twenty-first century:Can China rise peacefully? To John J. Mearsheimer,great power politics are tragic because the anarchy of theinternational system requires states to seek dominance atone another’s expense, dooming even peaceful nations to arelentless power struggle. The best survival strategy in thisdangerous world is to become a regional hegemon—like the United States in the Western Hemisphere—and to makesure that no other hegemon emerges elsewhere. In a newconcluding chapter, Mearsheimer examines the course ofSino-American relations should China continue its ascent togreater economic and military power. He predicts that Chinawill attempt to dominate Asia while the United States, determinedto remain the world’s sole regional hegemon, will goto great lengths to contain China. The tragedy of great powerpolitics is inescapable.