In this sobering study, David argues that domestic upheaval and state collapse are replacing rising states and great-power rivalry as the chief threats to U.S. interests and global security... that spreading democracy or intervening to build better states are not good options. Rather, civil war must be seen as a problem akin to natural disasters: you assume disasters will occur ... Read moreand prepare for the worst.
G. John Ikenberry Foreign Affairs 2009 David is not a doomsayer or an advocate or liberal interventionism. He does not argue that the United States can or should mediate in civil wars. Instead, he calls for a cold-hearted examination of countries suffering collapse, with disciplined attention to the potential damage to American interests... David's book offers a promising new beginning for a difficult and pressing set of issues.
Jeremi Suri Political Science Quarterly 2009 In his provocative study, Steven David raises the question of what the most imminent concern for the United States' interests is... powerful account of a new set of issues to consider for Americans and the rest of the world.
Niil S. Satana International Studies Review 2009 Show Less