Conversations with Coleman The Liberal Case for American Power
78 snips
Apr 13, 2026 
Shadi Hamid, Washington Post columnist and Georgetown fellow who studies Islam and foreign policy. He defends responsible U.S. dominance as a force for stability. Short takes cover his shift from antiwar roots, debates on Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. leverage over allies, why a China-led balance is risky, and limits of the UN and America First thinking.
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Unipolarity Correlated With Fewer Battlefield Deaths
- Hamid argues unipolarity under U.S. dominance reduced global battlefield deaths versus Cold War bipolarity.
- He gives data: ~182,000 annual battlefield deaths during the Cold War vs ~50,000 after its end until 2021.
China Seeks Pro China Influence Not Ideological Export
- China isn't merely non-expansionist; Hamid views it as seeking global pro-China influence rather than exporting ideology like the USSR.
- He links China's authoritarianism at home to foreign ambitions and concern about Taiwan.
Oil Wealth Masks Dictatorship Instability
- Middle Eastern monarchies appear more stable largely because oil wealth cushions them; non-oil dictatorships often face chronic conflict.
- Hamid warns dictatorships lack self-correction mechanisms that democracies have via elections.
