American Prestige Bonus - After the Liberal International Order w/ Judah Grunstein (Preview)
May 3, 2026
Judah Grunstein, editor-at-large at World Politics Review and analyst of global politics, explores what a post-unipolar world might look like. He questions middle-power coalitions and limits of IR theory. He weighs U.S. decline, China and the EU’s roles, and whether a bottom-up, shallower order driven by development and climate competition could take shape.
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Carney's Davos Warning Then Quick Alignment With Washington
- Mark Carney publicly warned middle powers to hedge after his Davos speech, yet he publicly supported U.S. actions against Iran.
- Grunstein uses Carney's flip to illustrate how middle powers often fall in line with U.S. initiatives despite prior critique.
American Unipolarity Is Over
- A unipolar American-dominated order is no longer feasible given limits to U.S. power and recent reckless tactics.
- Judah Grunstein points to the Iran episode as evidence of both illegal U.S. action and the limits of American military leverage near its bases.
China Will Not Rush To Global Hegemony
- China prefers free-riding and adjusting its position within the existing order rather than replacing the U.S. as global hegemon.
- Grunstein argues Beijing is unwilling to provide collective goods or deploy sustained global military power to enforce rules.