For nearly eight decades, humanity has benefited from an international order built and maintained by American power.

This “Pax Americana” — characterized by relatively stable international relations, expanding global trade, unprecedented prosperity and the absence of great-power conflict — is abruptly coming to an end. What follows will shock all who have grown accustomed to its benefits.

The post-World War II order wasn’t perfect, but it delivered remarkable outcomes. American leadership produced the longest period without a major war between great powers in modern history. Global poverty declined dramatically, with the number of people living in extreme poverty falling from over half the world’s population in the 1950s to less than 10 percent today.

Democratic governance expanded to unprecedented levels. International institutions, from the U.N. to the World Trade Organization, created forums for the peaceful resolution of disputes.........

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