3. Return to the past or resistance? "Spheres of influence are rarely static; they are constantly contested. The reemergence of spheres of influence signals that the nature of the global order is being tested. This shift could lead to a transition back to the power politics of earlier eras."

2. Force as a way to advance state interests is the new normal. "Major powers have attempted to use force to get their way throughout the past few decades, [but] their attempts have consistently backfired and failed to prove that force is an effective tool for advancing national interests.

1. In this new world, strength trumps values. Today, "regime type no longer appears to hinder a sense of shared interests. It is hard power only—and a return to the ancient principle that “the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.”