The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict

by Elbridge A. Colby

Accordingly, the prospects for anti-hegemonic coalitions in the world’s key regions should lead the United States to focus on acting as an external cornerstone balancer in Asia to ensure the formation and maintenance of a coalition against any Chinese bid for regional predominance. The United States should remain engaged in Europe to ensure a favorable regional balance of power, but in a considerably narrower and more concentrated way than in Asia, because of the absence of a plausible regional hegemon in Europe. In the Persian Gulf, the United States should focus on ensuring that the wealthy Gulf states do not fall under another state’s predominance, but this should not be difficult given the absence of any plausible regional hegemon. The rest of the world does not demand significant focus.