Destined for War: America & China | Graham Allison | Talks at Google

Graham Allison, director of Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, discusses his latest book, Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides's Trap?

When Athens went to war with Sparta some 2,500 years ago, Thucydides identified one simple cause - a rising power threatened to displace a ruling one. Will Washington and Beijing follow the footsteps of Britain and Germany a century ago? Or will they find a way to avoid war as the US did in crafting a Cold War strategy against the Soviet Union?

[hankxu]

Prof Allison felt the 'thrill and fun' of talking to young people most of which can be his grandchildren. Certainly he spiced the talk with 'therapy of pronunciation' lol

[Brazbrah]

A long talk but didn't seem to say very much apart from describing the situation. There were two questions that were alluded to but never fully answered:

1. What sort of war would a China-US war look like? Multi-year, millions dead, global economy ruined? Or a surgical, "capability testing", flash war? What would be the likely end results of this war? Would be great to hear thoughts.

2. What action would the "martian strategist" recommend to China and the US on the North Korea situation? Regime change? Unification? US withdrawal from South Korea? It's all well and good to say "this can be solved" without addressing how it would be.

[DharmendraRaiMindMap]

I think I ll die of boredom caused by Graham before any war . I think he specialises in ennui

[praaht]

It has a name: Citizens United v. FEC from which there is no return.

[touchheartyoga]

Totally love that that talk, clever man

[yaoypl]

This time around, the Thucydides' Trap may not lead to a war between China and the U.S. for a simple reason: the fear of nuclear annihilation.

[cbujik]

Did professor Allison accidentally break wind (fart) when he coughed at 20:45?

[MarkoKraguljac]

Its funny how he insists on "Thucydides" pronunciation and then completely butchers "Vaclav" (Havel) as if he saw his name just now for the first time.

[oklahoma]

Have a bottle of tranquillisers. maybe 10 !

[iforyou]

9:25： 16 cases; 18:40: World's No 1; 18:51: time；
44:01 complacency and arrogance in the US military

[paxdriver]

Weird... He'd call a person ignorant for thinking there won't be a global power war then immediately proceeded to explain world war I and II were unprecedented. Wars which were ultimately followed up by the cold war, which was not fought because of the awareness of global war's devastation.

With a little reading between the lines he defunct his own premise from the outset. "don't be fooled, nothing changes... Except those times that changed everything which has been ever since..."

[Coltsfan]

The multiple patronizing comments denigrating the intellect of those born in or around 1990 were extremely irksome, unprofessional, and reactionary. His facile insinuation that China is not the leader of the global green revolution simply because it is the largest carbon emitter also betrayed a shocking ignorance of the realities underpinning the green revolution. The quality of this generally interesting lecture was unfortunately lowered by the heavy doses of foolishness sprinkled throughout.

[ThinkTalkListen]

My prayer for World Peace:
US! US! US! what has thou done?
You are a Democratic Country and not a Demonic Country
You must seek Peace and not War - Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Ukraine, now China
You must Trade and not Sanction - chips, lithography, etc…..
You must Save Lives and not Kill - Iraq, Vietnam, etc….
You must Build and not Destroy - Iraq, Nordstream Pipes, etc…
You must make Friends and not Enemy - China, Russia, etc….
You must be Humble and not Arrogant - Neutral to help and not Bias with evil Intent
You must serve God and not the Devil - Be satisfied and no Hegemonic and Imperialistic
Amen

[rhou]

War like what you described will simply end the earth. It then does not make any difference. If US starts to use nuke against China, China will retaliate and, more significantly, in term of nuke power, Russia will guarantee to join in. The end is earth becomes uninhabitable. Good luck, humankind.

[RanXie-dmun]

peaceful global order, can never be maintained be a single country, and is the result of hard work by countries and people all around the world. It’s hegemony and haughty to say that America maintained this order.

[GETJUSTICEU]

22.35"We provided the rules based World Order. We provided 7 decades of peace. " Tell that to the peoples of Vietnam, Iraq, Korea, Afghanistan, Lybia, Syria, Iran

[spla]

Its actually pronounced Thoukede'des in Greek.

[chengye]

I had seen his videos, and the idea is almost the same or similar, the ruling power and rising power conflicts seems inevitable based on the history. And it seem we are in this similar spiral now between US and China.Each parties are building its own alliance, and stab at each other.

[Yunglesedi]

Who else here because of The Great Elon Musk ?

[freedinner]

Beginning was a bit boring but 1\3 in to the end it was grade a content

Praise our great country the USA
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