The Scale of Post-Attack Change

This thread traces how the book balances continuity in international politics against new military and political developments after the attacks.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Problems Persist

Problems Persist A claim of continuity The author states that basic international problems remain mostly as they were. Against total rupture This judgment resists the idea that the attacks erased the older structures shaping international affairs.

A Significant Shock

A Significant Shock Changes nonetheless introduced The attacks have introduced changes, even though the underlying problems largely persist. Uneven importance Some changes may have especially significant consequences, making the period neither wholly continuous nor wholly new.

Domestic Measures Expand

Domestic Measures Expand New restrictions Governments use counterterrorism rhetoric to introduce or strengthen measures that discipline their populations. Fear as political condition Patriotic pressure and public fear help make these developments possible.

Military Reach Grows

Military Reach Grows A new regional foothold The United States establishes major bases in Central Asia, changing its strategic position. Capacity and resources The author connects the expansion to intervention, energy security, and control of regional resources.

An Unpleasant Forecast

An Unpleasant Forecast Consequences still unfolding The author concludes that important and potentially unpleasant consequences will follow from the changes introduced after the attacks. An open ending The book closes without resolving how far those consequences will reach.

At the start of the closing assessment

As the author qualifies the continuity claim

In the early aftermath

After the war in Afghanistan begins

At the final sentence of the argument